Show GEORGE WASHING TONIS WEDDING anniversary I 1 in the life story ot of any great man the incident most certain to A every human being e drory ag age Is the romance romance of his f 0 1 l courtship and his marriage gre greatness ess may remove him from ave average m a humanity in every other respect but in this element of romance etro IW touches aches the lives of all where all understand him this day january 6 probably old style marks the anniversary of the wedding of george and martha washington in sa so far as historians have been able to fix the date says the united states george washington bicentennial commission while the decre j do not state the fact it is probable that george and martha had siward much of each other before they met washington had already established I 1 his fame as a daring soldier by b v his modem movements ants ag aInsil the ffrench on the ohio and by ills 16 courage at the battle of field and the young oung colon colonel 01 so often in williams Will ianis burg the social as well as political capital of virginia must havo have known of tho the handsome socially prominent and young widow austig their meeting occurred when vash avash ington then commanding the military de fences of 0 the virginia frontier against the indians had hurried do wi 0 aup to ito t c r i t J ta p person o r s certain needed improvements in his command at williams ferry over the river allyer tradition has it washington paused at the house of major chamberlayne which may have been on may 27 1758 and was pressed by this friend to stop and partake of hospitality washington on his way to see the govenor on important business athirst at first declined but at major Chamber laynes Insist ancen greed to stay to dinner tho the argument that turn turned edthe the decision seems to have been major Chamber laynes remark that the charming mra airs custis was also a guest at hla his house there is almost a humorous note in this snare which fate seemed to cast about Washington 8 heart with him was his faithful servant bishop whom general braddock had turned over to him dimand and whom washington instructed to stay by their horses until dinner dianer was over the old orderly well knew hla his masters punctuality and I 1 took ook it for granted that the pause at the chamberlayne Chambor layne home would be a brief one but dinner dinae passed the sun sank lower in tho the west and still washington had not emerged at last so tile the story goes bishop was ordered to stable the horses for the night it was only too evident that george washington had found business that to him was moro more important at the moment than his errand with the governor on the next day the journey to williamsburg iams lams burg was resumed but no sooner was the business with the governor transacted thau than washington hurried asiaf away to the white house on tile the where the widow custis lived when he left lefi on juno june 5 the deeply smitten young virginia colonel must have been in high sp spirits frits for he took with biln him the ladys promise to W wed ed him as aa soon as aa his military service ou on the ohio was finished to this day there Is a dispute d as to whether tho the wedding of george washington and martha occurred at the brides home or at st peters church in williamsburg but the rector of st peters the Rev crand mr mossom la is known to have officiated at the ceremony and the date of the marrage Is fixed by jared sparks as of january wherever the event occurred it was a notable and brilliant affair with the govermor Gover por vor the military and civil authorities and the elite in attendance george was arrayed ai the most brilliant figure fig in the mariem blago naturally so important impo a matter as the brides bride s attire was not to bei be lost in oblivion and we know that marthas wedding gown was a sarn quilt guilt over which a heavy white silk illk inter covon with threads of silverias silver was looped back with white satin ribbons richly brocaded in a leaf patte pattern M there were alwo elbow sleeves revealing ealing a puff tind and frau of lace stringy lj ars ovin ana f er powdered hair her ailigh heaed slippers were of white satin satan with brilliant buckles martha washington washl 13 g toll had been bo born M martha dandridge at tho the age of seventeen she inar riedl col daniel parke custas C ustis V a wealthy man who died eight years after their marriage leaving her two children and mistress of a largo large fortune after her wedding to george washington months had still to elapse before the happily wedded espair pair could settle down at estate of mount vernon having been elected to tho the house of burgess Burge gs washington was obliged to attend its sessions and the couple remained at williamsburg until may 1769 1759 then they went to the beautiful eta estate te at the me potomac to alto make it their home for the rest of their moir lives and to leave it a shrine forever to millions oi 0 americans who hold in reverent reverent ent mem pry every incident in their life to gether nothing in all history outdoes in beauty was hing tons attachment to his wife as she in turn was hla ats best reliance a source of encourage encouragement mentin in all hla his trials a dignified figure in herself as her great husband in the a at af f memory ot of succeeding ge generations n erat ions of americans so Ja january muary 6 will linger in n our history as the begin ink ini of 0 one of the stately and lovely romanes of all time |