Show HA YARN RUN TO I Vf asb tickler d f ip for Truth Not so su CA Particular 1 n By WILLIAM ti WEBSTER ELLSWORTH I Author r of A Goldon Age Aga of Authors and of the Illustrated Lectures i. i V- V The Personal Washington Abraham Lincoln B Boy y and jr fr Man Theodoro American Etc 0 A OF ALL ALIJ the worlds world's boyhood stories the story of George V Washington and his little hatchet et is perhaps tho the most i famous It has ha been a synonym for truth tho the world around I told in many languages in tho the huts of the Eskimos in the I kraal of Af th the bl man black ck man in South Africa d doubtless it has been I the means of or showing shelving many youths that hones honesty y 1 19 the best policy and 00 BO has Justified Parson Weems In I hlin himself lt telling a whopper that others may refrain retrain from following ip la his footsteps Perhaps ho he did not tell a whopper perhaps the In Incident incident incident in- in really happened happened we we may mayi i never know George W Washington WahingtOn hington was nearly 30 years old when Mason l aon Locko Weems was born In Virginia so It ItIs Is b apparent that Weems never had I the opportunity personally to ac acquaint acquaint ac- ac quaint himself with anything that happened In Washington's youth He Ho was at oJ e one oe time tho the rector of Pohick church seven miles from Mount Vernon which Washington attended and he was doubtless known to the general But fiut in tho the dedication of ot his life of Washington Washing Washing- ton to Mrs Martha Washington the Illustrious Relict of General George Washington he signs himself him him- self calf Your sincere though unknown friend showing that he ho could not have been very Intimate with the family RECORD AS AS' BOOK flOOK AGENT In 1790 1790 Weems gave up his parIsh parish par par- ish and became a book bool agent and anda a man who could dispose of ot high priced Bibles In one ono year ear was no mean book agent And Anti in the intervals of selling books he played the fiddle at fairs and balls and sometimes he preached And always always al al- at- at ways he had a sense o of humor which made life Ufe very agreeable for tor Mason L. L Weems He wrote books too The life of Washington was his second book and this he followed fol fol- followed fol- fol lowed with lives live of ot Franklin and William Penn and General Marion Marlon He once wrote this letter lettel to Washington it is undated Highly Honor Honor-d Sir Herewith i I send your copy of tho the American edition of Blairs Blair's Sermons which you were so good gool goodas as to patronize and for which you paid I have taken upon me to circulate cir circulate cir cir- moral and religious books among tho the people with which I know that your excellency as th Father of of the People is not displeased dis dis- dis pleased pleased Bishop Bishop Maddison Mr John Dickinson and Dr Wharton ha have ye set me mo on a good work 1 I. e. e to reprint if possible a large and cheap American edition of the good I old Bishop Wilsons Wilson's works works I I am amnot amnot amnot not Ignorant of the services which your excellency has had the hap- hap i to render to my country and I will not be angry withroe with hope for you saying that I have flave gratitude gratitude graU me roe wish to tomake tomake tude enough earn earnestly to make nake your excellency a present of elegant ant copy of the above very an valuable work Your excellency's name will wll greatly help our undertaking undertaking undertaking under under- taking and so render a real bl blesa- blesa ss- ss country as well as a ing to our lasting obligation on oi your our excellency's excellency's excellency's excel excel- lency's sincere well wisher MASON I L. L WEEMS I UI 1 am not very superstitious but have this work BO so o much at heart that if your excellency should frown on oct it it may make malte me unhappy Unhappy unhappy un un- happy at times as I should be afraid fraid that God Almighty does not think me worthy of such an on hon hon- or But Washington was rather particular particular particular par par- about bout his Indorsements and he frowned on Mr Weems' Weems scheme H HATCHET STORY EXPANDS Weems' Weems life of Washington appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap In 1800 soon after the death of t the e general At first it was only a pamphlet of two eighty-two pages but like tle tho little peach it grew grew and grew STew in each edition The Tho cher cherry y tree st story ry appeared first in t the te e fifth edition printed in Augusta Ga in 1806 Not long ago I read in a contribution to that there must be bo truth In tho the story because General Washington had never denied It in hi his lifetime Perhaps that it was not heard of until six years after his death to wa was one M reason and another fh t Was that even it If h he had hd been the f 11 man who would n not t allow of any his important deeds to be beh talked of In hi his Presence and whose h walls no captured battle hattie flags adorned Weems Weem did not put name on the title page as author until the these se second nd edition The pamphlet was written In an ordinary style con con- taming few anecdotes The openIng open- open In Ing H paragraphs are aro a as follows This truly groat great man the third sari eon f Mr Augustin Washington was as n born orn In Jn Stafford county on the of February 1732 He was the tho second son by a second marriage a circumstance which it is hoped will effectually stop the mouths of those enemies of American American Amer Amer- ican population who are eternally bawling against second marriages And it is likewise hoped that it will comfort the nerves of ot those hearted chicken-hearted bachelors who ar art ar afraid to wed afraid wed afraid to wander In Elysian fields fields' of matrimony lest they should encounter a a. group of ot their own faced angel children Timid mortals of your country Take courage and be happy Washington was the tho second son son and and the son of a second second sec sec- ond onci marriage HE WAS ALSO NEAT His education was waa of the private private private vate and proper sort Dead languages languages lan lan- pride and pedantry had no I i charms for him who always preferred preferred preferred pre pre- sense to sound the kernel to the tho shell A grammatical knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of his mother tongue the mathematics geography history natural and moral philosophy were the v valuable objects of his youthful youth youth- ful studies and In these he made the tho proficiency of one who always loved to go deep After leaving his hili tutor he acted for a few years as county surveyor in which profession prote- prote sion sian his industry as also the neatness neatness neatness neat neat- ness and regularity with which he did everything were universally admired The first four editions were merely biographies and it is not until the tho fifth edition that Weems lets his imagination have full swing This edition begins begin II very differently from the others Here is the opening paragraph Ah Ak gentlemen exclaimed Bonaparte Bonaparte Just as he was about to embark for Egypt Some young Americans happening at Toulon and anxious to see the mighty Corsican had obtained the I honor hono- of an introduction to him Scarcely were past the customary salutations when he eagerly asked How fares your countryman the great Washington Ho He was very well replied the tho youths brightening brightening brightening bright bright- ening at the thought that they were the countrymen of Washington Washingto Washing Washing- to ton 1 he was very well general I when we wo left America Ah gentlemen gentlemen gentlemen gen gen- rejoined he be Washington can never be otherwise than weI wen well 1 I his name shall be mentioned with i reverence as the founder of ot a aI I I great empire when mine shall be lost in irs the vortex of revolutions Which is a remarkable prediction prediction prediction tion made in a book published nine years before Waterloo whether original with Bonaparte or with Weems TALES FROM ENGLISH BOOK In this edition are many anecdotes anecdotes anecdotes dotes of Washington's boyhood some of them adapted from the biography of ot a good little English boy published in 1799 The cherrytree cherry cherrytree cherrytree tree story etory however is not taken from that source Here it is 1 Pa Pa said George very seriously seriously seri seri- seriously do I ever tell tail lies l' l 4 No George I thank God you do not my cay son and I rejoice Inthe in inthe Inthe the hope you never will At least you shall shaH never from me have bave cause to be guilty of ot so shameful a thing Many parents Indeed ed even compel their children to this vile practise by barbarously beatIng beatIng beating beat- beat Ing them for every little fault hence on the next offense the littie little lit lit- tie tle terrified creature slips out a ali alie li lie his Just to escape the rod But Butas Butas Butas as to yourself George you know I have havo always told you OU and now tell YOU vou again that whenever by accident accident accident acci acci- dent you do anything wrong which must often be the case as you are but a poor little boy yet without experience or knowledge never tell tella a falsehood to conceal it but come bravely ely up my son son son- like like a aman a little littleman littleman man and tell telI me of ot it and instead I of ot beating you ou George I will but the tho more honor and love you OU for forit forit it my dear This youl say was sowing good seed Beed Yes it was and tho the crop thank God was as I believe it ever will be where a man acts the true parent that Is he is the Guardian Guardian Guar Guar- dian Angel by his child The following anecdote Is a a. ac ca in point It is too valuable to be lost and too true to be doubted for it was communicated to me by the same excellent lady to whom I am indebted for the last An aged lady who was a distant relative rela rota- tive Uve and when a girl spent much of her time in the family HERE IS HATCHET YARN When George said she was about 6 years old he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet of which like most little boys he was Immoderately fond and was constantly going about chopping choppin everything that came in hia hi way One day in the garden where he often amused himself hacking his mothers mother's peasticks he unluckily tried tho the edge of his hatchet on the body I lof of a a. beautiful young English cherry tree which he barked so terribly that I dont don't believe the tho tree ever got the better of It The next morning the old gentleman finding out what had befallen his tree which by the way was a great favorite came ame Into the house and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author declaring at the same time that he would not have taken 5 guineas for his tree Nobody could tell him anything about it ft Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance George said his father do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden This was a n tough question and George staggered under it for a n moment but quickly recovered himself and looking at his hill father with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all aU conquering truth he bravely cried out I 1 cant can't tell a clie lie pa you know I cant can't tell a lie He I did cut it with my hatchet Kun to my arms you dearest I boy cried his father in transports transports transports trans trans- ports run to my arms glad slad am i I I. I George that you killed my tree I for you have paid me for it a a. Such an act of I heroism in my son Bon is worth more than a a. thousand trees though blossomed with silver and their I fruits of purest gold It was in this way by Interesting interesting Inter Inter- esting both his heart and head that Mr Washington conducted George with great easo ease and pleasure along the tho happy paths of virtue Mr Washington is so anxious to inspire George with a love for truth that he ho cheerfully tells him he would gladly assist in nailing him up up In his little coffin rather than to have him grow up a liar GEORGE WAS SURPRISED Knowledge of his Maker is another another an an- other virtue which the father I seeks to instill in his son Hero Here Is another extract from this fifth i edition of Weems' Weems boo book It I One day he went into the garden garden gar gar- gar gar- den and prepared a little bed of ot finely pulverized earth on 0 which he wrote Georges George's s 's name in full in I large letters then letters then strewing in plenty of ot cabbage seed he covered I them up and smoothed smooth d aU all over I nicely with the roller This bed he purposely prepared close alongside along along- alongside side of a gooseberry walk which happening at this time to be well j hung with ripe fruit he knew would be honored with Georges George's visits pretty regularly every day Not many mornings had passed away before in came George with his little cheeks ready to burst with great news newa I I I O 0 pa par Corn Come here hera Come herel here I What's the the matter my ray son what's the matter O 0 0 come here I tell teU you pa come here and Ill I'll show you such sucha a a. sight eight as you never saw in all your r lifetime The old gentleman suspecting what George would be bo at gave him his hand han which he seized with great eagerness and tugging him along through tho the garden led him point blank to the bed whereon where where- on was inscribed in large letters and In all the freshness of newly sprung plants the full name of George Washington There pa said George quite In Jn an ecstacy of astonishment did you ever see such a sight in all your lifetime Why it seems like a curious affair sure enough George But pa who did make It there who did make it there I It grew there thero by chance I my mv son lion N NO CHANCE CHANCE HAPPENING I By chance Pa Pal Oh OI no no It never did grow there by chance pa Indeed that that it never did didt High Why not my son Why pa did you ever see anybody's anybody's anybody's any any- body's name In plant bed before Well but George such a thing might happen though you never saw 1 it before Yes pa but I did never see seethe seethe seethe the little plants grOW up so as to tomake tomake tomake make one ono single letter of ot my name before Now Nov how could they grow up so a as to make all the letters of my name And then standing one after another to spell my name so exactly exactly and and all so BO neat and even too at top and bottom Oh pa you must mum not say chance hance did all this Indeed somebody did it and andI I 1 dare say now pa you did it Just to scare me because I am your littie little lit lit- tle tie boy His Hla father smiled and said Well George you have guessed right right right-I I indeed did it but not to scare you my son son but to learn learnYOU learnyou you a great thing which I 1 wish you ou to understand I want my son to introduce you to your our true Father High pa aint you my true true- fa faI father Ia- Ia I ther that has loved me and been I I so good to me always I Yes Ye George I 1 am ani your father I as the world calls it and I love you i i very dearly too But yet with all my love lo for you OU George I 1 am but buta a a. poor good for nothing sort of a father in comparison of one you ho have ve HE LEARNS LESSON Aye Ayot I know well wen enough whom you TOU mean pa You mean mean God Almighty dont don't you ou Yes Yea my eon son I mean Him in In- In deed He is your true Fa FaU f George Jim But pa where is God mighty I did never see Him yet jet True my son but never saw Him yet He is alwa with you You did not se seen f when ten days ago I made tie plant bed where you see e yoi yo name name in such beautiful green greenle tie le but though you did note nots me here yet you know I was here Yes pa that I 1 do I do I know was here j Very little light has ever be bee beV thrown on the origin of the ch chen chrz rl tree story who was |