Show rule her lewis own home li referring at fredericksburg to M OTI ED E D blunt receipt alio from ans washing ili cor toll by courier or jm portent As tile war went on and the fate of the lo 10 depend upon her first born as ids renown ino tinted adny by day as his name n synon yin for hero abill patriot in two hein this table level hentley av 5 A As IN 4 xa t V za V P 1 Y 6 axy by JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN KORGE washington to la known to have said bald that his mother wua was the the most beautiful woman he ever saw that mary washington was a re woman the world has always known history has taken care of that but it was genera brally lly believed for a long time la Is perhaps lier haps still believed by many that there was no portrait of mother in existence it was known that washington had an oil portrait of his mother eliat it had been badly damaged and that lie he kept it in his bedroom at mount vernon na as one of its his priceless poh possessions sessions but it was supposed that this 1 portrait had disappeared never to be seen again herewith Is ed that portrait as is it appears utter titter it had 1 been een restored by skilled hands in ili england all doubt dolbt ns as to tile pos by washington of a portrait of ills his mother Is removed by the be following pala paragraph from a letter written by him nt at mount varno vernon n under date of may alay 30 10 1702 to charles C carter arter who had married a niece it Is very good of 0 you to pet get the presumed needful done to my mothers portrait painted by an englishman named middleton who formerly hold held a B commission in the british service and who had been a professional artist in england robert cary has frequently urged its being sent to england that he might confide the repair of the hole find the completion of the picture itself which but tor for tho the face Is by most moat persons deemed imperfect to ono one of the most eminent english painters but I 1 have been so BO long accustomed to look on the mutilation ti as almost t to disregard it the portrait Is in identified with my whole life my mother gave tt it to me and the large hole was waa thrust through it in the course of wagon travel to philadelphian adelph lan quarters under the disfigurement mrs lira washington and myself ever afterwards preferred it hanging in my bedroom where its wounded unfinished and apparently neglected condition escape frequent unpleasant rel r mark any change wrought in n tle picture beyond repairing the hole would be the reverse of improvement to my eye I 1 am happy above measure in having it wounded an rana apparently neglected as it Is rather than incur the penalty of its absence washington it Is evident was loath to part with tile the portrait alt even temporarily presumably also lie he hall had little confidence in charles carters carter ability to have it restored when james sharpies sharples Shar pies the eng english painter went to mount vernon to make portraits of washington and MR hl wife it was a different story tile the per portrait of mary washington went to england and through sharpies sharples Shar pies and robert gary cary english agent and personal friend it was turned over to alf an artist named bird who was waa a academician and one of the ablest portrait painters living why this toils portrait of mother never got back to america Is one of tile the jo history it is a alitt matter cr 1 of conjecture that titter after death interest in tile the portrait on this side of the atlantic grew less lesa it t la Is guessed that sharples sharpies Shar pies paid bird and that cary reimbursed hubers imbur sed ed sharpies sharples Shar pies at any rate the portrait ultimately went into the hands of cary general grant when in england ex pressed a fervent wish to see the middleton portrait of mary alary washington the owner liea of north ampton shire a grandniece grand niece of robert cary sent it to london general grants acknowledgment was in part general grant presents his respectful compliments to miss edwardes the envied owner of the middleton painting ot of mary washington and begs to tender her bar hla his hearty thanks for or exceeding kindness in sending bending to london for hla him convenience and grai gratification inca t this a admirable and evidently to the life portrait of mary washington who abo above all others must be held in deepest affection and exalted remembrance by every american whenever the day arrives tor for the return of these paintings this and the sharpies sharples Shar pies portraits of the g to america congles congre sd s arn g he doubts not unanimously do its duty in the matter the painting of mary washington has especial claims as the only portrait of her known to exist general grant had hoped that mid dlemons dle tons portrait was free for disposition he hears therefore with regret that family arrangements prevent tor for a few years athla desired accomplishment general grant boga begs to repeat his becoming sense bense of the tha honor done him as also to express his entire c confidence onal that at the proper time miss edwardes Edwird es family will give due weight to his country mens natural wish to possess the gem happily for america under her family control the middleton portrait of mary alary washington goes far to substantiate claim na as to hla his mothers beauty there are few allusions in writing ns as to tier her personal appearance before her marriage and here Is an odd tiling thing rt a letter found in a deserted mansion near the york river during the civil war years after its writing Wms Burg ye ath of ocar 1722 dear sukey madame ball of lancaster and her sweet molly have gone horn mama thinks molly the cornell comell est eat maiden she knows she Is about 18 16 arn yrs old Is in taller than me to Is verry modest and loving ifer her hair Is in like unto flax her eyes ar are 8 ahe color of yours and her checkes ar are s like may blossoms I 1 wish you could see her but enry washington was much more than beautiful lawrence W washington ash of Cho tank toward the close of the eighteenth century wrote this 1 was often here at tile the home on the with george geore ahli playmate schoolmate and young mans companion of the mother I 1 was more afraid than of my own parents she awed me in the midst of her kindness and even now when time hns has whitened my locks and I 1 am ain the grandfather of a second generation I 1 could not behold that majestic woman without feelings it la ili impossible to describe when the revolution began war washington h persuaded his mother to move from h her e estate on the rappahannock Rappa hannock to fredericksburg she declined the offer of a home with her daughter ey M able religious mother pursued the even tenor of her ber wray way the same industrious dust rious thrifty housewife and farm manager luan nger as ever 1 I am not surprised at what george has done she said he was always a good boy april 14 1780 1789 charles thomson secretary ot of congress arrived at mount vernon with official certificates that washington lind had been elected tho the first arst president of the new nat nation ton washington prepared to accompany thomson to new york then the seat of t the 1 ie national government that aft ernson he be rode to fredericksburg to say goodby good by to hla his mother she was waa then past eighty and wasting from tile the effects of a painful and incurable disease cancer re he found her feeble in body but as ever strong in spirit and bright in intellect after an affectionate greeting between them washington said to his mother the people madam have been pleased with the most moat flattering natt ering unanimity to elect me to the chief magistracy of the united states but before I 1 can assume the functions of that office I 1 have come to bid you nn an affectionate farewell so soon boon as aa the public business which must necea barfly be encountered in arranging a now new govern government went can be disposed of I 1 shall hasten to virginia you will see me no more she said interrupting him my great age and the disease which Is rapidly approaching pro aching my vitals warn me that 1 I shall not be long la in this world I 1 trust in god I 1 am somewhat prepa prepared for a better but go george fulfill the high destinies which heaven appears to assign you go my son and may that leavena Ue avena and your mothers mother 1 0 blessing be with you always it Is known that washington felt that he was then seeing his mother for the last lalit time it la Is said bald that he put his head on her shoulder sli and wept F for or it la in not least in the areat great ness of george washington that he appreciated his mother and it la Is said that she clasped feeble arms about his bis neck and mingled her tears with lile bla and phe flie was not a woman vo in i an given to tears let us hope that her tears were not all of sorrow at parting and it was the final parting of a grea great Coon son with a great mother his best friend she died august 25 1760 1789 her heir death was felt as aa a solemn public event and tind so observed throughout the land mary washington was never known to flow a feminine weakness except one she had an unconquerable fear during thunderstorms and that was waa because soon eoon after marriage stran air in dimate woman friend sitting beside tier her was killed by a stroke of lightning what does a man owe to his motherly no therl what did george washington owe to his mother what does the united states of america owe to mary washington |