| Show M mother the of our first st aare president aident J T HE girl who was to become the smother t mother of george washington Washingto rit was something ot of a belle in her native colony virginia mary ball descended from a good english family was called the rose ot of epping forest in her girlhood eppine forest being the name ot of the ball baitt homestead orphaned early she had as her guardian george eskridge a wealthy virginia planter at twenty two mary ball married on march 6 1730 augustine washington then a widower two little boys her first child she named george alter after her old family friend five other children were born of this marriage four of whom survived when augustine washington died she was left with a brood of youngsters to care for george was then only eleven fortunately however states a writer in the indianapolis di news the husband had provided for them amply george washington was still a young boy when h he e became possessed of a great desire to be at midshipman his mother had been halfhearted half hearted about this plan at all times but finally so the story goes when his sea chest was being carried down to the wharf by a porter she refused to let him go lie he accepted liar her d decision with good grace ard and devoted himself to surveying instead his activities in the next years often took him far away iron her and gradually prepared him to fo tile the great role he vas to play in Arne american rican history wary mary ball washington was sixty eight when the revolution began since communication was then so sa primitive she often did not know for months at a time whether her son blary alary uil gall at 22 when she wed az A z ustine washington was alive or dead yet she maintained outward calm arid and courage one ot of her sayings was tile the mothers and wives of brave men must be ba brave women the members ol of her household knew thou though 7 h that every day she went off by hersell herself with her bible to a quiet spot called meditation rock at last cornwallis surrendered in 1781 and the revolution was won ever mindful of his mothers anxiety tor for him washington sent ol oil 01 a courier at once to bear her the news mary ball washington lived to bit b over eighty mentally keen and un fai foiling linly ly cheerful she died in 1789 the year her son was elec elected ted first president of the united states |
