The First American: His Homes and His Households |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alexander Macomb American Augustine Augustine Washington beauty Billy Bishop Cloth Colonel Humphreys Colonel Smith Colonel Washington's color Congress Conway daughter death dent diary dining-room dinner door drawing-room England English FAREWELL farm France Franklin house FRANKLIN SQUARE French friends front furniture gave General's gentlemen George Washington Parke Germantown guests Hamilton handsome happy HARPER & BROTHERS horse household ington Jefferson Lady Washington Lafayette Lawrence Lawrence Washington Lear Leila Herbert letters levees London loved Macomb house Major Jackson mansion Marie Bashkirtseff Martha Washington months Morris house mother Mount Vernon mulatto nation negro Nelly Custis ness never person Philadelphia picture Potomac President President's Revolution Robert Morris says secretary sent servants steward Street thought tion tomb Truro Parish vault Virginia visited WAKEFIELD HOUSE walk Wash Washington Parke Custis Washington was born wife woman writes wrote York young
Popular passages
Page xx - O eloquent, just and mighty Death ! whom none could advise, thou hast persuaded ; what none hath dared, thou hast done ; and whom all the world hath flattered, thou only hast cast out of the world and despised ; thou hast drawn together all the far-stretched greatness, all the pride, cruelty, and ambition of man, and covered it all over with these two narrow words, Hie jacet!
Page 117 - ... for these reasons it has been my ardent wish to see a plan devised, on a liberal scale, which would have a tendency to spread systematic ideas through all parts of this rising empire, thereby to do away local attachments and State prejudices, as far as the nature of things would, or indeed ought to admit, from our national councils.
Page 10 - Will, thus describes the home of the mother. " I was often there with George, his playmate, schoolmate, and young man's companion. Of the mother I was ten times more afraid than I ever was of my own parents ; she awed me in the midst of her kindness, for she was indeed truly kind.
Page 118 - And to my mulatto man, William, calling himself William Lee, I give immediate freedom; or, if he should prefer it (on account of the accidents which have befallen him, and which have rendered him incapable of walking or of any active employment), to remain in the situation he now is, it shall be optional in him to do so; in either case, however, I allow him an annuity of thirty dollars, during his natural life, which shall be independent of the victuals and...
Page 139 - RUSSELL COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. By One Who Has Kept a Diary. With One Illustration. Crown 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, Deckel Edges and Gilt Top, $2 50. It does not. often happen that a volume of reminiscences presents so much interesting and attractive matter. . . . It is difficult to lay asi'le a book which contains so much of the salt which seasons life.
Page 117 - I proceed after this recital, for the more correct understanding of the case, to declare; that, as it has always been a source of serious regret with me, to see the youth of these United States sent to foreign countries for the purpose of education, often before their minds were formed, or they had imbibed any adequate ideas of the happiness of their own ; contracting too frequently, not only habits of dissipation and extravagance, but principles unfriendly to republican government, and to the true...
Page 117 - ... branches of polite literature, in arts and sciences, in acquiring knowledge in the principles of politics and good government, and, as a matter of infinite importance in my judgment, by associating with each other, and forming friendships in juvenile years, be enabled to free themselves in a proper degree from, those local prejudices and habitual jealousies which have just been mentioned, and which, when carried to excess, are never-failing sources of disquietude to the public mind, and pregnant...
Page 116 - Item.— To my dearly beloved wife, Martha Washington, I give and bequeath the use, profit, and benefit of my whole estate, real and personal, for the term of her natural life, except such parts thereof as are specially disposed of hereafter.