Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1930, Page 91

ON, D. C, DECEMBER 21, 1930 i/f A : | Viount Vernon Comes This Account of Puletide at His ppent BHis First Christmas in 1747, Season for BimWas QAlways an BGatherings at the Mansion. Procession of tiny waiters at Mount Vernon bringing in dinner through the from the kitchen. once & year and with it brings good cheer. Every man must have his sheer, apple cider simmon beer.” Plenty of both was always for them, and from the Mansion House be heard the high falsetto and rumbling table bounteously provided was a point of honor her, and on festive days about all that could teeming with food. Over a century later Mrs. Washington’s delicate “little Patt” could be fed on wild swans and wild bees’ honey had she liked it better than the woodcock’s plump ‘breast, or’ that greatest of all big game deli- cacies, a bit of broiled buffalo hump from a herd or two still roaming in her adopted “father’'s West Virginia wilds, might be remem- < The Potomac, “one of the finest rivers in the world,” as the great man himself nameéd it, was hovered over by so many canvasback ducks that one shot from Uncle Tom’s old musket brought down enough for days, and old Jack, who claimed to be the son, taken in a slave raid from his father, an African king, kept the larder supplied with the best of fish. In the diary, that limitless source of in- formation, there is a brief entry for one of the earllest Christmas dinners at Mount Ver- non, years before the good Martha's time. There was company at dinner as usual, for he says: “ ... We dined on an Irish goose . . some beef, etc., etc., and drank a health to our absent friends.” This Christmas entry is , a8 it shows the early of his lifelong toast, offered with port or champagne, according to the x‘n‘ and varied only by a word or two: our absent friends,” and “To all our " There were friends in plenty .at all times. And relatives. Virginia colonial society was a wvast metwork of cousinship; those who were Miniature of Martha Washington. not connected with one side of the house were members of the other side! Families were usually large, 10 or 15 sons and daughters caused no comment, and even 20 were not un- known. Hospitality was the first unwritten law, or rather it was the law written on the heart. The combination of these large families, hospi- tality, easy times, and the fact that no lady ever was gainfully occupied, resulting in con- tinual house parties. There was no formal calling on certain days, with & cup of thin tea and an airy two-bit sandwich for refreshment, but welcome to home and board for as long as it suited a guest’s convenience. These guests never came walking or unattended—no little coupe neatly parked on the side driveway—but as like as not a coach and four, the coach filled with charming ladies and big bonnet boxes, and the “four” required stabling and grooming. At~ tendant swains frequently came on horseback. The roads were always bad in Winter, and oftimes fairly impossible. Grooms were posted when the probable arrival of guests was known to render assistance, if necessary, should the coach be mired to the hub or overturned. In ordinary times these guests spent the day, they spent the night, and if the weather was uncertain they spent the week. If circum- stances were still more uncertain, and a guest one whom the Master had no cause to distrust, he stayed until his circumstances mended them- selves. Invitations for special festivities, such a8 Christmas, meant headquarters for a full succession of Virginia ‘gayeties, formal balls, soirees, fox hunts, theatricals, and grown people still enjoyed blindman's bluff and kiss- ing games! So yolled by busy and happy years, all un- knowing of the great trouble and sorrow as well as glory that was even then preparing for the future. In 1774 Mrs. Washington's dearly loved “little Patt” faded away from earth, searing the tender heard of Washington with its first great loss, for he loved this child as his own. Then his country called him from his home. The years that followed gave that country its greatzst hero for all time, “the only man in history without whom his country could not have existed.” Times that tried men’s soul, and years of them, were to pass before the happy return to the home on the Potomac. During these years of absence strict orders were given the manager put in charge at Mount Vernon to entertain the stranger and take care of the needy. Nothing was to be changed and it was to be whether the Mistress was there spent her Winters, Christmases headquarters with the Commander elutching blow, as if determined the great - mander should not go.without a MNf the demon war reached out and took this only son. Lady Washington, as she was now called, made no murmur and offered just one constant prayer—that the general might be left to grow old with her. The beloved son's two youngest ehildren were at once adopted by the general, and kept the family circle complete at Mount Vernon—father, mother and child. and will always be used in memory of her famous housekeeping. It seems fairly like the fruit cake of today except for the explicit directions as to the whites and yolks of the three days' visit was followed by half a dozen years at the mansion, years of still this man. While only an interlude between the Revolu- tion and the Presidency, these half a dozen years were busy ones and full of responsibility. The old social life went on, but doubly in- creased; his home had become, as he called i gg;;gaéié g kept 40 house the He t 9.&’! g%@ig 5:-'! b Pkl z ] § i H 4f % LA WL H M TR it ek ig, fatger THEA I ) F » § ot Ea . sEfdiFR"oF § sg’ H % xi§e§€i§?§F :E;azi #%52