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PEACE. BE STILL.
Peace, restless heart, though storm and stress
And snllting wiuus disturb thy calm
Across the world's wide wilderness
Breathe zephyrs from the snoies of balm.
And in the tumult of tLy days
iaKe thou a mile Bijace lor praise.
Peace, stricken soul, though grief and tears
Have been 10 thee as daily bread,
From ail the sadness of the years,
* rom paths that bleeding feet must tread.
Look up, thy sorrow yet shall cease.
In fullness of the Saviour's peace.
Peace, rebel will, that can not brook
The gentle touch of tenderest love.
Canst thou resist the kingly look
Of him who sees thee from above?
Yield thou to one who died for thee,
And ciowned with peace thy life shall be.
WASHINGTON'S LAST DAYS AT MT.
VERNON.
BY FRED MYRON COLBY.
On Washington's retirement from the Presidency
he immediately resumed his old life at
Mount Veinon. This was the life that he loved
best, and there was no spot so dear to him as the
estate on the Potomac, that is ever associated
with his name. The great man found much need
of repairs and improvements at his loved retreat,
fcr it had been eight years without a master, but
he entered upon his task with the energy of a
young man, and the great estate soon showed the
evidence of a directing mind.
The estate of Mount Vernon comprised about
eight thousand acres, and was divided into farms,
with enclosures and farm buildings. Of course
there was an overseer to every farm, but Washington
superintended the whole himself. His
business tours of his farms would average from
eight to twelv^or fourteen miles a day. He rode
over his farms entirely unattended, opening his
crate?, taking down and nutting un his fences as
he passed, visiting his laborers at their work, inspecting
all the operations of his extensive establishment
with a careful eye, directing useful improvements
and superintending them in their
progress.
On his estate, wheat, Indian corn, potatoes and
flax were produced in large quantities, besides
flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. In one year
he raised seven thousand bushels of wheat and
ten thousand bushels of Indian corn. lie made
* large shipments direct to his agents abroad, and
his flour was an especial favorite in foreign
markets. There were three great flouring mills
on the etate, and in two of them he had northern
managers. Under his eyes his domestics manufactured
linen and woolen cloth sufficient for his
household, which consisted of nearly one thousand
persons.
To show some of Ills domestic necessities the
following order, sent to England, may be given:
"One man's riding saddle, hogskin seat, large
plated stirrups, and everything complete; a
double-reined brid'e and Pelham bit, plated; a
very neat and fashionable Newmarket saddle
cloth, and a checked saddle cloth and holsters."
lie also ordered a harpsichord for his adopted
daughter, Nellie Custis, and later on he imported
quite a number of Merino sheep, the first that
were in the country.
The establishment of Mount Vernon employed
a perfect army of domestics, and to each one was
assigned special duties, and from each one strict
performance was required. Everything was as
regular as clock-work, and the affairs of the
estate, embracing thousands of acres and hundreds
of dependents, were conducted with as
I
PRESBYTERIAN OP THE 81
headings
much order uud case as the affairs of a homestead
of modern size.
Although the cares of his large estate demanded
so great a part of his time, Washington was
by no means inattentive to the progress of public
airairs. lie rose very early, usually at four, and
all the morning hours were employed in reading
and to his extensive correspondence. Punctilious
in all things he was especially so in his correspondence.
Every letter was answered immediately
upon its receipt. He wrote with ease
and facility, and few who wrote as much wrote
as well as he did. His punctuality enabled him
to accomplish a great deal. It is said that General
Harry Lee once observed to him, "We are
amazed, sir, at the vast amount of work you get
through." To this Washington replied, "Sir, I
rise at four o'clock, and a great deal of my work
is done while others are asleep."
There was always much company at Mount
Veinon. All'foreigners who traveled m America
and most ot the puunc incu ol his owu country
visited the illustrious chiel, and his hospitality
and colli tttsv lusincd their esteem 11 is taiiie w.im
spread with the must wholesome viands and the
purest wines, hut he usually dined on a single
dis'ii, whicn, with a glass of wine, lormed his repast.
ills liberality patronized an aeademy at
Alexandria, and encouraged the interior navigation
of the .Potomac. lie was the benefactor of
the poor, and his cheering induence and example
promoted the happiness and welfare of the soeiety
where he resided.
An Englishman who visited Washington soon
after his retirement from the Presidency thus
writes of him:
''General Washington, in hi3 person, is tall
and thin, but erect; rather of an engaging than
a dignified presence, lie appears very thoughtful,
is slow in delivering himself, which occasions
some to conclude him reserved, but it is rather I
apprehend, the effect of much thinking and reflection,
for there is to me great appearance of
affability and accommodation. He has very little
the appearance of age, having been all his life so
exceedingly temperate. There is a certain
anxiety visible in his countenance, with marks
of extreme sensibility. Notwithstanding his great
attention and employment in the affairs of his
agricultural concerns and of his social life, he is
in correspondence with many of the eminent
geniuses in the different countries of Europe, not
so much for the sake of learning and fame, as to
procure the knowledge of agriculture, and the
arts useful to his country.
"In talking about wool growing with the General
I expressed a surprise that in the course of
traveling 250 miles hither, I had not seen any
flock of more than twenty or thirty shejp, and
but few of these from whence I concluded there
was no great quantity grown in the States, so as
to answer any great purposes for manufacture.
He observed to me that he thought it capable of
great improvement, for he had been trying some
experiments with his own flocks that by attending
to breed and pasturage, he had so far improved
his fleeces as to have increased them
from two to six pounds apiece."
The same writer tells us that "Mrs. Washington
made tea and coffee for us. On the table
were two small plates of sliced tongue, dry toast,
bread and butter, etc., but no broiled fish, as is
the general custom. Miss Custis, her granddaughter,
a very pleasing young lady of seven
teen or eighteen, sat next to her, and har brother,
~ 1
3 U T H [March 6, 1912
George Washington Custis, about two years older
than herself. There was but little appearance
in form; one servant only attended who bad no
lively; a silver urn for hot water, was the only
article of expense on the table."
Such was the simple, homely life led by our
uiofc greai cummuaer, uuring uie closing years of
his life at Mount Vernon. At times there may
have been more or less formality, but the daily
life of the great man was ordinarily free of show
and ostentation. "With all his natural dignity of
manner, Washington possessed a kind heart and
a democracy of feeling that were remarkable. A
guest who stopped at Mount Vernon over night
relates that he suffered from a cold and coughed
more or less, and that he was surprised to have
Mr. Washington knock at his door with a cup >t"
some warm, soothing remedy for his indisposition,
and the expressed desire that he would
better in the morning.?United Presbyterian.
THE MINISTER'S WIFE.
W. E. BARTON, D. D.
There is a page in the book of the recording
angel, gold bordered, and illuminated by Fra
Angelica, and other talented and beautiful artist
spirits now in heaven; and on that page, in letters
that shine afar, are inscribed the nanus of
ministers' wives. When the names are read of
those who have come up through hard trials and
great tribulations, these will come near the head
of the list. Who is it, while the minister preaches,
who sits in the audience, praying for his every
word, fearful lest this plain utterance may offend
anxious lest this sentence be not understood,
hopeful that the message will reach the hearts
of those to whom it is addressed? Who is it that
goes to bed on Sabbath night more weary than
her husband, because she has borne equally all
the day the strain of his work, and that without
the afflatus of his public duties? Who else in all
the parish knows how the preparation of that
sermon has been interrupted, how many unavoid
able duties broke in upon the time set apart for
its preparation ? "Who else notices with the same
sympathy the involved sentence that has lost its
nominative case in dependent clauses, and splits
an infinitive in its desperate run for the home
base? "Who else notices with the same keen sympathy,
what is ludicrously apparent to the whole
congregation, that the minister's necktie has
broken from its moorings? And did she not hear
at the close of the service, and feel it as if the
fault had been her own, that such a family
which came for three Sabbaths, has decided to
attend the other church, thinking this church
cold and unhospitable? And that Mrs. Somebody
feels hurt because the minister has not called on
them since they moved? And that Mr. Somebody
is going to give up his Sabbath school cla-s if .
the boys do not behave better, and every one
knows that the boys will not so behave?
All these? Yes, and a thousand more burdens
she bears, wearing the while a sweet smile and
her Tast season's bonnet, that rests above her dear
face like a halo. No criticism aimed at the minister
but reaches her heart with keener thrust
than his. No sorrow in the parish but the burden
of it falls on her love and sympathy. No
knowledge of estrangement between neighbors in
the church, but she thinks about it as the friend
of both; no griel but it burdens her prayers.
And no one ever knew it, but like the sweet woman
of old, she keeps all these things, and ponders
them in her heart.
An artist recently gave to the world the com-,
posite resultant of 271 classic paintings as the
typical Madonna. I could have told where to
find a gentler, stronger, sweeter face in the composite
photograph of 271 ministers' wives. And
I know of some individuals here and there among