e always about you, and keep your heart and life
always as in His presence, and tending towards Him."

We might quote much more of equal value from this treasury of wisdom.
The book touches humanity at almost every point, and there is scarcely
any lesson, relating to the elements of success in life, which it does
not contain. Industry, perseverance, self-denial, decision, energy,
economy, frugality, thoroughness, magnanimity, courage, fidelity,
honesty, principle, and religion,--these, and all other indispensable
human qualities, receive careful and just attention. And we repeat,
George Washington's character was formed upon the basis of those
instructions, under the moulding power of a superior mother.

Mrs. Washington descended from a family of distinction among the
Virginia colonists. Mr. Paulding says of her: "As a native of Virginia,
she was hospitable by birthright, and always received her visitors with
a smiling welcome. But they were never asked to stay but once, and she
always speeded the parting guest by affording every facility in her
power. She possessed all those domestic habits and qualities that confer
value on women, and had no desire to be distinguished by any titles but
those of a good wife and mother."

She was a very resolute woman, and exercised the most complete
self-control in the presence of danger and difficulties. There was but a
single exception to this remark, she was afraid of thunder and lightning.
At fifteen years of age she was walking with a young female friend, when
they were overtaken by a fearful thunder-shower, and her friend was
struck by lightning at her side and instantly killed. The terrible
calamity wrought seriously upon her nervous system, and from that time
she was unable to control her nerves during a thunder-storm. Otherwise
she was one of the most fearless and resolute women ever born in
Virginia.

Mrs. Washington was not regarded as a superstitious woman, yet she had a
dream when George was about five years old which so deeply impressed her
that she pondered it through life. Mr. Weems gives it as she told it to
a neighbor more than once, as follows:

"I dreamt," said the mother of Washington, "that I was sitting on the
piazza of a large new house, into which we had but lately moved. George,
at that time about five years old, was in the garden with his corn-stalk
plough, busily running little furrows in the sand, in imitation of Negro
Dick, a fine black boy, with whos