his country's
welfare, Col. Washington now lost no time, you may depend upon it, in
doing what every wise and prudent man should for his own: by which you
are to understand, that on the sixth day of January, 1759, when he
wanted but a few weeks of completing his twenty-seventh year, he was
joined in the holy bonds of marriage with Mrs. Martha Custis, the
blooming and lovely young widow, and mother of the two interesting
little children,--to all of whom you had a slight introduction a short
time ago.

The nuptials were celebrated at the White House, the home of the
bride, in the presence of a goodly company of stately dames and fine
old gentlemen, fair maidens and handsome youth,--the kith and kin and
loving friends of the wedded pair. Had some belated traveller been
overtaken by the little hours of that night, as he chanced to pass
that way, he might have guessed, from the soft, warm light that shone
from all of the many windows, and sounds of sweet music that came
through the open doors, mingled with peals of joyous laughter, and the
light tripping of numerous feet in the merry dance, that it must be a
much-beloved and fortunate couple indeed that could draw together so
happy and brilliant a throng under that hospitable roof. Had this same
belated traveller wanted further proof of this, he had but to turn a
little aside, and take a peep into the negro quarters, where he would
have seen the colored folks in a jubilee over the grand occasion, and,
to all appearances, quite as jolly as if the wedding had been an
affair of their own getting-up, and in which each son and daughter of
ebony had a personal interest. He would have seen them feasting on the
abundant leavings that came down from the great house, till their
faces shone again; and dancing to the music of Bishop Braddock's
fiddle in a fashion all their own, and nobody's else.

First and foremost among these, with his wool combed the highest, his
breeches the reddest, and manners the genteelest, might have been
spied Black Jerry (who, when a negroling, had been saved from a
thrashing by little George, as you well remember), showing off his
heels to the envy of all male and the admiration of all female
beholders. This last, it is but fair to say, is merely a fancy sketch
of your Uncle Juvinell's, conjured up by recollections of certain long
talks he often had, when a boy, with Black Jerry himself, at that time
a very old negro of most excellent morals, who never fa