th Mr. and Mrs. Washington were members of the Episcopal Church, and
persons of the truest Christian piety. Every sabbath, when the roads
and weather permitted, they attended divine worship either at
Alexandria or at a church in their own neighborhood, and always took
part in the religious exercises of the day with earnest and solemn
devotion. In addition to the many charms of mind and person already
mentioned, Mrs. Washington was a woman of great benevolence, and spent
much of her time in acts of kindness and charity, which won her the
love and gratitude of every poor family in the country around.

Thus passed away fifteen tranquil years,--the white days of
Washington's life. When we behold him as he was then, in the full
strength and beauty of his ripened manhood, possessed of one of
the handsomest fortunes in America, living in the bountiful and
elegant style of those hospitable times, the pride and honor of
his native province, the object of applause and gratitude to his
fellow-countrymen, and of esteem and love to all whose privilege it
was to call him friend; and, above all, blessed, in the partner of his
choice, with a woman gifted with every grace and virtue that can adorn
her sex,--when we behold him thus, well may we exclaim, "Verily, here
was a man favored of Heaven in a special manner, and blessed beyond
the lot of common mortals here below." But the clouds were gathering,
and had long been gathering, that were soon to burst in storm and
tempest over that happy and rising young land, and force him for
many, many weary years from those, his loved retreats and peaceful
pursuits, upon a wider, nobler field of action, wherein he was to play
a part that should, in fine, win for him the name so dear to every
American heart,--Father of his Country.

XXIII.

A FAMILY QUARREL.

"And now, Dannie, mend the fire with another Christmas log. You,
Willie, open the windows at top and bottom, to let out the smoke the
young historian will be sure to raise. Laura, my dear, trim the lamp;
and you, Ella,--will you have the kindness to put a little sugar in
your uncle's cider?--there's a darling! Ned, my boy, just tumble
sleepy-headed Charlie there out of his comfortable nap, and touse him
into his waking senses again. All right? Now I would have every one of
you put your thinking-caps square and tight upon your heads, and keep
all your ears about you; for, depend upon it, what I am now going to
tell you is so full o