prospect of seeing you again.

We should not overlook the fact that Washington declined all gifts,
including a donation from Virginia, for his services as General during
the war. He had refused to take any pay, merely keeping a strict
account of what he spent for the Government from 1775 to 1782. This
amounted to over L15,000 and covered only sums actually disbursed by
him for the army. Unlike Marlborough, Nelson, and Wellington, and
other foreign chieftains on whom grateful countrymen conferred
fortunes and high titles, Washington remains as the one great
state-founder who literally _gave_ his services to his country.

Sparks gives the following interesting account of the way in which
Washington spent his days after his return to Mount Vernon:

His habits were uniform, and nearly the same as they had been
previous to the war. He rose before the sun and employed himself
in his study, writing letters or reading, till the hour of
breakfast. When breakfast was over, his horse was ready at the
door, and he rode to his farms and gave directions for the day to
the managers and laborers. Horses were likewise prepared for
his guests, whenever they chose to accompany him, or to amuse
themselves by excursions into the country. Returning from his
fields, and despatching such business as happened to be on hand,
he went again to his study, and continued there till three
o'clock, when he was summoned to dinner. The remainder of the day
and the evening were devoted to company, or to recreation in the
family circle. At ten he retired to rest. From these habits
he seldom deviated, unless compelled to do so by particular
circumstances.[1]

[Footnote 1: Sparks, 389, 390.]

This list does not include the item which Washington soon found the
greatest of his burdens--letter-writing. His correspondence increased
rapidly and to an enormous extent.

Many mistakenly think [he writes to Richard Henry Lee] that I am
retired to ease, and to that kind of tranquility which would grow
tiresome for want of employment; but at no period of my life, not
in the eight years I served the public, have I been obliged to
write so much myself, as I have done since my retirement.... It
is not the letters from my friends which give me trouble, or add
aught to my perplexity. It is references to old matters, with
which I have nothing to do; applications which often can