residency, while residing in New York
and Philadelphia, he was a regular attendant. He gave frequent theater
parties, sending tickets to his friends. Word that he would attend a
play always insured a "full house," and upon his entrance to his box the
orchestra would play _Hail Columbia_ and _Washington's March_ amid great
enthusiasm.

The _Federal Gazette_ described a performance of _The Maid of the Mill,_
which he attended in 1792, as follows:

"When Mr. Hodgkinson as Lord Ainsworth exhibited nobleness of mind in
his generosity to the humble miller and his daughter, Patty; when he
found her blessed with all the qualities that captivate and endear life,
and knew she was capable of adorning a higher sphere; when he had
interviews with her upon the subject in which was painted the
amiableness of an honorable passion; and after his connection, when he
bestowed his benefactions on the relatives, etc., of the old miller, the
great and good Washington manifested his approbation of this
interesting part of the opera by the tribute of a tear."

Another amusement that both the Farmer and his wife enjoyed greatly was
dancing. In his youth he attended balls and "routs" whenever possible
and when fighting French and Indians on the frontier he felt as one of
his main deprivations his inability to attend the "Assemblies." After
his marriage he and his wife went often to balls in Alexandria, attired
no doubt in all the bravery of imported English clothes. He describes a
ball of 1760 in these terms:

"Went to a ball at Alexandria, where Musick and dancing was the chief
entertainment, however, in a convenient room detached for the purpose
abounded great plenty of bread and butter, some biscuits, with tea and
coffee, which the drinkers of could not distinguish from hot water
sweet'ned--Be it remembered that pocket handkerchiefs served the
purposes of Table cloths & Napkins and that no apologies were made for
either. I shall therefore distinguish this ball by the stile and title
of the Bread & Butter Ball."

A certain Mr. Christian conducted a dancing school which met at the
homes of the patrons, and the Custis children, John Parke and Martha,
were members, as were Elizabeth French of Rose Hill, Milly Posey and
others of the neighborhood young people. In 1770 the class met four
times at Mount Vernon and we can not doubt that occasionally the host
danced with some of the young misses and enjoyed it.

An established institution was t