dred dollars to his mother and did not claim possession of some
of the land left him by his father's will. To his sister Betty Lewis he
gave a mule and many other presents, as well as employment to several of
her sons. He loaned his brother Samuel (five times married)
considerable sums, which he forgave in his will, spent "near five
thousand dollars" on the education of two of his sons, and cared for
several years for a daughter Harriot, notwithstanding the fact that she
had "no disposition ... to be careful of her cloaths." To his nephew,
Bushrod Washington, he gave money and helped him to obtain a legal
education, and he assisted another nephew, George A. Washington, and his
widow and children, in ways already mentioned. Over forty relatives were
remembered in his will, many of them in a most substantial manner.

In the matter of eating and drinking Washington was abstemious. For
breakfast he ordinarily had tea and Indian cakes with butter and perhaps
honey, of which he was very fond. His supper was equally light,
consisting of perhaps tea and toast, with wine, and he usually retired
promptly at nine o'clock. Dinner was the main meal of the day at Mount
Vernon, and was served punctually at two o'clock. One such meal is thus
described by a guest:

"He thanked us, desired us to be seated, and to excuse him a few
moments.... The President came and desired us to walk in to dinner and
directed us where to sit, (no grace was said).... The dinner was very
good, a small roasted pigg, boiled leg of lamb, roasted fowls, beef,
peas, lettice, cucumbers, artichokes, etc., puddings, tarts, etc. etc.
We were desired to call for what drink we chose. He took a glass of wine
with Mrs. Law first, which example was followed by Dr. Croker Crakes and
Mrs. Washington, myself and Mrs. Peters, Mr. Fayette and the young lady
whose name is Custis. When the cloth was taken away the President gave
'all our Friends.'"

The General ordinarily confined himself to a few courses and if offered
anything very rich would reply, "That is too good for me." He often
drank beer with the meal, with one or two glasses of wine and perhaps as
many more afterward, often eating nuts, another delicacy with him, as he
sipped the wine.

He was, in fact, no prohibitionist, but he was a strong believer in
temperance. He and the public men of his time, being aristocrats, were
wine drinkers and few of them were drunkards. The political revolution
of 1830, ushered in