t has kept me quite dry." He then
franked the letters, at the same time observing that the storm was
becoming too heavy for a servant to ride in it all the way to the
post-office, at Alexandria. It being late dinner-time, the food all upon
the table, and the family waiting for him, he sat down to the meal
without changing his damp clothes.

On rising the following morning, Washington complained of a sore throat.
He had evidently taken cold the preceding day. The snow lay three inches
deep upon the ground, and was still falling. He omitted his usual ride,
and remained within-doors until noon, when the clouds broke, and the sun
came out warm. He occupied himself before dinner in marking some trees
on the lawn, between the mansion and the high river-bank, that were to
be cut down; and with his compass and chain he traced out several lines
for improvements.

A hoarseness, that had troubled him a little all day, grew worse after
dinner; yet he regarded it as of very little importance. At twilight it
was quite distressing, yet he was cheerful all the evening. He sat in
the parlor with Mrs. Washington and Mr. Lear. Mr. Lewis and young Custis
were absent; and Mrs. Lewis, just confined with her first child, was in
her chamber. Newspapers were brought in early in the evening. Washington
looked them over, and, when he found anything interesting, he would read
it aloud as well as his hoarseness would permit. At about nine o'clock,
Mrs. Washington withdrew and went up to Mrs. Lewis's chamber, when the
general requested Mr. Lear to read to him the debates of the Virginia
assembly, then in session, on the election of senator and governor. "On
hearing Mr. Madison's observations respecting Mr. Monroe," says Mr.
Lear, who wrote a detailed account of Washington's sickness and death,
"he appeared much affected, and spoke with some degree of asperity on
the subject, which I endeavored to moderate, as I always did on such
occasions. On his retiring, I observed to him that he had better take
something to remove his cold. He answered: 'No, you know I never take
anything for a cold. Let it go as it came.'"

Mr. Lear's account of the brief sickness and speedy death of Washington
is so short, yet circumstantial and perspicuous, and may not be
condensed without injury to its completeness, that we will give it in
his own words:--

"Between two and three o'clock on Saturday morning" (the fourteenth),
says Mr. Lear, "he awoke Mrs. Washington, and