"a man was needed," for the widow
had much property, and we can not but congratulate Martha Custis on her
choice of "a man." She owned fifteen thousand acres of land, many lots in
the city of Williamsburg, two hundred negroes, and some money on bond; all
the property being worth over one hundred thousand dollars--a very large
amount for those days. Directly after the wedding, the couple moved to
Mount Vernon, taking a good many of the slaves with them. Shortly after,
arrangements were under way to rebuild the house, and the plans that
finally developed into the present mansion were begun.

Washington's letters and diary contain very few references to his wife,
and none of the many visitors to Mount Vernon took pains to testify either
to her wit or to her intellect. We know that the housekeeping at Mount
Vernon proved too much for her ability, and that a woman was hired to
oversee the household. And in this reference a complaint is found from the
General that "housekeeper has done gone and left things in confusion." He
had his troubles.

Martha's education was not equal to writing a presentable letter, for we
find that her husband wrote the first draft of all important missives that
it was necessary for her to send, and she copied them even to his mistakes
in spelling. Very patient was he about this, and even when he was
President and harried constantly we find him stopping to acknowledge for
her "an invitation to take some Tea," and at the bottom of the sheet
adding a pious bit of finesse, thus: "The President requests me to send
his compliments and only regrets that the pressure of affairs compels him
to forego the Pleasure of seeing you."

After Washington's death, his wife destroyed the letters he had written
her--many hundred in number--an offense the world is not yet quite willing
to forget, even though it has forgiven.

* * * * *

Although we have been told that when Washington was six years old he could
not tell a lie, yet he afterwards partially overcame the disability. On
one occasion he writes to a friend that the mosquitoes of New Jersey "can
bite through the thickest boot," and though a contemporary clergyman,
greatly flurried, explains that he meant "stocking," we insist that the
statement shall stand as the Father of his Country expressed it.
Washington also records without a blush, "I announced that I would leave
at 8 and then immediately gave private Orders to go at 5,