amily. In the autumn after his election, he wrote the first
Proclamation setting aside a Thursday in November for Thanksgiving. From
that time to this, in November of each year, America gives thanks to God
for her liberties.

At this time, Lafayette was fighting for the cause of liberty in France.
When the terrible Bastille prison in Paris was torn down at his command,
he sent its huge key to Washington, because he believed the same love of
liberty, for which Washington had fought, had also destroyed this state
dungeon of tyranny, where many good people had suffered unjustly.

One of the problems Washington had to meet was the warlike attitude of
the Indians, with whom there was some border fighting. He always treated
them fairly and often entertained them. When they came, he impressed
them by a great show of elegance and style. Once a great chief and
twenty-eight warriors from Alabama came to make a treaty. The President
gave them a splendid dinner at his house. Then he showed them a full
length, oil portrait of himself. They looked at it, touched it and
looked behind it. Finding it flat, they grunted in disgust and not one
of them would allow his picture to be made! Dressed in his handsomest
clothes, the President took them, in their full dress of feathers and
paint, for a walk down Broadway, which he enjoyed as much as they.

Washington liked to slip away from his cares and go fishing. He was a
good fisherman and it was said "all the fish came to his hook."

The Southern States were not pleased with the choice of New York as the
capital, as they thought it too far away; so the seat of government was
moved to Philadelphia. Washington wanted to move quietly. On a summer
morning, he and his family were all up by candle light, expecting to
steal away in their carriages, when, suddenly, a military band began to
play under their windows! The people came running from all directions.
"There, we are found out!" said the President. "Well, they must have
their way." So his party walked to the pier between rows of loving
people, and were rowed to the Jersey shore, while cannon boomed and the
multitude shouted. Six horses were needed to drag their coach over the
poor roads and the occupants of the coach were in danger of being upset.

The house of Robert Morris, in Philadelphia, was taken for Washington,
who paid the rent himself. Pennsylvania built a President's Mansion, but
it was so big and fine that Washington refused to l