Washington was the soul of hospitality.  He enjoyed having people in his house and eating at his board, but there is evidence that toward the last he grew somewhat weary of the stream of strangers.  But neither then nor at any other time in his life did he show his impatience to a visitor or turn any man from his door.  His patience, was sorely tried at times.  For example, we find in his diary under date of September 7, 1785:  “At Night, a Man of the name of Purdie, came to offer himself to me as a Housekeeper or Household Steward—­he had some testimonials respecting his character—­but being intoxicated, and in other respects appearing in an unfavorable light I informed him that he would not answer my purpose, but that he might stay all night.”

No matter how many visitors came the Farmer proceeded about his business as usual, particularly in the morning, devoting dinner time and certain hours of the afternoon and evening to those who were sojourning with him.  He was obliged, in self-defense, to adopt some such course.  He wrote:  “My manner of living is plain, and I do not mean to be put out by it.  A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome.  Those who expect more will be disappointed.”

After his retirement from the presidency he induced his nephew Lawrence Lewis to come to Mount Vernon and take over some of the duties of entertaining guests, particularly in the evening, as Washington had reached an age when he was averse to staying up late.  Lewis not only performed the task satisfactorily, but found incidental diversion that led to matrimony.

Every visitor records that the Farmer was a kind and considerate host.  Elkanah Watson relates that one bitter winter night at Mount Vernon, having a severe cold that caused him to cough incessantly, he heard the door of his chamber open gently and there stood the General with a candle in one hand and a bowl of hot tea in another.  Doubtless George and Martha had heard the coughing and in family council had decided that their guest must have attention.

Washington was a Cavalier, not a Puritan, and had none of the old New England prejudice against the theater.  In fact, it was one of his fondest pleasures from youth to old age.  In his Barbadoes journal he records being “treated with a play ticket by Mr. Carter to see the Tragedy of George Barnwell acted.”  In 1752 he attended a performance at Fredericksburg and thereafter, whenever occasion offered, which during his earlier years was not often, he took advantage of it.  He even expressed a desire to act himself.  After his resignation and marriage opportunities were more frequent and in his cash memorandum books are many entries of expenditures for tickets to performances at Alexandria and elsewhere.  Thus on September 20, 1768, in his daily record of Where & how my time is Spent he writes that he “& Mrs. Washington & ye two children were up to Alexandria to see the Inconstant or way to win him acted.”  Next day he “Stayd in Town all day & saw the Tragedy of Douglas playd.”