“RICHARD HENRY LEE TO GEORGE WASHINGTON: 

“Pa brought me two pretty books full of pictures he got them in Alexandria they have pictures of dogs and cats and tigers and elefants and ever so many pretty things cousin bids me send you one of them it has a picture of an elefant and a little Indian boy on his back like uncle jo’s sam pa says if I learn my tasks good he will let uncle jo bring me to see you will you ask your ma to let you come to see me.

“RICHARD HENRY LEE.”

     “GEORGE WASHINGTON TO RICHARD HENRY LEE: 

“DEAR DICKEY I thank you very much for the pretty picture book you gave me.  Sam asked me to show him the pictures and I showed him all the pictures in it; and I read to him how the tame elephant took care of the master’s little boy, and put him on his back and would not let anybody touch his master’s little son.  I can read three or four pages sometimes without missing a word.  Ma says I may go to see you, and stay all day with you next week if it be not rainy.  She says I may ride my pony Hero if Uncle Ben will go with me and lead Hero.  I have a little piece of poetry about the picture book you gave me, but I mustn’t tell you who wrote the poetry.

“’G.W.’s compliments to R.H.L.,
And likes his book full well,
Henceforth will count him his friend,
And hopes many happy days he may spend.’

                                  “Your good friend,
                                   “GEORGE WASHINGTON.

“I am going to get a whip top soon, and you may see it and whip
it."[1]

It looks very much as if Richard Henry sent his letter off just as it was written.  I suspect that his correspondent’s letter was looked over, corrected, and copied before it was sent.  Very possibly Augustine Washington was absent at the time on one of his journeys; but at any rate the boy owed most of his training to his mother, for only two years after this, his father died, and he was left to his mother’s care.

[Illustration:  MONUMENT ON THE SITE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BIRTHPLACE]

She was a woman born to command, and since she was left alone with a family and an estate to care for, she took the reins into her own hands, and never gave them up to any one else.  She used to drive about in an old-fashioned open chaise, visiting the various parts of her farm, just as a planter would do on horseback.  The story is told that she had given an agent directions how to do a piece of work, and he had seen fit to do it differently, because he thought his way a better one.  He showed her the improvement.

“And pray,” said the lady, “who gave you any exercise of judgment in the matter?  I command you, sir; there is nothing left for you but to obey.”