George Washington, Frontiersman

1 Young George Washington The two men stood on the porch looking out into the cold Virginia night, conversing softly. "Well, Augustine, you are about to become a father again. How do you feel about it?" "Humble, I suppose," Augustine replied. "Though Jane and I had children before she died, this child is Mary's first, and we have many plans for him. If it's a boy, we plan to call him George, after our sovereign." "Ah, things will become differentquite differentI'll wager," said the other man, "between what you know of English royalty and what your George will know. You never were much of a hand to talk politics, and you seem not to care a hoot what becomes of these American colonies. If it is a boy, I predict that he will grow into a man who will take an interest in our conditions here. It would serve you right if he turned out not to be so loyal to the king he is going to be named after. But I will not bore you any more with such chatter.... We must talk and think of what a beautiful night it was last night. And that great white screaming comet that paled all the starshow magnificent! This man Halley who calls himself an astronomer, his father boiled soap, made himself wealthy, and this son sees a cometwhen was it? 1682and predicts that it would show again seventy-six years later. By jove, he was right! It occurs to me that we won't either of us live to see the next one." A Negro slave girl came running out upon the porch and cried, "Massa Washington, Massa Doctor, the time has come." * * * Four tranquil February the twenty-seconds passed over the Bridge Creek plantation, adding years to Augustine's life, new cultivated acres to his plantation, and numbers to his slaves. Mary was fond of commenting on her young son's precociousness. "He's very much different from the others," she said often to her patient husband. "And what do you mean by different?" asked Augustine, smiling. "Oh, he's much larger than most boys of that age," she returned earnestly. "He has a violent temper. Runs away into the woods every chance he gets. They found him stark naked on several occasions. Seems to hate his clothes and to be washed clean. He does so many queer things like squatting on the ground and watching a hole. There are so many things, all normal I think, but different from what I have observed in other children." "Mary, that is not so different from other boys," observed her husband thoughtfully, divided between amusement and gravity. "He's your only child, and it's quite natural that you should imagine little George is reserved for some special and noble place in the world. I hope so. We will need great men in the troublesome times ahead." "Augustine, you are always predicting a dark future for the colonists. Nothing has happened to worry us since George was born. We are certainly better off, and you have more leisure than ever. In fact, too much leisure. I think you take Lawrence hunting and fishing too often, and I am worried because little George shows undue interest in those idle pursuits." "Mary, the best foundation for a youth in this country is to learn the ways of the woods and water. American boys will be dependent on their guns and fishing poles for a living. I would be very glad if George took to the woods like an Indian. There is much to learn from the Indians." "But we hear more and more all the time about the growing hostility of the Indians and their fraternizing with the French. I certainly don&amGrey, Zane is the author of 'George Washington, Frontiersman' with ISBN 9780812579239 and ISBN 0812579232.