deven367/babylm-100M-gutenberg · Datasets at Hugging Face

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intensity, and George was restored almost to health again. A change of
air, a voyage even to England, was recommended, but the widow had
quarrelled with her children's relatives there, which made that trip
impossible. A journey to the north and east was determined upon, and the
two young gentleman, with Mr. Dempster reinstated as their tutor, and a
couple of servants to attend them, took a voyage to New York, and thence
up the beautiful Hudson River to Albany, where they were received by the
first gentry of the province; and thence into the French provinces, where
they were hospitably entertained by the French gentry. Harry camped with
the Indians and took furs and shot bears. George, who never cared for
field sports, and whose health was still delicate, was a special
favourite with the French ladies, who were accustomed to see very few
young English gentlemen speaking the French language so readily as our
young gentleman. He danced the minuet elegantly. He learned the latest
imported French catches and songs and played them beautifully on his
violin; and to the envy of poor Harry, who was absent on a bear-hunt, he
even had an affair of honour with a young ensign, whom he pinked on the
shoulder, and with whom he afterwards swore an eternal friendship.
When the lads returned home at the end of ten delightful months, their
mother was surprised at their growth and improvement. George especially
was so grown as to come up to his younger-born brother. The boys could
hardly be distinguished one from another, especially when their hair was
powdered; but that ceremony being too cumbrous for country-life, each of
the lads commonly wore his own hair, George his raven black, and Harry
his light locks, tied with a ribbon.
Now Mrs. Mountain had a great turn for match-making, and fancied that
everybody had a design to marry everybody else. As a consequence of this
weakness she was able to persuade George Warrington that Mr. Washington
was laying siege to Madame Esmond's heart, which idea was anything but
agreeable to George's jealous disposition.
"I beg you to keep this quiet, Mountain," said George, with great
dignity. "Or you and I shall quarrel, too. Never to any one must you
mention such an absurd suspicion."
"Absurd! Why absurd? Mr. Washington is constantly with the widow. She
never tires of pointing out his virtues as an example to her sons. She
consults him on every question respecting her estate and its management.
There is a room at Castlewood regularly called Mr. Washington's room.
He actually leaves his clothes here, and his portmanteau when he goes
away. Ah, George, George! The day will come when he won't go away!"
groaned Mrs. Mountain, and in consequence of the suspicions which her
words aroused in him Mr. George adopted toward his mother's favourite a
frigid courtesy, at which the honest gentleman chafed but did not care to
remonstrate; or a stinging sarcasm which he would break through as he
would burst through so many brambles on those hunting excursions in which
he and Harry Warrington rode so constantly together; while George,
retreating to his tents, read mathematics and French and Latin, or sulked
in his book-room.
Harry was away from home with some other sporting friends when Mr.
Washington came to pay a visit at Castlewood. He was so peculiarly
tender and kind to the mistress there, and received by her with such
special cordiality, that George Warrington's jealousy had well-nigh
broken out into open rupture. But the visit was one of adieu, as it
appeared. Major Washington was going on a long and dangerous journey,
quite to the western Virginia frontier and beyond it. The French had
been for some time past making inroads into our territory. The
government at home, as well as those of Virginia and Pennsylvania, were
alarmed at this aggressive spirit of the lords of Canada and Louisiana.
Some of our settlers had already been driven from their holdings by
Frenchmen in arms, and the governors of the British provinces were
desirous of stopping their incursions, or at any rate to protest against
their invasion.
We chose to hold our American colonies by a law that was at least
convenient for its framers. The maxim was, that whoever possessed the
coast had a right to all the territory in hand as far as the Pacific; so
that the British charters only laid down the limits of the colonies from
north to south, leaving them quite free from east to west. The French,
meanwhile, had their colonies to the north and south, and aimed at
connecting them by the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, and the great
intermediate lakes and waters lying to the westward of the British
possessions. In the year 1748, though peace was signed between the two
European kingdoms, the colonial question remained unsettled, to be opened
again when either party should be strong enough to urge it. In the year
1753 it came to an issue on the Ohio River where the British and French
settlers met.
A company called the Ohio Company, having grants from the Virginia
government of lands along that river, found themselves invaded in their
settlement's by French military detachments, who roughly ejected the
Britons from their holdings. These latter applied for protection to Mr.
Dinwiddie, lieutenant governor of Virginia, who determined upon sending
an ambassador to the French commanding officer on the Ohio demanding that
the French should desist from their inroads upon the territories of his
Majesty King George.
Young Mr. Washington jumped eagerly at the chance of distinction which
this service afforded him, and volunteered to leave his home and his
rural and professional pursuits in Virginia, to carry the governor's
message to the French officer. Taking a guide, an interpreter, and a few
attendants, and following the Indian tracks, in the fall of the year 1753
the intrepid young envoy made his way from Williamsburg almost to the
shores of Lake Erie, and found the French commander at Fort Le Boeuf.
That officer's reply was brief; his orders were to hold the place and
drive all the English from it. The French avowed their intention of
taking possession of the Ohio. And with this rough answer the messenger
from Virginia had to return through danger and difficulty, across lonely
forest and frozen river, shaping his course by the compass, and camping
at night in the snow by the forest fires.
On his return from this expedition, which he had conducted with an heroic
energy and simplicity, Major Washington was a greater favourite than ever
with the lady of Castlewood. She pointed him out as a model to both of
her sons. "Ah, Harry!" she would say, "think of you, with your
cock-fighting and your racing matches, and the Major away there in the

intensity, and George was restored almost to health again. A change of

air, a voyage even to England, was recommended, but the widow had

quarrelled with her children's relatives there, which made that trip

impossible. A journey to the north and east was determined upon, and the

two young gentleman, with Mr. Dempster reinstated as their tutor, and a

couple of servants to attend them, took a voyage to New York, and thence

up the beautiful Hudson River to Albany, where they were received by the

first gentry of the province; and thence into the French provinces, where

they were hospitably entertained by the French gentry. Harry camped with

the Indians and took furs and shot bears. George, who never cared for

field sports, and whose health was still delicate, was a special

favourite with the French ladies, who were accustomed to see very few

young English gentlemen speaking the French language so readily as our

young gentleman. He danced the minuet elegantly. He learned the latest

imported French catches and songs and played them beautifully on his

violin; and to the envy of poor Harry, who was absent on a bear-hunt, he

even had an affair of honour with a young ensign, whom he pinked on the

shoulder, and with whom he afterwards swore an eternal friendship.

When the lads returned home at the end of ten delightful months, their

mother was surprised at their growth and improvement. George especially

was so grown as to come up to his younger-born brother. The boys could

hardly be distinguished one from another, especially when their hair was

powdered; but that ceremony being too cumbrous for country-life, each of

the lads commonly wore his own hair, George his raven black, and Harry

his light locks, tied with a ribbon.

Now Mrs. Mountain had a great turn for match-making, and fancied that

everybody had a design to marry everybody else. As a consequence of this

weakness she was able to persuade George Warrington that Mr. Washington

was laying siege to Madame Esmond's heart, which idea was anything but

agreeable to George's jealous disposition.

"I beg you to keep this quiet, Mountain," said George, with great

dignity. "Or you and I shall quarrel, too. Never to any one must you

mention such an absurd suspicion."

"Absurd! Why absurd? Mr. Washington is constantly with the widow. She

never tires of pointing out his virtues as an example to her sons. She

consults him on every question respecting her estate and its management.

There is a room at Castlewood regularly called Mr. Washington's room.

He actually leaves his clothes here, and his portmanteau when he goes

away. Ah, George, George! The day will come when he won't go away!"

groaned Mrs. Mountain, and in consequence of the suspicions which her

words aroused in him Mr. George adopted toward his mother's favourite a

frigid courtesy, at which the honest gentleman chafed but did not care to

remonstrate; or a stinging sarcasm which he would break through as he

would burst through so many brambles on those hunting excursions in which

he and Harry Warrington rode so constantly together; while George,

retreating to his tents, read mathematics and French and Latin, or sulked

in his book-room.

Harry was away from home with some other sporting friends when Mr.

Washington came to pay a visit at Castlewood. He was so peculiarly

tender and kind to the mistress there, and received by her with such

special cordiality, that George Warrington's jealousy had well-nigh

broken out into open rupture. But the visit was one of adieu, as it

appeared. Major Washington was going on a long and dangerous journey,

quite to the western Virginia frontier and beyond it. The French had

been for some time past making inroads into our territory. The

government at home, as well as those of Virginia and Pennsylvania, were

alarmed at this aggressive spirit of the lords of Canada and Louisiana.

Some of our settlers had already been driven from their holdings by

Frenchmen in arms, and the governors of the British provinces were

desirous of stopping their incursions, or at any rate to protest against

their invasion.

We chose to hold our American colonies by a law that was at least

convenient for its framers. The maxim was, that whoever possessed the

coast had a right to all the territory in hand as far as the Pacific; so

that the British charters only laid down the limits of the colonies from

north to south, leaving them quite free from east to west. The French,

meanwhile, had their colonies to the north and south, and aimed at

connecting them by the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, and the great

intermediate lakes and waters lying to the westward of the British

possessions. In the year 1748, though peace was signed between the two

European kingdoms, the colonial question remained unsettled, to be opened

again when either party should be strong enough to urge it. In the year

1753 it came to an issue on the Ohio River where the British and French

settlers met.

A company called the Ohio Company, having grants from the Virginia

government of lands along that river, found themselves invaded in their

settlement's by French military detachments, who roughly ejected the

Britons from their holdings. These latter applied for protection to Mr.

Dinwiddie, lieutenant governor of Virginia, who determined upon sending

an ambassador to the French commanding officer on the Ohio demanding that

the French should desist from their inroads upon the territories of his

Majesty King George.

Young Mr. Washington jumped eagerly at the chance of distinction which

this service afforded him, and volunteered to leave his home and his

rural and professional pursuits in Virginia, to carry the governor's

message to the French officer. Taking a guide, an interpreter, and a few

attendants, and following the Indian tracks, in the fall of the year 1753

the intrepid young envoy made his way from Williamsburg almost to the

shores of Lake Erie, and found the French commander at Fort Le Boeuf.

That officer's reply was brief; his orders were to hold the place and

drive all the English from it. The French avowed their intention of

taking possession of the Ohio. And with this rough answer the messenger

from Virginia had to return through danger and difficulty, across lonely

forest and frozen river, shaping his course by the compass, and camping

at night in the snow by the forest fires.

On his return from this expedition, which he had conducted with an heroic

energy and simplicity, Major Washington was a greater favourite than ever

with the lady of Castlewood. She pointed him out as a model to both of

her sons. "Ah, Harry!" she would say, "think of you, with your

cock-fighting and your racing matches, and the Major away there in the