The boy named Billy came into the room to say goodbye to Somebody
before going to the celebration of George Washington’s birthday
at the schoolhouse.
“Your face has some black streaks on it, Billy,” said Somebody.
“Better go and remove them and come back and tell me about it.”
“I don’t like to talk about it,” said the boy named Billy, as he
came back from the wash room. “Mom scolded me.”
“What was it all about?” asked Somebody.
“I left my cap on the living room table again. Mom found it there
and she held it up for me to see and said, ‘William!’”
Somebody tried not to smile. “That was severe! But George
Washington was often reproved by his mother.”
“George Washington,” said the boy named Billy, in astonishment.
“Did anyone ever scold _George Washington?_”
“Indeed, yes,” said Somebody, “and in a very unique way, too.
Mary Ball Washington was a wonderful woman, with quantities of
good sense and a remarkable idea of truth and justice. It is said
of her that when her children disobeyed, or were in need of being
reprimanded that she did not trust herself to do it in her own
language, but that she always used the words of the Bible.”
“That was a queer way to scold,” said Billy.
“It worked judging from what we know of George and his boyhood,”
remarked Somebody. “When he was fourteen he wished to go to
sea, but as his mother thought it best that he should not,
he abandoned the idea and was given two additional years of
schooling, chiefly in mathematics, and so prepared himself for
the profession of a surveyor.”
“Sixteen, and finishing school!” exclaimed the boy named Billy.
“School was rather a different affair in George Washington’s
day,” said Somebody. “He was born in the country, at a small
place named Bridges Creek, Virginia, on the twenty second of
February, 1732, and at that time the country was very small and
had few schools.”
“It must have been fun being a surveyor,” said Billy.
“It was not much _fun_, Billy Boy,” Somebody told him. “It was
a severe test of character and capacity, but George Washington
always accomplished every task given him with success, and
reported on it with brevity and modesty.
“The traits of steadfastness of character which he had displayed
in school and among his playmates now came out prominently. He
excelled in running, wrestling, and horseback riding in his youth
and in later years, because of his wisdom, patience, tolerance,
courage and consecration to the righteous cause of liberty became
the father of his country.”
“My but his mother must have been proud of him,” said Billy.
Somebody nodded. “It was to his mother, a woman of strong and
devoted character, that George Washington owed his moral and
religious training. Even when her son had risen to the height of
human greatness, she would only say, ‘George has been a good boy,
and I’m sure he will do his duty.’”
“Guess I better tell Mom I’m sorry about leaving my hat on the
living room table,” said the boy named Billy.
“I would if I were you,” said Somebody.