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.

5 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 10 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.

EORGE WASHINGTON was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on the 22d of February, 1732. His father, Augustine Washington, was a farmer, and owned large tracts of land on the banks of the Potomac. While he was still a child the family s moved to Stafford County, on the Rappahannock River. Here George was sent to what is called "an old field school" a log house with only one room, where children were taught to read and write and cipher.

When his father died, George was left to the care of 10 his mother. But he could not have had a better person to look after him. "Mary, the mother of Washington," as she is called, was a lady of the highest character. She wished, above everything else, to make George a good man; and she taught him to love God, and to 15 kneel beside her and say his prayers night and morning. She also taught him always to tell the truth, and to do his duty in everything. These lessons, learned by him while he was still a boy, had very much to do with causing him to become so great a man.

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George was very fond of outdoor sports - of riding and hunting, and games in which skill and strength are shown. In time he grew to be a very tall and very strong young man. It is said that he once threw a 5 stone across the Rappahannock River at the city of Fredericksburg; and there are very few men who could do as much. He did not, however, neglect improving his mind, and trying to learn everything that would be useful to him in after life. He kept a 10 book in which he wrote down wise sayings, and rules to follow he also taught himself how to keep accounts, and how to survey land.

When George was fourteen years old, he was a tall, strong boy, and longed to lead the life of a soldier or a 15 sailor. He thought that he would like being a sailor the better of the two; and through the influence of his brother, Lawrence, he was appointed a midshipman in the English navy. But his poor mother grieved at the thought that she was going to be parted from her boy, and might never see him again. When George, in his fine new uniform, went to tell her good-by, she covered her face with her hands and cried. At this the boy gave way; he could not bear to distress his mother, and at once gave up all his plans. He 25 took off his fine uniform, gave up his place as midshipman, and stayed at home to take care of his mother.

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George went often to Mount Vernon to visit his brother Lawrence. Here he came to know Lord Fair

fax, whose brother lived near by, and he and Lord Fairfax soon became great friends. The old Englishman, who was a tall, spare, nearsighted man, was very fond of hunting, and liked to have George go with him. So they often rode out fox-hunting together, and Lord s Fairfax came to think very highly of the boy. He saw that he was a stout, manly young fellow, who was always willing to make himself useful in some way; and this led him to hire George to survey his wild lands beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It was a fine day in early spring of the year 1748 when George set out on his surveying trip. A nephew of Lord Fairfax went with him, and they rode along in high spirits toward the mountains. George was just sixteen, and in good health, and, as other boys would 15 have been, delighted at the thought of meeting with adventure. He had brought his gun with him to hunt, and his surveyor's instruments were packed in a leathern case on the back part of his saddle.

The two friends crossed the Blue Ridge at Ashby's 20 Gap, and forded the bright waters of the Shenandoah. They then turned a little to the left, and made their way towards Greenway Court. This was a sort of lodge built by Lord Fairfax in the woods, and afterwards used by him as a dwelling house. It was a 25 house with broad stone gables, and a roof sloping down over a long porch in front. On the top of the roof were two towers with bells in them, which were

meant to give the alarm when Indians were coming to attack.

George and his friend soon reached Greenway Court, where they were kindly received by Lord Fairfax's s manager; and then, after a short rest, they began to survey the lands along the banks of the Shenandoah River. This must have been pleasant business to them. The spring was just opening, and the leaves were beginning to bud in the woods. The sun shone 10 brightly and on every side were long blue ranges of mountains, like high walls placed there to guard the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah.

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Surveying, in itself, is hard work; but the free openair life which surveyors lead makes it very pleasant 15 Work. George and his friend enjoyed it very much. They worked faithfully all day, and at night stopped at the rude house of some settler in the woods; or, if no house was seen, they built a fire, covered themselves with their cloaks, and slept in the open air. They . went on in this manner until they reached the Potomac

River. They then rode up the stream, and over the mountains until they reached what is now called Berkeley Springs, where they camped out, as usual, under the stars. There were no houses there then; 25 but later a town was built; and, long afterwards, Washington often spent a part of the summer there with his family, in order that they might drink the mineral waters, which are said to be good for the sick.