242 
SVJOOBE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
APRIL <12 
I WONDER WHY. 
I WONDER why this world’s (rood things 
Should fall in such unequal shares; 
Why some should taste of all the joys, 
And Others only feel the cores 1 
J wonder w hy the sunshine bright 
Bhouhl fall In paths some people tread, 
While others shiver in the shade 
Of clouds that gather overhead 1 
1 wonder why the trees that hang 
So full of luscious fruit should grow 
Only where some may reach and eat, 
While others faint and thirsty go ! 
Why should sweet flowers tilooin for some, 
For others only thorns ho found ? 
And some grow rich on fruitful earth. 
While others till but barren ground? 
1 wonder why the hearts of some 
O’crflow with joy and happiness, 
While others go their lonely way 
Unblessed with aught of tenderness 1 
J wonder why the eyes of some 
Should ne’er he moistened with a tear, 
While others weep from morn till night, 
TJielr hearts so crushed with sorrow here! 
Ah! well; we may not know Indeed 
The whys, the wherefores of each life ! 
But this wo know—there's One who sees 
And watches us through Joy nr strife. 
Each life Us mission here fulfills, 
And only lie may know the end, 
Ami loving llim, we may he strong, 
Tho' storm or sunshine lie may send. 
far. J). Urine. 
©nr 
WASHINGTON’S FIRST LOVE. 
On the banks of the Harlem River, tt little 
below the High Bridge of the Croton Aqueduct ^ 
stands a solid, yet imposing mansion, remarka- 
hie for its age and llio historic associations ^ 
which duster around its venerable walls. Un¬ 
der Its hoaptlablo roof the great Washington ^ 
found social pleasures and bountiful entertain- I ^ 
niont more than a hundred years ago; later, as 
the head of American armies, he gathered his 
staff around him here and directed the move- I ( 
incuts of patriot soldiery, Tho great American ^ 
millionaire, John Jacob Astor, subsequently j ^ 
possessed It, succeeded In time by Aaron Him I ^ 
and Madame Jnmel, and more recently it has ( 
been the object for which rival claimants have I ( 
fought mill the legal welfare Inis been as hotly 
contested as the more sanguinary conflicts car- I _ 
ried on around it by contending warriors nearly ^ 
a century ago. I . 
That , however, which Imparts the chief inter- I ( 
{•at to this ancient residence, is tho fact that il I 
was once l.ho abode of Mary Phillips, the bean- J ^ 
teems damsel to whom the nnroinantie \\ ash- I ^ 
jngt.on lost his heart. I j 
History records how thedaughtcr of the great 
Napoleon's landlady rejected I lie suit of the ^ 
unknown lieutenant, and thus failed to become ( 
Empress of Franco; how the French peasant 
girl refused Beriiadotto, and thereby lout the I 
crown of Sweden ; and how a New Jersey girl, 
by jilting the penniless wanderer from France, 
failed to enjoy Imperial honor as tho wife of I ho I 
Emperor I,ouls Napoleon. Wo now propose to 
tell how Mary Phillips, by rejecting George 
Washington, lost the exalted station which 
Martha Washington so honorably lllled. 
In February, lTSM'olonol George Washington, 
accompanied by two aides-de-camp, left his 
residence at Mount Vernon, on horseback, on a 
Journey to Boston, to confer with General Shir- 1 
ley, concerning military matters, 
On reaching New York, lie called at the house I 
of Beverly Robinson, ail old army friend, who I 
had served with him under Braddoek. Colonel 
Robinson, wishing to nttl • 1:1 < visit pleasant to 
his guest, had Invited a few friends to add to j 
the social attractions of his home. Among I 
1 hose invited was Mary Phillips, a sister or Mrs. j 
Robinson. She was then about eighteen years 
of age, hewltehingly beautiful, with a form of 
rare grace and perfection, brilliant accomplish- I 
m ent,s, and lively and vivacious In disposition. 
She was likewise an heiress. 
The young Virginia Colonel, fresh from the 
rural society of Mount Vernon and the toils of 
the backwoods campaign, was Immediately I 
charmed by Ibis witching vision of loveliness | 
and gaiety. Turning away from every other 
attraction, ho spent much of his time in her 
society, and the walks, talks, and rides in which 
they indulged brought upon them tho raillery I 
of their associates. In this way the few days 
that Washington had intended to remain pass¬ 
ed, hut still lie lingered, chained by the magic 
spell of the fair charmer. 
It. was tho first, time in the history or his 
mature life that the sly Cupid had hurled his 
dart at the young Colonel, and tho 'arrow had 
sunk deep into his heart. Days went by almost 
unnoticed, until a week had been wasted in 
theso enjoyments, and the infatuated man was 
forced to tear himself away and proceed to 
Boston. They parted with an [engagement on 
his part to oall again on his return, and it. is 
hardly necessary to say that ho was true to his 
promise. 
Nearly another week was now passed under 
the hospitable roof of his old friend, and in the 
society of Ids charming relative. But the urgen¬ 
cy of military engagements forced his return to 
Virginia, and George Washington and Mary 
Phillips parted with mutual regrets, to meet no 
more for nearly a quarter [of .a century, .when 
one was the groat loader of the patriot armies . 
and the other the wife of a Colonel, fighting his 
own country men, in the service of his King. 
There is nothing to prove that Washington J 
ever made a formal tender of ills hand, or that 
Miss Phillips over refused him. Letters and 
memorandums found among Washington’s pri¬ 
vate papers show that their intimacy had not 
gone so far as to call from him a declaration of 
love, though they each understood that such an 
avowal was imminent. 
When Washington departed he made a confi¬ 
dant of his old army friend, Colonel Robinson, 
and he was directed to convey to his brilliant 
sister-in-law a hint of the avowal, which his 
extreme delicacy more than anything else, held 
back when he was in her society. 
In the management of this business Washing¬ 
ton exhibited less than hts usual sagacity. A 
young damsel, in her first affair of tho heart, 
does not like to have love made by proxy. So 
she listened with impatience and mortification 
to the protestations uttered by her brother-in- 
law, when, hud they been made by her admirer 
in person, with the hesitancy and secrecy which 
usually attends such communications, she 
might have inclined a willing car. Robinson 
made little progress, and wrote to Washington 
soon after, urging him to come on and press Ills 
suit in person. A reply was sent pleading 
urgent business as a reason for postponement; 
but lie soon received another earnest letter from 
Robinson, sl ating that Roger Morris, a rich and 
accomplished gentleman, had obtained i be eat 
of the fickle girl, and was filling It with tales of 
romance, poetry and love, slowly and effectually 
effacing the memory of tho plain Virginia Col. 
If any answer was returned to this communi¬ 
cation,-its tenor is not known ; it is probable, 
however, thnt his own passion had began to 
cool. His pride may have been touched by the 
preference shown another, and he resolved no 
longer to dispute the prize. So Mary Phillips 
become Mrs. Roger Morris, and the elegant 
mansion in which she reigned, the beauteous 
queen of fashion and fortune is'j et standing, 
not far from Croton Aqueduct.. 
The unsuccessful suitor soon after met the 
charming Widow Parke, and she became his 
wife and the mistress of Mount Vernon. 
There was no visible sign that either of the 
partiesovor thought of the past with regret; 
but In the tumult of war which followed, when 
each took so prominent a part In the struggle, 
there must have been moments when memory 
went back to that brief courtship, and they 
could not help thinking “how it might have 
been." 
Twenty years after the parting, Washington 
again met Mary Phillips, then Mrs. Morris. He 
was on tils way to assume the command of t he 
patriot army before Boston, and stopped at 
Roger’s house. Morris was a Royalist, but both 
he and his wire extended every courtesy to 
their guest. They never met again ; for before 
the cud of tho war of independence Mary Phil¬ 
lips (Mrs. Morris) accompanied her husband to 
England. There she lived to BOO t he man who 
had so unsuccessfully sought her hand one of 
a message which Prof. Morse referred to the 
daughter, for her approval; and this was the 
one which was subsequently sent. 
A little more than a year after that time, the r 
line between Washington and Baltimore was 
completed. Prof. Morse was in the former 
city and Mr. Alfred Vail, his assistant, in the 
latter; the first.In the chamber of tho Supreme 
Court, I he last in the Mount Clare depot, when 
the circuit being perfect, Prof. Morse sent to 
Miss Ellsworth for her message, and It came. 
"What Hath God W bought!" 
It was sent In triplicate in the dot-and-lino 
language of the instrument, to Baltimore, and 
was the fire l mn <mqc ever transmitted by uncord¬ 
ing telegraph. 
The story of this message has been often t old 
with many exaggerations. It has roamed about 
Europe with various romantic material attached 
to it, originating mainly in the French imagina- 
l ion, and has started up anew from time to time 
in our own country under fresh forms, but the 
above story is simply and literally true. An 
inventor in despair receives the news of his 
unexpected success from his friend’s daughter, 
and he makes her a promise which ho keeps, 
and thus links her name with his own, and with 
an Invention which becomes one of the con¬ 
trolling Instruments of civilization for all time. 
— Scribner'8 M ant My. 
-- 
WHAT A HUNGRY^ BOY CAN EAT. 
“I iiain’t had nothin' to eat for a hull day, 
and I hain't got a cent. I’m from Philadelphia.” 
This waa the pitiful story told to contractor 
Maglll by a stout, hearty-looking hoy, the pos¬ 
sessor of a remarkably fine row <>r teeth. 
“ Why don’t you go to work V" asked the con¬ 
tractor. 
“I’m willin', hut can’t git any work," the boy 
answered. Then he shed a few tears, 
Mr. Magitl looked sharply at the boy for a 
moment, then he sat, down and wrote the fol- 
fowiug note to Colgan, proprietor of the Bank 
Oyster house: 
MR. 001.0AN—Be kind enough to give the bearer a 
(food tlillfiur, Jtnd Clitti'RC It to niC. JAH. MAOILL. 
p. 8 .—Give Mm all he wants. 
The boy, with tears of gratitude streaming 
from his eyoB, took the note and left for Col- 
gan’s. When lie reached there ho presented 
Magill’s missive. 
The boy was told to ait down t,o a table. 
" 11ughey tho Veteran” came over to take his 
order. 
“Give me a plate of quail on toast, with 
mushrooms,” said the boy. 
“ Vc have aflne mouth for quail,” said Hughey, 
lie though the hoy was chaffing. But Colgan 
told him to take the order. The quail was fin¬ 
ished in about three minutes. 
“Have some turkey?" suggested Aider- 
man Dunne. The boy grinned and ordered 
“roast turkey, a plate of roast beef, and a glass 
Of milk." He put those things away like a man 
shoveling coal. Major Horgan advised him to 
unbutton hlscoat. The hoy. I Id heller; lie took 
it. off, and then ordered “boiled chicken, baked 
THE FIRST TELEGRAM. 
The bill mot with neither sneers nor opposi¬ 
tion in the Senate, but the business of that 
House went on with discouragingslow ness. At 
twilight on tho last evening of tho session 
(March 3,lfilfi) there were 119 bills before it. As 
It. seemed impossible for it to bo reached In 
regular course before the hour of adjournment 
should arrive, tho Professor, who had anxiously 
watched the tardy movements or business all 
day from Urn gallery of the Senate chamber, 
went with a sad heart to Ills hotel and prepared 
to leave for New York at an early hour the next 
morning. While at breakfast, a scr\ant in¬ 
formed him that a young lady desired to see 
him in the parlor. 
There ho met Miss Annie Ellsworth, then tv 
young school girl—the daughter of Ills intimate 
friend, Hon. Henry L. Ellsworth, the first com¬ 
missioner of patents—who said, as she extended 
her hftnd to him, “ I have come to congratulate 
you.” 
” Upon what?" inquired the Professor. 
“ Upon the passage of your bill," she replied. 
“Impossible! Its fate was sealed at dusk 
last evening. You must be mistaken." 
“Not at all,” site responded. "Father sent 
me to tell you that your bill was passed. He 
remained until the session closed, and yours 
was the last bill but one acted upon, and it was 
passed just five minutes before the adjourn¬ 
ment : and 1 am glad to he the first one to tell 
you. Mother says, too, that you must conic 
home with mo to breakfast.” 
Tho invitation was readily accepted, and the 
joy in the household was unbounded. Both Mr. 
and Mrs. Ellsworth had fully (believed in the 
project,, and the former. In his confidence in it 
and In his warm friendship for Prof. Morse, had 
spent hours of the session in the Senate Cham¬ 
ber doing what he could to help the bill along, 
and giving it all the influence of his high per- 
uonal and official position, 
Grasping the hand of his young friend, the 
Professor thanked her again, and again forbear¬ 
ing iiim such pleasant tidings, and assured her 
that she should send over the wires tho first 
message, as her reward. The matter was talked 
over in the family, and Mrs. Ellsworth suggested 
Mr. Macaulay. 
“I’ll try, sir,” replied the boy, meekly. Then 
he ordered a plate of lamb fries, a tenderloin 
steak, flxins, and a saddle rock fry. These ar¬ 
ticles of food disappeared as mysteriously as 
the others. The boy said he “guessed he’d 
finish up with a piece of mince pie." He 
seemed to enjoy the pie until ho came to a 
shirt, button and a piece of a shirt sleeve. 
“Look hero,” said tho hoy to Hughey, “see 
what I found in this ’ore pie.” 
“ What do you expect to find ?” shouted 
Hughey. “Do you think yo ought to find a 
chine suit of clothes in one mince pie?” 
Today Mr. Colgan sent the annexed bill to 
Mr. Magi 11. 
fames Mimillj T)r. 
To Tim*. Oolgau, fnr dinner to poor boy.ft CO 
Gusli and toast. To 
Boast beef... *> 
Glass or milk. m 
Boast turkey. 40 
Mushrooms. -a 
Brodml chicken . 40 
Baked potatoes. la 
Saddle-rock stew..... 
Saddle-rock fry... *0 
Lamb fries. <•? 
Tenderloin steak. ?•> 
Mince pic. ™ 
Total.W #) 
—Brooklyn Eagle. 
-<+■»+- 
A NOVEL EEL POT. 
KEEP THE HEART TENDER. 
Keep the heart tender. 
Kindly and true; 
Water it freely 
With Love's gentle dew; 
Garner its harvest s 
Of rich burnished gold; 
Let in the sunshine, 
And shut out the eold. 
Keep tiie heart tender 
With Bowers «>1 kind deeds, 
And the sweets of their perfume 
Will choke out the weeds; 
And the soft beams of Pity, 
Of Mercy, and Love, 
Will yield it the glory 
That beams from above. 
Keep the heart tender 
With sweet, loving words, 
And they’ll fill it with music 
Like the warble of birds 
In the heart, of the forest— 
So Joyful and dear, 
When the birds are awaking 
In the spring-time of year ! 
Keep the, heart tender 
With holy desires, 
And they'll freshen its altars, 
Ami quench the fierce tires 
Of Hatred and Envy. 
Of sins ever new; 
Keep tho heart tender, 
Pure, kindly and true. 
[Christ tan Advocate. 
- - -♦♦♦■ - 
THE INDIANS' FAITH. 
A mono the modern beliefs engrafted upon 
I hc ancient faith there is one which is worthy of 
particular notice. It relates to Washington, 
whom the Iroquois called Ha-no-da-ga-ne-ars, 
which signifies " Town Destroyer." According 
to their present belief, no white man ever 
reached the Indian heaven. Not having been 
created by the Great Spirit, no provision was 
made for him in their scheme of theology. Ho 
was excluded both from heaven and from the 
place of punishment. But an exception was 
mode in favor of Washington, Because of his 
justice and benevolence to I ho Indian, he stood 
pre-eminent above all other white men. V\ lien 
by the peace of ITS! the 1 ndlaus wore abandoned 
by their English allies, and left to make their 
own terms with the American Government, the 
Iroquois wore more exposed to severe measures 
than the other tribes In their alliance. 
At this critical moment Washington inter¬ 
fered in their behalf as the protector of Indian 
rights, and the advocate of a policy toward them 
of tho most enlightened justice and humanity. 
After his death lm was mourned by the Iroquois 
as a benefactor of their race, and Ills memory 
was cherished with reverence and affection. A 
belief waa spread abroad among them that tho 
Great Spirit had received him Into a celestial 
residence upon the plains of heaven, the only 
white man whose noble deeds had entitled him 
to this heavenly favor. Just by the entrance oi 
heaven la a walled inclosure, the ample grounds 
within which are laid out with avenues and 
shaded walks. Within is a spacious mansion, 
constructed in the fashion of a fort. Every ob¬ 
ject Jn nature which could please a cultivated 
taste had boon gathered in this blooming Eden 
to render it a delightful dwelling-place for the 
immortal Washington. The faithful Indian, 
as he enters heaven, parses this lnclosure, lie 
secs and recognizes the illustrious inmate as ho 
walkato and fro in quiet meditation; but no 
word ever passes his lips. Dressed In Iris uni¬ 
form, and In a state of perfect felicity, lie is 
destined to remain through eternity in tho soli¬ 
tary enjoyment of the celestial residence pie- 
pared for him by the Great Spirit. 
Surely the piety and the gratitude of tho 
Iroquois have jointly reared a monument to 
Washington above the skies which is more ex¬ 
pressive in its praise than the proudest recitals 
on the obelisk, ami more imperishable in its 
duration than the syenite, which holds up tho 
record to the gaze of centuries. 
-♦♦♦-— 
THOUGHTS FOR THINKERS. 
A very worthy fisherman by tho name of 
Grizzle was drowned sometime since, and all 
search for his body proved unavailing. After it 
had been In the water some months, however, 
it was discovered 11 outing on the surface and 
taken to the shore, whereupon Mr. Smith was 
dispatched to convey the Intelligence to the 
much afflicted widow. 
“Well, Mrs. Grizzle, wo have found Mr. Griz¬ 
zle’s body." 
“ You don’t say so 1” 
“ Yes we have—the jury sot on it and found it 
full of eels.” 
“ You don’t say Mr. Grizzle’s body isifull of 
eels?” 
“ Yes, it is: and we want to know what you 
will have done with it.” 
“ Why, how many eeis do you think there is 
In llim?" 
“ Oh, about a bushel.” 
“ Well, then, l think you had better send the 
l eels up to the house, and set him again.” 
The hours in which your highest faculties are 
most active, and your truest, your best, your 
noblest ideas arc uppermost those are the 
hours which you are to give to your God. Do 
you believe you could give from day to day, in 
tho early morning or in the musical hush at 
evening, when your thoughts arc ripest and 
richest, one hour to a contemplation of God, 
and to a sense of the divine presence, and live 
indoubt? Let there be one hour in every day 
that is its sanctuary .—Beecher. 
Certainly in the day of judgment wo shall 
not be asked what we have read, but what we 
have done; not whether wo have talked well, 
hut whether we have lived well ,-Thotnas-a- 
Kempis>. 
The hand is the mind’s only perfect vassal, 
and when, through age or illness, the connec¬ 
tion between them is Interrupted, there are few 
more affecting tokens of human decay.—Titc/c- 
erman. 
If anger arise in the breast, instantly seal up 
thy lips, and let it. not -go forth: for, like fire, 
when it wants vent, it will suppress itself — 
I Isaac Taylor. 
