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Show 108 H EBlJOK. Colonel Fairfax nul hi cl:-tnp;htcr sfnv 1\Irs. FitAzhsu (Y'h, 1 · -l 1 t enant of this habitation, t lC 'VIuOW '< . ' , ,v·tlk•w :-o:>- • 1 . . .1 ~ ,v1th th support o( a t:1.1l c~no, lll \Cl (r;n< en .. 1 , . 1' },o,,e RCClll ,<1 a f' c~hl e w nUttl o( Htxty or R lC Jll!O" lu to~ ' J ' 1o ·1 ·1 " tw "'cvcra1 yeartl under t tree :-;core. 1nore t 10 no 1 H 1e '' · ·~ • She ,'v a pa"1 c nne1 thin , but her fonu " 'f\.S. no. t bowed, and l 1er f.e a.4u lll• es ' vl.'..\ ,1 ·c ·· tronoo· ly Inarked w1th hnc:u. nents of pn.c 1 c . ~ 11 e 1 1 1 een for nuwv years a couflnne<1 lrt( ) .J • • . • • 1. n val 'd 13 t'"' v·Lcrorou:-1 ·tntl cnltl\'!ltccl Intellect, "tth 1 . u '~ o · " · · 1 1· 11(l ornt·L 4 a"u lc ,vill ' r t~i.8 tcd the " ,road~ of du.;ear-;e, an( r, . l h fi·om year to year she f ughi ~,. l. <lcath. , I he l.l:ll e t a: .·Hen on h. 1• brow se1donl c:-; ape l it on1 her was 'VIlvv "'"f{' 1 · tono-ue. It was neither boastful nor f;cornfnl. ~ 1t uu her 5 brcast it ·was , trong in all fonns, but cr-;pec1ally aa the pride of fmnily. IIer proucle. t anJ y \t her weakest 1)assion was her love for h'Cr .only son, lin o-h .. The place on which Rhe r~. Hlccl-.a plantatwn of considerable cxtcnt-,:ith fi(Ly or .·1xty _slaves, descended to him aL the deal h f hi' i:tthcr. The widowed mother of an infant f3on, bec01ning sole guardian of his person au<l e 'tate, devoted hcr."'clf thene~forth to his nurl.ure and educatiou. She so nutnngcd Ins eslato as to keep it entire mH.l without debt, 'vhilc deii'ayiug tho expenses of his education a'illllravels, but a w.ou.lall and an invalid could do no n1ore. The ·laves, llll. 'sing the authority of a In:lu above oYen; \rR, he a1ne negli4 gent and sorno of th 111 elL solute. The plantation needed repairs, although the ground about the honst!, being under the eye of .1\lrs. Fitzhugh, were kept with taste and care. llngh, first a::; an inf'aut, thea as a student, anu finally a~ a traveler, had been unable lo attend to his estate in person, and after his return home, he neglccteJ it. For two or three years he suf· fered all things to remain or to go backward, as if he ROEBUCK. 109 were still ab ·cnt, whilst he nn111s <1 hirn.·elf with hooh; or hunting or fishing or any icllr sport that fell in his 'vny. Thw; it " 'as ihaL the expo ·tat ion of hi~ frien<b hn<l hcen lisnppoinLed, rt11<l l1is 11amc jn the county bcg·an to '" ar th Ht:'tin of thrift.le~~ indolence ; for it " rns thonghL that his inh rriL:mcc itnposcd active clutic:-1. IIi~ 1nother felt thnt he '\VflS Hinking b lo\v thr rcquirempnts of his nam~, and thnt the Hon of such an rstoz•-j :t~ hi. -:uwc.· Lort~ 'vhon1 l1er cxngg ral )d ihmily pride ranked nly n. little below n. line of 11 ' ror.~shonlll jntitatc their 1vcfnl and honor:1Llr lives. Bnt her affection was too inclnlg~nt to chi<lc hi1n and r-;he could only 'vait., a~ ~he dill , for the blood to ,'ho,v itself: "\Vhcn Rhe founcl that the pro. po('.t of 'var had rou~etl his latent energy, and thnt he hnd volunie red ns n. soldier, Hhc sn11' 'reel a viol nt conllict of emotions. VVhen hewn, to he exposed to the hnrdshi]i)S and hazarcls of war, a ntother's loyc for nn only child, her overweening cnr \ for the ~on whotn Rhc had reared so tenderly. and her lonely 'vidowltood, 'vhi ·h 1night be roodereu utterly <l . olatc hy tl~e lo.'s of hitn, nu1clc the sacrifice nlntoHt too grievous tor h r to bear. Yet she Waf; con~cion~ that to Be hi1n rc1nnin at h01nc in ignoble r-;loth, while other8 lcf':-; nobly obliged to duty, nccordi11rr to JtPr idea.· n1archcd to the fi lcl 'vonlcl be ' , ' ' into1 rnblc to her pride. Then ~he exulted in th hi~)·h qnalitics wh if·h Rhc [tltribu ted to his action. • he 'vas proud to f el that the honor of his farnily 'vns vindicnted in hin1. Iler devotion to Virginia, second only to her rnling pn::; ·ion, Lronght her pnlriotistn to tho support of her pritle. Though every 'vorJ \vas as n drop of· blood f\·o1n her heart, yet 'vith unwavering resolution :u1d t nrle .. · eyes he enconra<rrd her Ron to pursue the path which he had cho~ n. |
