96 © GOOD HABITS AND MANNERS

It is a gdod plan for every one who wishes
to be useful, good, and happy; to study the
story of Washington, and see how it was
that he became so useful, so good, and so
happy. It is only by study that we can
gain knowledge; and the best way to find
out the path of duty and of success, is care-
fully to reflect upon the history of those who
have been successful. I purpose, therefore, to
give a brief outline of Washington’s character
and early life, taking care to present those
points which seem to have been the most
influential in forming his mind and shaping
his fortunes.

George Washington was born in Virginia,
on the 22d of February, 1732. “His father
was a wealthy planter; he died in 1743,
when George was eleven years old: he.was,
therefore, left to the care of his mother, who
was a good and wise woman.

Here you must remember that, when
Washington was a boy, young people in
America had not the advantages that they
have now: in Virginia, there were no high-
schools or colleges. He had, therefore, only
the privileges of a very common education,