This small booklet was sandwiched in between a large collection of old books on a bookshelf at an estate sale. At only 80 pages and a bit worn, it didn’t look like much. A quick look at the publication date of 1838 got it into my bag quickly at 50 cents. The complete title is “The Early Life of Washington designed for the instruction and amusement of the young“. The cover has an eagle at the top of a wreath design, and Greek key designs around the edge. Curiously, the cover indicates it was printed in Providence, RI by O. R. Tingley and has a date of 1810. The title page has no author other than “a friend of youth” and is dated 1838 with Providence as the printing location and Knowles, Vose, and Company as the printers. The frontispiece is an engraving of the young Washington amazed at his name written in grass seed in the garden. His father planted it as an object lesson that since the letters of George’s name surely weren’t written by chance, neither is the order observed in the world by chance. Just before that story, the book describes the now-famous “Cherry Tree story”.
“When George was about six years old, he became the owner of a hatchet with which, like most other little boys, he was very much delighted. He went about choppin (sic) every thing that came in his way. One day, in the garden, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet upon the body of a beautiful English cherry tree, which he cut so badlythat the tree never recovered from the injury. The next morning his father seeing what had befallen the tree, which, by the by, was a great favorite with him, came into the house, and with much warmth, asked who had done the mischief, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for the tree- Nobody could tell him any thing about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. “George,” said his father, “do you know who cut that beautiful cherry tree in yonder garden?’ George was taken by surprise. He hesitated for a moment: but he soon recovered himself– Looking at his father, he said,’I will not tell a lie, father., I cut it with my hatchet.’The delighted father, embracing his child, said, ‘No matter about the tree, George; you have frankly told me the truth. Though you saw I was offended, you were not afraid to do right. The pleasure I enjoy to witness this noble conduct in my son is of more value to me than a thousand such trees”.
The Cherry Tree story was initiated by Mason Locke Weems, a pastor, in a biography of Washington published shortly after his death. These books continued the recounting of the story, along with this little booklet: A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits, of General George Washington(1800) and The Life of George Washington, with Curious Anecdotes Laudable to Himself and Exemplary to his Countrymen(1806). Now widely regarded as a fabrication, this story is nonetheless a great window into the love that the nation had for Washington and is interesting to read in a relatively early account.
Knowles, Vose, and Company was a publisher based in Providence, RI, and published books of both religious and secular titles in the late 1830s. I couldn’t dig up any information on Tingley.
“When George was about six years old, he became the owner of a hatchet with which, like most other little boys, he was very much delighted. He went about choppin (sic) every thing that came in his way. One day, in the garden, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet upon the body of a beautiful English cherry tree, which he cut so badlythat the tree never recovered from the injury. The next morning his father seeing what had befallen the tree, which, by the by, was a great favorite with him, came into the house, and with much warmth, asked who had done the mischief, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for the tree- Nobody could tell him any thing about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. “George,” said his father, “do you know who cut that beautiful cherry tree in yonder garden?’ George was taken by surprise. He hesitated for a moment: but he soon recovered himself– Looking at his father, he said,’I will not tell a lie, father., I cut it with my hatchet.’The delighted father, embracing his child, said, ‘No matter about the tree, George; you have frankly told me the truth. Though you saw I was offended, you were not afraid to do right. The pleasure I enjoy to witness this noble conduct in my son is of more value to me than a thousand such trees”.
The Cherry Tree story was initiated by Mason Locke Weems, a pastor, in a biography of Washington published shortly after his death. These books continued the recounting of the story, along with this little booklet: A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits, of General George Washington(1800) and The Life of George Washington, with Curious Anecdotes Laudable to Himself and Exemplary to his Countrymen(1806). Now widely regarded as a fabrication, this story is nonetheless a great window into the love that the nation had for Washington and is interesting to read in a relatively early account.
Knowles, Vose, and Company was a publisher based in Providence, RI, and published books of both religious and secular titles in the late 1830s. I couldn’t dig up any information on Tingley.
