Lawrence Berry Washington’s novel, “A Tale to be Told Some Fifty Years Hence”, was published in 1853. In the Preface, the author declares that objections to publication were made by a few of his friends, to whose criticism the story was submitted, who declared that the characters of the story were drawn principally from those in real life, who were living at the time. Many of the real life prototypes of the characters are thinly disguised and can be identified even today. However, the author contends “that there is no palpable ground upon which such a judgement could be justly predicated.” And again, he states, "The Author, ...takes occasion to contradict, to deny positively, and unequivocally, that any living character is represented or attempted to be copied by any of the characters that appear in this work". It may be said, with apologies to Shakespeare, “Methinks he doth protest too much.”
With this opinion of his protest, it then becomes the reader’s challenge to examine the description and actions of the characters in the story and to determine who is being depicted. Although we find no overwhelming purpose for identifying most of the characters, it is interesting and perhaps informative to consider the main characters. |
The main male character in the story is Don Laurio, who we identify as Lawrence Washington. The story is told in the first person of Don Laurio and we find it interesting to reflect upon the author’s narrative related to the character he patterns after himself. The main female character is Mary or “Molly” Baun. Lawrence Washington was known to be madly in love with a “Miss M.”, a young lady who was the beauty and belle of the County in 1833. Miss M. is a frequently referred to in the journal of Henry Bedinger III (see Journal of a Law Student) and it is quite clear from reading Henry’s journal that Lawrence was hopelessly infatuated with a Miss M. Miss M., the prototype for Molly Baun may be tentatively identified as Mary Morgan [i], a distant cousin of both Henry III and Lawrence. In the novel, Lawrence describes in ebullient detail the beautiful and attractive personal qualities of Molly Baun:
“The belle of the county … Her form was tall …; her hair was brown, her eyes hazel, her complexion, though rather pale, was nevertheless pure and delicate; her features were what is called Grecian and chiseled.
“Her mouth in particular was peculiarly beautiful; it was the feature of her face which gave it its chief expression, and there was piquancy about it which was most bewitching, at the same time a rosiness and a juiciness that was most tempting. “Indeed Mary Baun was a pretty girl – a very pretty. The tones of her voice were soft as the very soul of harmony, and cheering as the song of birds was her laugh. She sang, and played the piano too, and Jepthah’s daughter had not a lighter foot in the dance than she. “Her manner was self-possessed and pleasing; in fine, she was decidedly what is called a captivating young lady. Captivating! It is well said, when we consider the number of captives who were held in captivity, overcome by the irresistible power of her charms, by which their hearts and souls became enchained as it were, and led in triumph! “Now Molly Baun had a provoking way of her own with her – aye, verily! and a naughty.” |
Now, Mary Baun had many admirers.
“She had a way of never discarding her beaux, even though she might not have the most distant idea of marrying them, or if she could be said ever to have discarded them, it was in such a manner as was sure to leave Hope in the hearts of the deluded ones; consequently, many a poor dupe, after weeks, months , and even years of hope deferred, hath continued to live in hope on; still fooling himself, while at a the same time, as to Molly Baun’s ever rewarding his long continued servitude – to expect such a thing was all to no use, so he had better go hang, drown or—marry somebody else, quick!”
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Need it be said that Don Laurio was among those hapless suitors, never discarded yet, never rewarded with the singular devotion of Miss Mary Baun?
Next, by observing the manner in which the author describes Don Laurio, we may gain some insight into how Lawrence would characterize himself, with allowance for romantic and fanciful detail.
Next, by observing the manner in which the author describes Don Laurio, we may gain some insight into how Lawrence would characterize himself, with allowance for romantic and fanciful detail.
“…He [Don Laurio] was one of those individuals who are generally called by the rest of mankind a “very eccentric character” –one of whom people are apt to say, “He is very strange, indeed!” although I dare say he was much more like other people than he had credit for, but that was not readily admitted. Perhaps the term “electric” would have been more properly applied to him than that of “eccentric”. Be that as it may, however, this young gent had the credit of being among the number of Molly Baun’s admirers, and no doubt Molly Baun ranked him among them too.
“He was a youth of warm passions and fervid imagination, and of a restless and roving disposition, and was like many other of the young men of the district of country in which he was raised, who had wealthy parents to support them, without any useful occupation to engage him, and had acquired habits of idleness and dissipation. “He had been in the habit of taking long and distant journeys from home, it was not generally known where or what for, only it was not for any harm, (so some good natured folk would say,) except harm to himself. “It was after one of the longest of these rambling fits, that upon returning to his native place, he for the first time saw and fell in love with—or imagined himself in love with—Mary Baun; she like some fair flower of his own lovely valley, having sprung up during his absence, and now arrayed in all perfection was blooming to meet his raptured view. “I have said he might have imagined himself in love with her, because it cannot be denied but that this young gent was the very child of imagination, and capable of almost any extravagancy to which her illusions might betray him, (it is to be hoped that age has made him wise,) although it was allowed he had good sense withal, and he certainly possessed a great share of the true perception of the truly beautiful, and unbounded admiration therefor.” |
Don Laurio did have other ladies in which he was in love. But, in the story Don Laurio did not marry, nor did Lawrence Washington in real life. The author's description of Don Laurio continues:
“But it was certainly thought that his many eccentricities of character proceeded from an early love disappointment.
“Some early love-shaft scathed his heart, And oft the sear would ache and smart.” “And so they would have it; his wanderings, his singularities, his dissipation and his inconsistency and fickleness, (for he had also the reputation of being a “gay deceiver,”) were all owing to the same early love disappointment—so some folks would have it, and that he was now incapable of truly loving any woman, although for the gratification of a momentary whim he might seem to love some one.” |
The novel includes some few lines of verse. The lines given below perhaps reveal Lawrence’s perspective of love in a mélange of sanguine reflective memories and hope of their reality impending yet beyond.
A Fragment
Thus, as is turned the mental eye O’er all the scenes of time gone by, Life’s earliest Joys long dimmed and gone, In memory seem, still to live on. And oft some vision of the past Too much like heaven on earth to last! Some image fair of “Love’s young dream,” Is mirrored bright in memories stream. Thus will her image ever dear Still brightly to my mind appear, Still fix’d within my soul’s domain, Its hues ethereal remain. Through youth, through manhood’s riper age It will endure, till life’s last stage, And when time devastation brings To mutable, material things, Its fadeless essence will defy Earth’s wreck, and live beyond the sky! |
The book carries this dedication:
To D. B. L***s,
Student of the University of Virginia, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED THIS VOLUME, BY HIS AFFECTIONATE RELATIVE, THE AUTHOR |
The author obviously is dedicating the book to his first cousin Daniel Bedinger Lucas (130). The book was published in 1853, when Daniel B. Lucas was at the age of seventeen; Lawrence was twenty-five years older than young Daniel. One might well wonder why Lawrence would so dedicate his book. The family relationship and proximity would have given them the opportunity to be friends. Daniel Bedinger Lucas was a precocious and academically gifted student, well versed in classical literature. He was admitted to the University of Virginia at the age of 17. His letters, written as a student at the University, are neatly penned and exhibit a young man of mature reasoning. He was a gifted poet. It is pure speculation, but we might ask; could young Daniel have contributed or assisted Lawrence in the development of the story as published by Lawrence? We have no answer to the question, thus It remains one of many enigmas surrounding the person of Lawrence Berry Washington.
Concluded in The Missouri-Kansas Border War