Her reading was confined to a small number of volumes, chiefly of a devotional character, her favorite apparently being Hale's "Moral and Divine Contemplations." She evidently knew no language but her own, and her spelling was extremely bad even in that age of uncertain orthography.

Certain qualities, however, are clear to us even now through all the dimness.

We can see that Mary Washington was gifted with strong sense, and had the power of conducting business matters providently and exactly.

She was an imperious woman, of strong will, ruling her kingdom alone.

Above all she was very dignified, very silent, and very sober-minded.