early years, and Lee was under the sole guidance of his mother until
he had almost grown to manhood. Washington repaid his mother's
devotion by caring for her and her affairs with notable fidelity,
and Lee's tenderness and consideration for his mother were such that
she was accustomed to remark that he was both a son and a daughter
to her.

Washington's ancestors were notable, if not distinguished, people
in England; while Lee could trace his descent, through his father,
to Lancelot Lee, who fought at the battle of Hastings, and through
his mother to Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Neither man, however,
prided himself in the least on his ancestry. Indeed, neither of
them knew anything of his family history until his own achievements
brought the facts to light.

Washington was a born and bred country boy and so was Lee. Both
delighted in outdoor life, loving horses and animals of all kinds
and each was noted for his skillful riding in a region which was
famous for its horsemanship. There was, however, a vast difference
between Washington's education and that of Lee. The Virginian schools
were very rudimentary in Washington's day; but Lee attended two
excellent institutions of learning, where he had every opportunity,
and of this he availed himself, displaying much the same thoroughness
that characterized Washington's work, and the same manly modesty
about any success that he achieved.

By reason of his father's death and other circumstances Washington
was burdened with responsibility long before he arrived at manhood,
making him far more reserved and serious-minded than most school
boys. This was precisely the case with Lee, for his father's