I have always felt proud, whenever I think of the incident, that my mother had strength of character enough not to be led into the temptation of seeming to be that which she was not—of trying to impress my schoolmates and others with the fact that she was able to buy me a “store hat” when she was not.
Reflecting on his mother's actions, Washington praises her integrity and refusal to pretend to wealth she did not possess.
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