Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-04-30
From the Philadelphia Evening News.
MRS. MADISON, WIDOW OF THE LATE
EX-PRESIDENT

=. EA-FRESlDENI.
This remarkable woman is one of the
persons most visited by strangers in Wash
ington, and those who visit her are always
deeply impressed with her agreeable man
ners, her wonderful memory, and her Dig
nifed bearing. During the last half of the
past winter she has not participated in the
fashionable circles of the metropolis, which
is, perhaps, for the number of it's people,
always, during session of Congress, the
gayest city in the Union. The loss of a
sister, at an advanced age, Mrs Tod, re-
siding i'll Virginia, has caused her temporary
withdrawal from all public circles. Her
house, upon what is called the Presidents
square, was crowded New YEARS. day; and
next to the President and Ex-President
Adams, Mrs Madison received the greatest
number of visiters from the citizens of. and
the strangers then in, Washington. Mrs. M.
upon that occasion, received nearly or quite
a thousand calls, most of them she received
while standing, and while attended by her
nleces and grand daughters. We remember
to have seen, few years since, whist
party at Washington, where Mrs. Madison
and John Quincy Adams were the parties
together certainly most remarkable COM
Ipany OF the olden time, and of persons Ion
L ger associated as friends than of those usual
y met with in the common walks of life.
Mrs. Madison had her birth in this State
and may be justly regarded as one of its
proudest monuments. The following &C
count of Mrs. Madison is correct 1t is a
good picture Of herself and household, ex-
cept the living part of it, which, just now,
we believe, is made up of one of her ME-
ces and grand daughters. The matron her.
self is about four score years.
Mrs. Madison is tall, dignifed woman,
with full face, blue eyes, and somewhat
fiorid complexion, and is apparently over
seventy years Of age. Her dress was black,
and in style that comported we'll with her
years; and upon her head she wore white
turban with black veil. Her manners
have all the stateliness of 'olden time," yet
Isweetly harmonic with the changes of the
present day. She expressed herself CRATE
full to her countrymen for the favors they
have extended towards her in the recent
acts of Congress, and evinces that gratitude
in the fattering cordially with which she
receives every one who visits her.
Her house is a miniature museum of the
fine arts. The greater part of her collec-
ton is still at her former residence in Mont
'pelier, Va, but what has already been
removed here repays the visiter, aside
from the qualification of seeing their vene-
rable possessor. Her collection in sculp-
ture consists of statue of Napoleon cross
ing the Alps, by Canova; bust of Wash
ington, presented to Mr. Madison by sculp
tor at Rome and figures Of deities, with
other representations from the ancient my
thology. Around on the walls of her par
lor are suspended the heads of Columbus,
Vespucius, Magellan, Cortez and Sir Walter
Raleigh, painted at the Escurial, in Spain.
Above them hang the portraits of Wash
ington, Jefferson, Monroe, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Madison, by Gilbert Stuart, which Mrs.
Madison says, are very correct, and which
fully justify Stuart's celebrity as portrait
painter. If Mrs. Madison's portrait was
good likeness, she must have been hand
some woman in her day, Of which she still
retains rome traces in her old age. Next
to Washington, and according to the sue
cession of the Presidents, is the portrait of
John Adams, painted by Trumbull in his
usual style. In the same room is the pic
ture of a saint by Titan, while through
folding doors that communicate to the back
parlor, may be seen painting of Christ
breaking bread after his resurrection. This
occupies nearly one side of the wall, ex-
tending from floor. to floor, and was painted
by Car Spruygt, of the Flemish school. 1t
was purchased by Mrs. Madison's son, at
the cost of two thousand dollars, and sent
to her from Europe. Over the fire place in
the same room is very old painting rep
resenting group of maidens surprised by
Pan, while playing in grove. Pan, it
seems, has fallen in love with the handsom-
est one, while the rest are quite merry at
the idea of such creature as he being sus-
ceptble Of the tender passion. Her col
lection "winds up" with number Of rare
engravings, and also fine sets of medals, on
French and American subjects.
TELL KIssING.- During the sleighing
last winter it is said that fifteen hundred
GALS were kissed in the State of New Y ork
alone They were generally delighted with
it-only to of them pouted, and one slap
ped the fellow in the face, but as her hand
was very small and soft, he looked up and
asked if it was showing, as he thoughtshe
felt snowflake fall on his cheek.