The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-05-03
BDDEFoRD, ME-, FRIDAY MORNING MAY s$$ 1867.

mansion was tbs centre Of the bes, society
Of Lexington. When Mr.. Clay had resided
but year and . half in his now Kentucky
homo, he offered his hand tn one Of the
young ladies' of tho house, Lucretia, who
accepted II, and they wero married In April,
1899. About the sams time Mr.. Clay bc
came the posessor Of a beautiful PLANTATION
Of about six hundred scres, situated a mile
and half oR of town. Il wss ono Of the
finest farms 10 tho sate, and h was the
possession Of this estate which enabled Mr..
Csy to spend % many years Of bis life In
tho public service without iInpovsrishing
himself tm' st' I.'.r' ~. ,.n az
or very rtle use, however. would this
plantation have been to q Statesman who
spent half tho year, Ii Washington, II he had
no, . mistrss capable Of conducting iss sf
fairs with vigor and Judgment. If the, ser
vices Of Henry Clay were benefcial'to bis
country, then his country should remember
with gratitude that L was bis wife who 70
ally gave him the leisure and Independence
xbish enabled him TO be public servant
During his long sbssues At the seat Of gov.
erhment shs. .directed the, slaves, managed
tho crops, and conducted tho dairy. Even
as late ss 1882, when Mr.. Clay WIS at the
height Of his celebrity, his wife used to sup.
ply the prneipln hotel Of Lexington with
thirty gallons Of milk every morning. An
extensive greenhouse was under her care;
the clothing Of fay-fve slaves devolved
principiy upon her not gallon Of milk.
nor pound Of butter, nor any OF tho veg.
etables from the garden went to market
without her supervision. She was the 6ut
up In the morning and last to bed At night,
and no body Of slaves In tho ststo .werc
better cared for than hers. Besides this.
sho presided gracefully at the table Of her
husband, and knew how to accommodate
herself to all bis guests, whether in high or
low degree. T.. ~, ,l ,l rf NH ,a'''
Do you remember, reader, that interest,"
/ ing passage In one Of Mr.. Gays early
speecbs, IN which he draws pleasing pie
ture Of western farmers home1 ] have
no doubt that when he drew il he had his
own plantation In his mind, although he
modes,ly substituted the name Of one Of his
neighbon
"If" said he, "you want to find an ex-
ample Of order, Of freedom from debt, Of
economy, ofeIpenditure falling below rnlh.
or than exceeding income, you will 20 to
the well regulated family ofa farmer. YOU
will 20 to the house ofsuch q man as Isaac
Shelby; you will not find him haunting
,avsns. engaged in broils, prosecuting sn-
cry lawsuits; you will behold every member
of his family clad with the produce Of their
own hands and usefully employed; the
spinning wheel and tho loom In motion by
day-break. With what pleasure will his
wife carry you into her neat dairy, lead you
into her storehouse, and point you the ia
BILE cloths and sheets, the counterpancs,
which lie on this shelf for one daughter,
or on that for another; all prepared In ad.
vance by her provident care for the day Of
their respective marriages. lfyou wnnt to
see an opposite example, 80 to the house oi
man who manufactures nothing At home,
whose family resort to the store for every
thing they consume. You will fud him
perhaps in tho tavern, or at the shop at the
cross roads. He Is engaged. with the rnm-
grog on tho table, taking dispositions TO
make out some case Of usury or fraud. Or
perhaps he Is furnishing to his lawyer the
materials to prepare q long bill or injspc.
tion in some intricate case. The sheriff is
lowering about his farm to servo some new
writ On court days he never misses at.
tending them-you will find him eagerly
collecting his witnesses to defend himself
against the merchant and doctors claims.
Go to bis house, and after the short and
Rid,ly period that his wife and daughters
have fiired about the country in their calico
and muslin froeks, whs. sceno Of discom.
fort and distress Is presented to you there!
What the individual family Of Isaac Shelby
Is, wish to $50 the nation in tho aggregate
become" .,,,, ,,.i II. ,.r.r ... D.. (:
There Il was the statesman's wife, not
only gave him leisure, but supplied him
arguments; for just such wife was hn.
Clay, and just 90 proud was she to take
stranger into her neat dairy, Into her store.
house, and point out her household treas
urss- For many yesn Mr.. Clays whole
wardrobe was composed Of material spun
and woven either by bis wifsb own hands,
or under her directions.
At tho present day somo ladies consider
Il great hardship to bs tho mother Of only
q faw children. I was myself acquainted
with lady who had six children. and kept
= servant for each child; and notwi.hstand-
ing this assistance. she considered herself
one Of tho most lsborious Of women. With
absolutely nothing to do, she Left benelf
crushed with caro- and toll How different
Il was with tho mothers Of tho olden time!
The vile Of Henry Clay, besides performing
the ardioas duties have mentioned, be.
u .
daughters and Ave sons Two Of the
daughters died 10 infancy, and two Others
at tho ago offoureen. The two remaining
daughters lived to bs married, and to be
mothers, but died early In their married
Rfs-,o tho insxpressible grief Of their par.
ents. .'.'.''.
But tbese wero not an the domestic sfiiic-
tions Of NJ. and Mn. Clay. Their eldest
son. In consequences Of an accidental inju1,
lose bis roasou q be w. spproachinR man.