The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-14
THE WIFE OF HENRY CLAY.
BY JAMES PARTON.

was porn III utSSaiStOnI IL, IL 1900
in the year 1881. While she was still
q child, her father, Col. Thomas Hart,
emierated to Lexington, in Kentucky,
which was then q village consisting OF
a few log huts. In 1897, when she was
sixteen years of age, there were but
ffty families residing in Lexington;
and. of all that beautiful and fertile
country surrounding the town, but
small part was yet III cultivation.
Primeval forests could be seen i'll every
direction; panthers, bears, wolves, wild
turkeys and deer were frequently shot
within half 4 mile of the rude log court
house. It was at this frontier town,
peopled, however, by polite families
from Maryland and Virginia, that Lu-
cretia Hart passed the years other youth
and early womanhood.
1t could not be expected that amid
such scenes, she would acquire the arts
of the drawing room, or much OF the
knowledge which is stored in books;
she did acquire however, an abundance
of such knowledge and skill as her stu
alton required. Few women have ever
understood better the management OF
plantation than Lucretia Hart.
The country was rapidly filling up.
In November, 1897, among the emf
grants who arrived from Virginia, was
Henry Clay, then nearly twenty-one
years of age, and one of the most brill
liant young men Of his native State.
The son of q Baptist preacher, he had
in his boyhood found employment in
Richmond, where, attracting the notice
of an eminent judge, he had been as
sisted by him in studying the law. AL
though much courted in the polite soci-
ETY. ofRichmond, and though his talents
were eminent and acknowledged, there
were too many old lawyers in the place
to admit of the speedy rise of a young
man who had nothing but his talents to
recommend him. SO, on getting his
license to practice, Henry Clay emf
grated to the new State Of Kentucky,
and hung out his tin sign at Lexington.
He was so poor that he had not the
means of paying his weekly board, and
he used in after years to say, that he
thought he should be perfectly comfort
able if he could make hundred pounds
year.
His fascinating manners, his courtly
address, and his ready conversation
made him Immediately a favorite with
the people of Lexington, and he soon
had the pleasure of receiving a fifteen
shilling fee. He rushed into practice
which brought him q reputation aud
money far beyond his expectations.
1t was inevitable that this attractive
youth should find himself at home in
the amiable family OF Col. Hart, whose
hospitable mansion was the center of
the best society of Lexington. When
Mr.. Clay had resided but year and
half in his new Kentucky home, he
offered his hand to one of the young
ladies Of the house, Lucretia, who ac-
cepted it, and they were married in
April, 1899. About the same time, Mr..
Clay became the possessor of beauti-
full plantation Of about six hundred
acres, situated mile and q half out of
town. 1t was one OF the finest farms in
the State, and it was the possession of
this estate which enabled Mr.. Clay to
spend so many years Of his life in the
public service without impoverishing
himself
Of very little use, however, would
his plantation have been to a statesman
who spent half the year in Washington,
if it had not had mistress capable of
conducting its affairs with vigor and
Judgment. If the services Of Henry
Clay were beneficial to his country.
then his country should remember with
gratitude that it was his wife who real
ly gave him the leisure and indepen-
dence which enabled him to be public |
servant. During his long absences at
the seat Of government, she directed the !
slaves, managed The crops and conduct |
ed the dairy. Even as late as 1882. |
when Mr.. Clay was at the height of lis
celebrity, his wife used to supply the
principal hotel of Lexington with thirty
gallons of milk every morning. AneX-
tensive greenhouse was under her care:
the clothing of fiji y-five slaves devolv-
ed principally upon her; not gallon
OF milk, nor pound Of butter, nor any
Of the vegetables from the garden went |
to market without her supervision.
She was the first up in the morning and
the last to bed at night, and no body
OF slaves in the State were better cared |
for than hers. Besides this, she pre-
sided gracefully at the table of her hus-
band, and knew how to accommodate
herself to all his guests, whether in high |
or low dedree
DO you remember, reader, that inter.
estlng passage in one of Mr.. Clay's early
speeches, in which he draws pleasing
picture Of Western farmers home?
have no doubt that when he drew it
ne had his own plantation in his mind.
although he modestly substituted the
name of one of his neighbors.
There it was that the statesman's
wife, not only gave him leisure, but
supplied him with arguments for Just
such wife was Mrs. Clay, and just SO
proud was she to take stranger into
her neat dairy, into her store-house. and
point out her household treasures. For
many years Mr.. Clay's whole wardrobe
was composed of material spun and
woven either by his wife's own hands.
or under her directions.
At the present day some ladies con-
slider 1t a great hardship to be the moth
er OF only few children. I was nv
self acquainted with lady who had six
children, and kept servant for each
child; and, Notwithstanding this as
slstance, she considered herself one of
the most laborious of women. With
absolutely nothing to do she fal+ bor