The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-03-20
THE WIFE OF HENRY CLAY.
BY JAMES PARTON.

Lucretia Hart, who was for more than
half century the wife of Henry Clay,
was born at Hagarstown, in Maryland,
in the year 1881. While she was still
child, her father, Col. Thomas Hart,
emigrated to Lexington, in Kentucky,
which was then village consisting OF
few log huts. In 1907, when she was
sixteen years of age, there were but
fifty families residing in Lexington;
and, of all that beautiful and fertile
country surrounding the town, but a
small part, was yet in cultivation.
Primeval forests could be seen in every
direction; panthers, bears, wolves, wild
turkeys and deer were frequently shot
within half mile of the rude log court
house. 1t 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
ofsuch knowledge and skill as her stu
alton required. Few women have ever
understood better the management of a
plantation than Lucretia Hart.
The country was rapidly filling up.
In November, 1877, among the emil
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 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. Of Richmond, and though his talents
were eminent and acknowledged, there
were too many old lawyers in the place
to admit of the speedy rise of 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 favorite with
the people of Lexington, and he soon
had the pleasure of receiving fifteen
shilling fee. He rushed into practice
which brought him a reputation and
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 a
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 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 statesman
who spent half the year in Washington,
fit had not had a 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 1892,
when Mr.. Clay was at the height of his
celebrity, his wife used to supply the
principal hotel of Lexington with thirty
gallons of milk every morning. An ex-
tensive greenhouse was under her care !;
the clothing of fifty-fve 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 liable 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.
esting 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
he 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 a 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.