American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-04-10
Whom do Great Men Marry?

Women, of course. But they show
the same diversity of taste that is
seen in the lower rank, and on the
whole make worse mistakes. They,
however, generally show the same
sense in choosing wives that they
show in managing their peoples
affairs, whether it be good or bad.
Robert Burns married a farm girl
with whom he fell in love while they
worked together in the plOw field.
He, too, was irregular in his life, and
committed the most serious mistakes
in conducting his domestic affairs.
Milton married the daughter of a
country squire, but lived with her
only short time. He was austere,
exacting, literary recluse; while
she was rosy, romping country lass
that could not endure the restraint
imposed upon her, so they separated.
Subsequently, however, she returned
and they lived tolerably happy.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
were cousins, and about the only ex-
ample in the long line of English
mOnarchs wherein the, marital VOWS
were sacredly observed, and sincere
affection existed.
Shakespeare loved and wed a farm
er's daughter. She proved faithful
to her VOWS, but we could hardly say
the same for the great bard himself.
Like most of the great poets, he
showed too little discrimination in
bestOwing his affections on the other
sex.
Byron married Miss Millbank to
get money to pay his debts. 1t turn
ed out bad shift.
Benjamin Franklin married the
girl who stood in her fathers door
and laughed at him as he wandered
through the streets of Philadelphia
with rolls of bread under his arms
and his pockets filled with dirty
clothes. She had occasion to be hap
py when she found herself the wife
of this good and great man.
Washington married a widow with
two children. 1t is enough to say of
her that she was worthy of him, and
that they lived, as married folks
should, in perfect harmony.
John Adams married the daughter
of a Presbyterian clergyman. Her
father objected on account of Jyhn
being lawyer; he had a bad opinion
of the morals of the profession.
Thomas jefferson married Mrs.
Martha Shelton, childless widow,
but she brought him a large fortune
in real estate. After the ceremony
she mounted the horse behind him
and they rode home together. 1t
was late in the evening, and they
found the fire out. But the great
statesman hustled around and re-
built it, while she seized the broom
and soon put things to order. 1t is
needless to say that they were happy,
though Jefferson died a poor man,
on account of his extreme liberality
and hospitality.
John Howard, the great philan-
thropist, married his nurse. She
was altogether beueath him in social
life and intellectual capacity,'a and be-
sides this, was fifty-two years old.
while he was but twenty-five. He
would not take "no" for an answer,
and they were married and lived
happily together until her death,
which occurred two years afterward.
Peter the Great, of Russia, married
a peasant girl. She made an excel
lent wife and a sage Empress.
Humboldt married poor girl be-
cause he loved her. Of course they
were happy.
1t is not generally known that An
drew jackson married lady whose
husband was still living. She was
an uneducated, but amiable woman,
and was most devOtedly attached to
the old warrior and statesman.
John G. Calhoun married hiscOusin.
and their children fortunately were
neither diseased nor idiotic, but they
do not evlnce the talent of the great
" States Rights" advocate.
Edward Lytton Bulwer, tue Eng
lish statesman and novelist, married
il girl much his inferior in position,
ane got a shrew for wife. She is
now insane.