The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-03-26
Whom do Great Men Marry.

same diversity OF taste that ls.seen In the
lower ranks, and on the whole make worse
mistakes They, however, generally show
the same sense in choosing wives that they
show in managing other peoples affairs,
whether it be good or bad.
John Howard, the great philanthrophist,
married his nurse She was altogether be-
meath him in sociel life and intellectual ca
pacity, and besides this, was ffty.rwo years
old while he was out twenty five. He
would not take d" No" for an answer, and
they we're married, and lived happily to.
gether until her death, which occurred two
years afterwards.
Peter the Great, of Russia, married
peasant girl. She made an excellent wife
aud a sagacious empress. Humboldt mar.
ried poor girl because he loved her. Of
course they were happy.
Shakespeare loved and wed farmers
daughter She was faithful to her VOWS,
but we could hardly say the same of the
bard himself. Like most of the great
poets, he showed too little discrimination
in bestowing his affections on the other
sex.
Byron married Miss Milbank to get
money to pay his debts. 1t turned out
bad shift.
Robert Burns married farm girl with
whom he fell in love while working to.
gether in the pillow field. He, too, was
irregular in his life, and committed the
most serious mistakes in conduc ting his
domestic affairs.
Milton married the daughter of country
squire, but lived with her but a short time
He was an austere, exacting, literary re-
cluse; while she was rosy romping
country lass that could not endure the re-
straint imposed upon her, and 50 they sep.
arated. Subsequently, however, she re-
turned, and they lived tolegably happy.
Queen Victory and Prince Albert were
cousins and about the only example in the
long line of English monarchs wherein the
marital vows were sacredly observed and
sincere affection existed.
Washington married 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 OBJ
jected on account of Johns being law
yer he had bad opinion of the morals of
the profession.
Thomas Jefferson married .,irs Martha
Shelton, childless widow, but she brought
him large fortune of real es tate. After
the ceremony she mounted the horse be.
hind 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 rebuilt it, while she
seized the broom and soon put things ih
order. 1t is needless to say that they we're
happy, though Jefferson died a poor man
on account of his extreme liberality and
hospitality.
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 filed with dirty
clothes. She had occasion to be happy
when she found herself the wife of such a
great and good man.
1t is not generally known that Andrew
Jackson married lady whose husband was
still living. She was an uneducated but
amiable woman, and was most devoutedly
attached to the old warrior aud statesman.
John 9. Calhoun married his cousin, and
their children were neither diseased nor
idiotic, but they do not evince the talent
of the great g States Rights advocate
Edward Lytton Bulwer, the English
statesman and novelish, married a girl
much his inferior in position, and got a
shrew for a wife. She is now insane
Gen. Sam Huston lived happily with a
squaw wife, while Gen. Ben. Butler was
divorced from an accomplished lady. Ed
win Forrest, the great tragedian, married
beautiful actress from whom he was di
vorced. Gen. Fremont married daughter
of Thomas II. Benton against the latter's
wish, which obliged him to elope with her
on stormy night. The union proved q
happy one in spite of the squally beginning
Horace Greeley married schoolmistress
whose beauty was questionable, but whose
sense and goodness satisfied one of the
greatest men in his time.
General Sherman married the daughter
of Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, who was a
member of Gen. Taylor's cabinet. This
alone would have been good start for any
young man. JEFF Davis, for his first wife
won the hand Of Zachary Taylor's daugh
ter; and Gen. Grant married Miss Dent
of st. Louis. She apparently has more
sense than show, and is therefore fit for ;
Presidents wife.-Ptrenological Journal