The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-02-26
A Romance OF the White House.
The "OId, Old Story "-why President
Buchanan Never Married.


Buchanan Never Married.
Many years ago lawyer in the
Quaker City, poor and unknown to fame,
of Baltimore, and his love being recip-
rocated, an engagement ensued.
The mother of the young lady, how
ever, did not view the engagement with
satisfaction or pleasure. Indeed, she
heartily disapproved of it, for the young
lawyer was altogether too poor and oh
scure to marry into one of the wealthiest
and most aristocratic of Baltimore
families. This, at least, was the opinion
of the young girls mother, who, being
very ambitious and correspondingly
proud, desired that her daughter should
wed some person prominent either in
this or some other country.
She brought all her influence to bear
upon the girl, and did all she possibly
could to induce her to give up her
lover, but failing, she resorted-as
mothers have done before-to deception
and other contemplate means to break
off the engagement. Letters were in
tercepted, handwriting initiated, servants
bribed and falsehoods circulated pro-
miscuously. The natural and ineyita-
BILE result was that misunderstanding
arose between the betrothed for which
neither in reality was responsible. One
day the lawyer received note written
in the handwriting of his fancee, ac-
companied by packet of letters and
box of trinkets. The note stated that
the writer had, upon careful considera-
ton and thought, decided that she did
not love him as a woman about to be
his wife should, and for this and other
reasons begged to be released from her
engagement.
The blow was hard one, and for q
long time the lawyer felt its effects
acutely. Under the impression that he
had been Tilted because he was poor and
unknown, he determined to become rich
and famous, and forthwith commenced
his "noble life." How we'll he succeed
ed the nation knows, for in 1874 ne was
made Secretary of State, Minister tc
England, and few years later was
elected President of the United States
Meanwhile his first love married very
rich merchant of Philadelphia, much
against her own will and only at the re
peated and prolonged solicitations o
her mother. The marriage was not {
happy one, for the wife neither loved
nor respected her husband. Her cup O.
bitterness was full when she heard o
the election of her lover as President
and her mothers cup was quite over
flowing. She plunged into social dissi
patton in the hope of forgetting he
SORROWS. For two or three seasons sh'
was the talk of the Quaker City, wher
she went to reside with her husband
and where their first child was born
TIer entertainments were of unusua
elegance, her costumes marvels o
richness and beauty, and her equipag
the finest ever seen on Walnut street
By and by scandal circulated abou
her. Mrs. Grundy said she neglected
her family, and slanderously accuses
her of transferring her affections to
gentleman who is now United State
Minister at European city. One b.
| one her friends fell off, and ultimatel
she was snubbed most directly and re
, peatedly. She left her husband an,
? went home to her mother in Baltimore
, where in few months she died of con
sumption, brought on by excessive an
| protracted dissipation. Her cruel an
{ unnatural mother never ceased to berat
i, and upbraid her for not marrying tn
I lawyer, when she herself, by intercept
ing and forging letters, broke off tn
| match. Her last hours were spent i
3 religious exercise, and it is related tha
she wrote to her true and faithful lover
5 who, when she died, was an ex-Presi
E dent, James Buchanan, asking forgive
: ness, and stating that she had neve
I ceased to love him with all her hea,
E and soul.
8 This most romantic story is vouche
for by reliable parties as true in ever
4 particular, although for obvious reason
t all the names are omitted. The story ha
t a moral, and there are many women j
l society to-day who had best apply il
/ Truth, indeed, is stranger than fictior