The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-04-21
Chr Bulletin.
WHOM | HAVE KNOWN.
"Reminiscences OF Mrs. Madison aud
Mr.. Hamilton
~ Nn.. JrssIr nENroN rnrMoN1.

ny MRS. JESSIE BENTON FRFMoN1.
Mrs. Madison was IN high fashion dur
ing her later years. Society has It's at
tacks of this kind, and takes mp with "a
little reason ~ 10 puts down a iaNOrite.
But there came with this late burst of So
cial warmth some good results into her
rather chilled aud ncccsstuOus life. For
In that day II was positive loss OF fortune
10 have held any public position. Mr..
Madison had in vain tried Tor years TO ci-
feet sale of Mr.. MnhisOn's papers to the
Government, and for want OF this her
means were very straitcned. How II
came about do not know, but ii grew
10 be the correct and indispcnsa-
bic thing 10 call on Mrs. Madison i'm
mcdiatcly on leaving the Presidents
lrYee-.
Her house was that diagonally oppO-
site from Nr. Suuucr's-shabby then,
but not 50 wofully dngy a. it j. now.
There the best people met regularly, and
vet no one could have said why. Mrs.
Madison was once the Lady Of the
White HIOu,r"-shc had had the quick
thought 10 cut Wa,hingtOn's portrait by
stuart from it, frame. aud roll it carefully,
and carry il of in safety from the invading
British troops already burning Bladcns-
burg. She was always gracious ana
=
q. much 20 IN her days of changed for
turc- A. when she was surrounded by
every aid to placid state OF mind: aud
yet hi, wa, about all that WA, said. And
yet it was such an uGwrittcn law that
Mr.. Madison must have what she wished;
that just because ofthi, mysterious decree
Of fashion, she actually got
from Congrcs, what She had
yainly pctitioncd for, for years
Mr. Buchanan stated one morning 10
the senate. that on such day Mr.. Mad
i-On would be- such an ag", aud that the
twenty thousand dollars asked fer Mr..
Madison papers would come well To her
%, "a birthday present. And II Wa inn
ncdiatcly voted 10 her. TO be sure. il
wa, for the writings Of good pltriOt
aud statesman. and the woman 10 receive
It was of great age, and II was In that far
better than the vote for nearly the SINE
amount for the cruel daub of a good man
and soldier, which wa, an evidence that
emotional legislation i not yet extinct.
But tins made the occasion of grand
lcvcc for cOngratulating Mr.. Madison,
aud wa> among the last occasions on
which she wa. seen in public. Her tine
figure had Outlastcd the three score and
ten years. and when well prepared for
company. in her worn, Old-i;l.hiOnel
Empire-gown. her turban and clusters of
artificial curl,. just a. We see them in the
portrait. of Madame de Stacl-the neck
and outlines of the firr well shroudrd IN
folds of tull". She wa, still the handsome
Mr.. Madison. ! am sure | never heard
her called 1.-THE widow of Madison
But that wa. the prefix always made
| 10 the historical name OF another woman
| Of the same age. who also asked of Con-
| grc>. the same favor shown 10 Mrs. Mad
| isOn.
Thi, little lady wa small, and always
| wore IN" widows dress she had had TO
| assume in her carly life for over fifty
| years she did not vary this outward cm-
| hlcm OF the solitude of her heart.
She too, like Mrs.. Madison was amiahlc.
aui Of rhurming manners, but she turned
/ from the world forever when her great
/ husband tell in the duel with Burr, and
| from that time, her own children first,
and close to them In her interest the or
| phan, of the poor. received all her aticn-
| ton. Mr.. Hamilton was the chief ioun-
| der OF the orphan asylum OF New York ::
/ she saw IT, iifticth anniversary: she saw
/ the other charities grow ont of 1.-THE
/ children aid society i Onc-aud though
| her quiet life j. ended, her good works 20
! on. and her family rs well a. her memory
! are living parts of them.
Mrs. Hamilton was very small and
! light of figure; her dark, bright eyes,
and white hair gave her a marqusc
! effect, and her widows dress gave the
! framing which suited her years aud
| name. She was very fond OF young peo'
| pie and would tell IT. thingS-incldcnt-
| ally-which made the early hardship and
| penalties OF the war for independence
very real.
In speaking Of travelling on horseback,
she told u once how her mother and her
self had To give that up for "A time, and
only 90 from Saratoga 10 Albany when q
strong escort could guard them, 1T
wa, after poor Jane McCrca had been
Killed by The Indians :" and she made
such n picture Of the Indians after the
English enlisted them against Us. that w
"r,aliLcd' how far back lay the time whel
such a thing was possible: and "pOoI
Jane McCrca" bccam" a real girl, in place
of the bad little woOd-cut, with one Indian
holding her long hair and the other flour
lshng his tomahawk - he kept his foo
on the kcg of whisky.
They have passed completely away
the handsome, gracious, socicty.lovln!
Mrs. Madison, and the gentle "widow O
Alexander Hamilton" But Washingto
i, the wrccking ground OF great names
There are to be seen non, thankful.
working for slender pay and tremblingl.
anxious to keep it safe amid the change
in the departments, deSccnC
ants of presidents, chief iu
ticcs, Of secretaries of the treasury, {
Jefferson. Franklin, and of Others OF Il
ter names-mcn who gave, literally, the
all to their country, and who deserved tn
praise Tallcyrand gave &C Hamilton, @
, whom he said II have seen true publ
virtue. | have seen the minister
finance, who gave wealth to his countr,
tolinG through the lac hours the nigl
to gain support for his young family,
Perjury.