Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-07-27
THE DUEL.
A story Of its Far-Reaching Effects
Ola Two Virginia Families.

Lipincotts Magazine.
In 1915, Armistead
T. Mason, of LOudon county, Va,
entered the Senate of the United
StateS--yOung, handsome, gifted and
wealthy, with all his family pres
tige about him. He was also quick
to anger and rather OverbeaTing.
When in the Senate | believe he
was the youngest man of that body.
His father had been a United States
Senator before him, and was a
nephew of the illustrious George
Mason just mentioned.
The McCartys were related remote
lyin blood ,and clOselyin marriagetO
the Masons, the sister of this Armi-
stead T. Mason having married
VIM. McCarty, afterWard a MEM
Der Ofthe House of Represent tives.
In 1849, when Mason had been four
years in the Senate, and when he was
not much over thirty years old,
there arose between him and John
NJ. McCarty, the brother of William,
some difficulty of political nature,
which became more and more en-
bittered by the influence of injudi-
ciOus friends until the usual result
of such difficulties" in those days
was reached.
Mason had a young and devoted
wife, with one child, pretty little
boy but few months old. Their
home was called Selma, in the
county of LOudon. John M.
McCarty was a brilliant young law
yer of the same county, and he was
soon to be married to the lovely
Lucinda Lee. When about to start
for the "field of honor Mason per-
suaded his unsuspecting wife to 90
on visit to his brother, who lived
at the old Mason homestead; RaSp-
berry Plain, a few miles distant.
All were in total ignorance of his
intentions. He left with his phySi-
clan a letter directed to my mother,
asking her in case of his death to go
to his wife and comfort her.
They fought at Bladensburg. Ma
son fell at the first fire, and never
spoke again. The old physician
and my mother fastened to his
young widow and darling boy, and
had the hard task of telling first the
dreadful news, and transforming a
world which held nothing but
beauty and happiness for them in a
dreary desert, scarce better than the
grave, Weeks passed, so over
Whelming was her grief, before it
became certain that she would re-
gain her senses. Scarcely less
heartrending was the sorrow that
bowed down the dead Senator's
fond mother.
In the meantime McCarty had
written to Miss Lee, relating what
he had done, giving her week for
reflection and asking her to tell him
at the end of that time whether she
would marry him after what had
happened. She related to me long
afterward the agony of that week
how she knelt in despair at her
mothers feet and asked her to decide;
how the old lady could only advise
her to follow her own heart; how at
last she sent note to her lover in
Yiting him to call. Their meeting
she did not describe, but ii is said
that sitting at the instrument as he
entered, she sang the words
"Come rest in this bosom, my own stricken
Though the herd has flown from thee, thy
know not, / ask not, if guiIe's in the hearti
! but know that love thee, whatever thou
art!"
After their marriage they settled
in Leesburg, near Selma.
The young widow of Mason at
length asked to go back to Selma,
the scene of her short welded life.
Not anticipating what was to fol-
low, her attendants carried her into
the wide hall. There, raising her
eyes, they fell upon the hat and
coat, hangidg just as he had left
them, which her husband had on
when she saw him last. She COW
cred her face, and with a shrek
begged to be taken in the rear rooms
of the house. There she remained.
For twenty years she did not enter
the front part of the building. The
rooms there, opening from the
dreaded hail, were kept in perfect
order and guests occupied them as
usual. But on the day when her
boy-the lisping infant when his
father fell-became q years of age,
she invited all her blooded relations
to dinner. / was one of the num-
ber. We were all sitting in the
library, toward the rear of the
house, when the door was thrown
open and the gray old butler bowed
his announcement. Without any