San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-21

ANocs w "S aa~ $50 1890 "~-~
stopping few days in Mobile, Col. NJ.
A. Lea, her brother, invited the Gen
eral and staff to take tea with him.
They accepted the courteous invitation,
and thus he was brought into contact
with the lady who was to be his wife.
This was in.ths.sweet month Of May,
the season for fruit and flowers, aud
when all nature is alive with teeming
and, bustling lifo audi our natures are
filled with love. Eyes met eyes mind
met mind and heart met heart--there
was a marriage Of their souls. One
year from that time, May 1910
Gen. Houston returned to claim the
fultillment Of the plighted VOWS.
We here add sketch of Mrs.
Houston's life from the able pen of
VIM. Carey Crane, d. d. l.. l.. D.,
President of Baylor University. In
her lMrs. Houston's) 2lst yerr, l84O,
she was married to Gen. Sam. Hous-
ton, then President of the Republic
Of Texas, and shared with him in all
the fatigues of public life in Texas,
through the checkered scenes of that
wonderful mans life. Her influence
with her husband, both before and
and after his conversion-her devotion
to the Bible-her faithiulness and sue
cess IN instructing her children in re-
Iligious truths-her abiding interest
| in all the great enterprises OF Christian
zeal-her faithful support of the min.
istry-her constant attendance upon
Divine service-her abstinence from
all the fashionable follies incident to
public life-her trials, her sorrows, her
sufferings, her joys and success, de.
servedly rank her with the noble wo-
men who shared the tolls and hard
ships and religious enthusiasm of
Judson and Roardman. The wife OF
great statesman and general, a giant
among men, she still felt that the high
est honor on earth was to be Crrls-
tan. She was Bible Christian. Few
persons were more cOhversnnt with it,
precious contents. She Was a woman
of genius, and there are many specl-
mens of her poetic power, reaching
back to her childhood days, which
claim for her sure place 'mong the
poetic minds of the South. Four sous
and four daughters survive her"
Mrs. Houston lied at her home. 10
Independence. Texas. 1867 She was a
lady of great fortitude and with re.
markable moral courage. During a
dark period of the Texas Republic
Texas was threatened with an invasion
from Mexico. The intelligence spread
the deepest alarm throughout the
country. All along the Western Dor
ders families were seen flying iron
their habitations toward the interior
The public mind was stirred by the
widest apprehensions. Everybody
knew the provocation that had beer
given to the enemy-the tollies ant
the disasters of the Santa Fe Expedi
ton seemed but prelude to, another
Goliad or Alamo-the coast was with
out protection, and no army cOncen
trated to march on the invaders. HOus
ton called an extra session Of Congress!
to consider the state of the country
and to devise means for national de-
fence. They debated snd legislafet
without much iormality or delay, fol
the impression was general that if any
thing we're to be done, it had better bt
done quickly. Their deliberations
ended in passing bill which invested
Houston with dictatorial powers, ant
appropriated ten millions of acres o.
the public domain to carry on cam
paign. Apprehension had been felt
while the bill Was under debate. thai
Houston would veto it. The excite
ment was intense; the Capital was fill
ed with angry and desperate men
their noisy clamor spread over the
country. All sorts OF accusation'
we're brought against Houston. Hs
was told that his life would pay the
forfeit if he vetoed the bill. Bot ia
the midst Of all this storm, Houston
was calm and cheerful. He stationed
no guard around his house; be had nj
spies on the alert; he did not inquire