Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-25
WIVES OF PRESIDENTS.


of Biography" tells US that Mrs: Martha
Washington was plump. pretty, little
woman in her youth. but settled down
into a plain, domestic wife, who looked
sharply after the servants; khe was lar
from an educated woman, and though |
she kept her own accounts. was very
bad speller. Parton quotes Mrs. Bremen.
the authoress, who relates "curtaln
lecture'' of the great man by Martha.
which she overheard in the sleeping
room. Martha was angry, and scolded
for long time. The general listened
in silence till she was done, and then
mildly closed the scene with Now,
good sleep to you. my daar." General
Washington was very rich, Mrs. Wash
ington was very rich, and her three
children by her frs. husband were heirs
to great wealth. Washington's mother
was q plain. illlterate, energetic lady.
who preferred her own broad acres, and
declined to 60 and live with her great
son. IL thank you. George, but de,
sire to be independent" she said. And
when Gen. Lafayette called she was at
work in the garden. with her o.d sun
bonnet on, so she came to him. saying
81 could not pay you so poor compli-
ment, Marquis, as to stsT and change
my DRESS"
Thomas jefferson. like Washington,
married a widow, Mrs. Maria Skelton.
who had considerable property; but that
did not save her great husband. who died
deeply in debt, owing to his slavish de-
votion to his country. She was lady
of extraordinary beauty of face and
form. and singularly competent to con-
duct and adorn a great household. A
little above the medium height, fair eom-
plexion, eyes large. dark and express
sive, auburn hair, daring horsewoman,
and full of talent. She played. danced
and sang, and had literary tastes. When
Jefferson courted her he was % and she
19. He played the violin and sang
well, and as he had money then. he dis
tanced all rivals. They had a greaI
wedding. She had an immense respon
sibility managing her husbands grea'
estate, had six children, OF whom only
two survived, and died before he rose Il
his great renown, mourned by him te
the last. He remained widower forty
four years, down to his death. OF course
+ she never saw him In the white house
Dolly Payne was Quakeress and
widow. when she married James Madi
son, and the daughter of Virgins
. planter, born in North Carolina. He
+ father and mother set their slaves fire.
and moved to Philadelphia, and Their
Dolly married a lawyer named Todd
!. She was 20, and he died three years Ia
: ter, leaving her with a son and n
[ wealth. Her mother kept boarder
while congress sat, and she helped he
mother to keep the establishment
: Among these boarders were Aaron Burr
e then senator from New York, an
y James Madison, a member of congress
o from Virginia. Dolly was very beauti
ful and accomplished, and when sh
: married Madison he was 43 and she wa
r 25. They had no children. When h
n became president in 1900. the whit
house received It's levely mistress. wh
:, enjoyed Its attractions for eight year.
She died in Washington in 1849, survi1
IL ing her husband thirteen years.
9 I have spoken of Mrs. Andrew Jacl
son more than once. She was short an
stout, a great housekeeper and mans
ger, very religious. very illiterate, kin
It to her slaves and full of anecdots an
i. fun. She had no children, and died !
4 December, 1928, just after her husban
was elected president. She was tt
IL ..Aunt Rachael'' of Nashville, and ree
'e ularly smoked pipe with the genera
When the news of his election as pres
dent came to her dying couch. she sait
ia "Well. for Mr.. Jackson's sake (she a
- ways called him Mr.. Jackson) ! a
le glad for my part never wished it."
NJ Mr.. Polk was in his tiftieth year whe
al he was lnaugurated president on the A
,s of March. 1845, and his stately wi
could not have been less than forty
u the Inauguration ball. She was sp'e
'g did autumnal beauty. and her cream
q complexion and glossy raven hair ga
&c her a sort OF Spanish loveliness. !
= present her snowy curls indicate tn
~ she is over seventy, and her handwrl
5; ing reveals lady OF fine physical al
to mental health. s.ar. .