The Russellville Democrat., 1879-11-13

1 Washington was very rich; Mrs. Wash I ington was very rich, and her three | children by her first husband were heirs ! to great wealth. Washington's mother was plain, illiterato, energetic, strong willed lady, who preferred her own broad acres, and declined to go and live with her great son. T thank you, George said she, "but I desire to be independent" And when General La fayette called, she was at work in her garden, with her old sun bonnet on; so she came to him, saying, T could not pay you so poor compliment, marquis, as to stay to change my dress"
 Thomas Jefferson, like Washington, married widow, Mrs. Maria Ske1ton, who had considerable property; but that did not save her great husband, who died deeply in debt, owing to hls slavish de- votion to his country. She was a lady of extraordinary beauty of face and form, and singularly competent to adorn and conduct a great household A little above the medium height, fair com plexion, eyes large, dark and expressive, auburn hair, and daring horsewoman, and full of talent. She played. danced and sang well, and had literary tastes. When Jefferson courted her he was twenty-eight and she was nineteen. He played the violin and sang well, and, as he had money then, and high position, he distanced all rivals. They had great wedding She had an immense responsibility managing her husbands great estate. had six children, of whom only two survived, and died before he rose to his great renown, mourned by him to the last. He remained widower forty-four years, down to his death. Or course she never saw him in the White House.
 Dolly Payne was a Quaker, and a wid- ow when she married James Madison, and the daughter of Virginia planter, born in North Carolina. Her father and mother set their slaves free and moved to Philadelphia, and there Dolly married a lawyer named Todd. She was twenty, and he died three years a.ter, leaving her with q son and no wealth. Her mother kept boarders while Congress sat here, and she helped her mother to keep the establishment. Among these board CTS were Aaron Burr, then Senator from New York, and James Madison, member of Congress from Virginia. Dolly was very beautiful and accom- plished, and when she married Madison he was forty-three and she twenty-five They had no children. When he be- came President in 1909 the White House received its lovely mistress, who enjoyed it's attractions for eight years. She died in Washington in 1S49, aged eighty-two years, surviving her husband thirteen years.
 Daniel Webster was twice married, but his first wife was the mother of all his children. She was clergyman's daugh. ter, one year older than himself, quite accomplished, not beautiful, but much esteemed; and when she came to Wash ington more than fifty years ago, made friends. She died in New York. in 1927, whither she had been taken from the national capital by her husband. If she never saw him in his splendid prime, she did not witness his sad decline.
 have spoken of Mrs. Andrew Jack son more than once. She was the wife ofanother man, Lewis Robards, of Ken lucky. When young Jackson saw and loved her. Her mother, Mrs. Donelson, was keeping boarding house at the time, having returned to Tennessee with Mir. and Mrs. Robards, and Jackson lived in her house. Result, a jealous husband and separation. A rumor came that a divorce had been granted, and then Jackson married the "grass-widow;" but the rumor proving false, they lived to- gether two years before divorce could be really granted, and then they were married again. The first husband left early, and these peculiar circumstances led to many bitter quarrels between Jackson, who grew into great reputa- tion, and his enemies. She was short and stout, great housekeeper and man. ager, very religious, very illiterate, kind to her slaves, and full of anecdote and fun. She had no children, and died in December, 1928, just after her great hus- band was elected President. She was the 'aunt Rachep of Nashville, and regularly smoked pipe with the Gen. eral. When the news of his election as President came to her dying couch, she simply said; "Well, for MT. Jackson's sake (she always called him Mir. Jack son) am glad; for my part I never wished it."