Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-25
The Wives of Washington, JEFF
ferson, Madison and jack

ferson, Madison and Jack
son.
European queens all live in history, |
but the wives OF our American Presl-
dents or statesmen pass away almost
without record. Unlike female rulers
in foreign countries, they have no polit-
ical rights, and only govern by their |
graces in social and domestic life.
James Parton has done more than any
man living to freshen the fading lines in
the lives OF our lady Presidents. That
incompatible biographer, in a volume
not often read nowadays, though print
ed in 1868, "The Peoples Book OF Bio
graphy, ''tells us that Mrs. Martha
Washington was plump, pretty,
sprightly little woman in her youth, but
settled down into plain, domestic wife,
who looked sharply after the servants;
she was far from an educated woman,
and though she kept her own accounts
was very poor speller. Parton quotes
Miss Bremen, the authoress, who re-
lates curtain lecture OF the great
man by Martha, which she overheard
in the sleeping-room. Martha was an
erv, and scolded long time. The gen.
eral listened in silence till she was done.
and then mildly closed the scene with
Now good sleep TO you, my dear.
General Washington was very rich
Mrs. Washington was very rich ana
her three children by her first husband
were heirs TO great wealth. Washing
toms mother was plain, illiterate, en-
ergetic, strong-willed lady, who preferr-
ed her own broad acres, and declined to
90 and live with her great son. Il
thank YOU, George" said she. but
desire TO be independent" And when
General Lafayette called she, she was at
work in her garden, with her Old sun
bonnet on; so she came to him, saying,
IL could not pay you so poor a compl-
ment, marquis, as TO stay TO change my
dress" Iholnas Jefferson,
like Washington, married a widow,
Mrs Maria SHELTON, who had considera-
bic property; but that did not save her
great husband who died deeply In debt,
owing to his slavish devotion to his
country. She was a lady OF extraordi-
nary beauty of face and form, and slngu-
larlv competent to adO-n and conduct
great household. A little above the
medium height, fair complexion, eyes
large. and expressive, auburn hair, and
a daring horsewoman, and tull OF talent.
She plaved, danced, and sang well, and
had literary tastes. When Jefferson court
ed 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 dlstanced all
rivals. They had great wedding. She
had an an immense responsibility man
aging her husbands estate, had six chill
rem, of whom only two survived, and
died before he rose to his great renown,
mourned by him to the last He re-
NAMED a widower forty four years,
down to his death. OF course she never
saw him in the White House.
Dolly Payne was a Quaker, and
widow when she married James Madl-
son, and the daughter Of a Virginia
planter born in North Carolina. Her
father and mother set their slaves free
and moved TO Philadelphia, and there
Dolly married a lrwyer named Todd.
She was twenty, and he died three
wears later, leaving her with son ana
no wealth. Her mother kept boarders,
while Congress sat here, and she helped
her mother to keep the establishment.
Among these boarders were Aaron
Burr. then a Senator from New York,
and James Madison, then a member oil
Congress from Virginia. Dolly was very
beautiful and accomplished, and when
she married Madison, he was forty.
three, and she twenty-five. They had
no children. When he became Presl-
dent in 1909, the White House received
its lovely mistress, who enjoyed ITS
attractions for eight years. She died IN
" ashington, in lSi9. aged eighty-two
wears, surviving her husband thirteen
wears Daniel Webster was
twice married, but his first wife was the
mother of oil his children. She was a
clergyman's daughter, one year older !
than himself, quite accomplished, not
beautiful, but much esteemed; and .
when she came to Washington more |
than fifty years ago, made many friends |
She died i'm New York, aged f0rty-siX, |
in 1927, whittier she had been taken |
from the national capital by her hus-
band. Ii she never saw him IN ms /
splendid prime, she did not witness his /
sad decline. | have spoken OF /
Mrs. Andrew Jackson more than once. |
She was the wife of another man, Lewis |!
Richards OF Kentucky, when young |
Jackson saw and loved her. Her moth |
er, Mrs. Donelson, was keepinga board /
ing-house at the time, having returned |
to Tennessee with Mr.. and Mrs. Ro- ,
bards, and Jackson lived in her house. |
Result a Jealous husband, and separa- |
ton. A rumor came that divorce had |
been granted, and then Jackson mar
ried the grass widow" but the rumor
proving false, they lived together two |
wears 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 a great reputation, and /
his many enemies. She was short and |
stout, a great housekeeper and manager, /
very religious, very illiterate, king to .
her slaves, and full of anecdotes and /
fun. She had no children, and died in ,
December, 1928, just after her great .
husband was elected President. She |
was the "aunt Rachel" of Nashville, and |
regularly smoked Il pipe with the gem
eral. When the news OF his election as /
president came to her dying couch, she |
simply said: "Wel, for Mr.. Jackson's |
sake (she always called hun Mr.. Jack
som am glad; for my own part never
wished il"