Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-04-20
A ROMANCE OF TWO GENERATIONS.
A scene in the United States Senate
Chamber in 1893.

Harper's Magazine for April.
On December %. 1888. the floor of
the senate chamber at Annapolis was
filled to overlooking by stately danes
and gentle maidens who had flocked to
the capitol as if the weight of state
questions had been for this one hour
intrusted to their wise deliberations.
Washington, the mighty yet IMAM
bilious hero of the time, while still the
idol of the public heart, was on this
day to lay down his laurels by resign
ing to congress bis commission as COM
mander in chief of the brave little
army whose triumphs he had directed
and whose sufferings he had shared.
Accompanied by his aides, Colonel
Benjamin Walker and Colonel David
Humphreys, and the officers appointed
as escort, Washington entered the hall
where the assembled congress awaited
him, every manly voice among the
spectators cheering, and every femi-
nine kerchief waving an enthusiasm
of approval and welcome; but the
cheers were hushed into breathless
silence by the first words of the great
hero's dignifed address, to which
General Mimin, as president of the
senate, made an eloquent and appro-
pirate reply. On Washington's left
stood the valiant soldier, Colonel John
Eager Howard, of Maryland, and
facing Colonel Howard, conspicuous
among the foremost group of senators,
was General Read of South Carolina,
the hero of this short legend of a by
gone love. How little did either of
these young men, strangers to one
another, dream of the day to come
when a son and daughter of each were
to become husband and wife to the
daughter and son of the other! Many
were the men whose names were alrea-
dy distinguished or to become historic,
who were present either as members of
congress or spectators of the impress
sive scene, Madison, Jefferson, Mon
roe, Lee, of Virginia; Osgood, of Massa.
chusetts; Morris, of Pennsylvania
McCOmb, of Delaware, and General
Ohio Williams, and Generals Smith
and Swan of Maryland. The we'll
known Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
was accompanied by his two daughters.
one Of whom was afterward as Mrs.
Cation, mother to the celebrated trio of
American beauties who became re-
spectively Lady Stafford, the Marchio-
ness of WELLESLEY and the Duchess of
Leeds.
But absorbing as was the attention
given to Washington by the august
Of heroes and patriots, who
recognized in him the greatest hero
and patriot of any, the young Caro-
linian eyes wandered up the gallery
above, where Mrs. Washington with
her young grandchildren at her knee.
was seated in all the dignity and legit-
innate pride of the wife who crowns
herself with her husbands glory.
Grouped around her chair was the three
Calvert sisters, Maryland's blood royal.
the family of Lord Baltimore; and
never was the fame of Maryland beau
ty better maintained than by the con-
trasting loneliness of the youngest,
Miss Ariana Calvert, with the more
brilliant charms of her eldest sisters.
who had been espousing during all the
perils Of the war, both on the same
evening, the one by Washington's step
son, Parke Curtis, and the other by
Mr. George Stuart of Maryland. It is
told of these gentlemen that each re-
celved the announcement of the birth
Of a son-born on the same day, a year
after the marriages-while on the bat
tie field.
But it was not the rich bloom or
dark eyes of the beautiful young ma
irons which so rivited the attention of
the young southerner that even the
sublime presence of Washington was
for while forgotten. To his eyes the
youngest sister was much the fairest;
and he gazed up at the unconscious
young girl until the friend at his ell
bow, Mr.. James Monroe-too Thorough
a'Virginian not to recognize the phe-
1omena Of love at first sight-whis-
pered her name in his ear, and the Of
fer to present him before the lady quit
sd Annapolis town for her home in the
country. The offer was gratefully &C
cepted, and ere the winter was half
over Miss Calvert was affianced to her
Eager and enraptured young lover; but
not. alas with the entire consent and APP
probation of her family and friends,
and thence arose the cloud which dark
ened the horizon of this love legend.
As usual, that passion youth defies,
age cOldly ignored. The Carolinian
was wealthy, of prominent position
and birth, and of distinguished educa-
ion; but the lady was threatened with
1ecline. She was also the youngest
1arling of the household; her sister had
married so well, yet remained in her
midst, and her family grew more and
more reluctant that this comparative
stranger should bear away their tender
and fragile flower to his far off south
srn home to pine away, and die perhaps,
out of sight and hearing of those who
Owed her from her cradle, and the
angered lover saw the feeble health of
his lady love give away under the con-
lict of duty with feeling, until she be-
came indeed seriously i'll. But the pas