The Ketchum keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1881-1884, 1883-06-08
THE THREE WIDOWS.
Hhe Married Jefferson, washington and
franklin.

II Is an old saying. Whom first we
love we never we'd and siIis though not
strictly trne, may be applied to Scott,
Byron, George Washington and many
ot2er mem of note. jefferson, the anthor
cs xsiie Declaration, IVES 5abject to
satzy disapp ppointmesat- His first fore
VII q FirgIsssz. rgaIden of reputable fasrs-
ilsrEsasaed Rebeeca BuFwen- The latter,
hss -s.vars preferred q ypsrng 1aan named
II stssofs, and Jefferson, like most
sensitive youths, keenfy felt the loss Of
one whom he most tenderly Ioved. He
afterwards married Martha shelton, an
attractive widow of twenty two, and the
union proved one Of rare happiness. 1t
lassed however. only ten years. the end
OF which, Jefferson was left widower
With two danghteIs, four others having
died in early childhood OF these
daughters, Maria married John W. Epps,
while Martha became the wife of Thorn
as Randolph. The latter thus descibes
the care which her father bestowed on
his dying wife. For four months,
during which she fingered, he was never
out Of her call. moment before the
closing scene he was led from the room
IN a fainting condition by his sister, and
was SO overcome it was feared he would
not recover. He kept his bed thfee
weeks after the funeral and required my
constant attention. Jefferson was evil
IDENTIFY man OF great tenderness, and az
ter his death there WAS found in a drawer
a lcck of hair from each of his dead chill
dren, which he kept ss sacred memori-
ais. Though only 80 when lie lost his
wife, he never married again, and re-
nained for forty four years Hidower.
Washington and Franklin both mar
ried widows The former fell in love
with Martha Curtis at first light, and hay
ing been disappointed IN his expecta-
ton Of the hand Of Mary Morris, he urg-
| ed the suit until it was successful He
adopted his wife's children and his mar
/ ried life was one Of unbroEen harmony
Franklin . case was rather peculiar Dur
ing his early life In Philadelphia he
pa iassentien 70 Miss Read, but saon n
Esarsssgfssf sent 20 London where he re-
i ri ra@rs Dszzz.Ag he sssssa-
ratioh he neglected Miss Read in man
ner which he himself afterward con-
demned- On his return he found that
she lad married, but her husband, who
had proved worthless, was gone on q
voyage and supposed to lie dead.
Franklin early love returned. and be-
ing Ee-enforced by sympathy. he asked
her forgIyness and 2 renewal OF her af-
feetions. which was readily granted.
Jefferson was married at the age Of %.
Washington was 27. while Franklin was
only q. The latter says OF his wife.
1 I've prospered together and # was our
mutual study to render each other hap
py. Thus corrected IS well IS I could
the error OF my youth This union
continued for nearly forty years. and
though Franklin sas the survivor. lie
remained a widower- They ars buried
side hy side IN the old Philadelphia
eemetary, and huge slab which covers
both graves bears the simplest 1nsc1p-
ton that Franklin could devise. While
speaking on this subject il may be added
that American statesmen have generally
been married men, and the Presidential
chair has never but once been occupied
by bachelor. Il is said that buchanan,
like Irving, uas disappointed in his
early love, and, If so, it affords par
donable reason for his cslibaey. Anoth-
er batchelor politician OF some note was
the late Preston King, formerly United
States Senator and also collector Of ON
port. To these instances is TO be adde's
that of Samuel J. Tilden. Exchange.