Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-03-30
Lo,es of Notable Mem.

uOt etTlCtiy 1u6, lAay 0C rppi4C0 W
Scott, Byron, George Washington and
many other men of note. 1t is inter
esting to observe how poets generally
present their love matters to the pub
lie. The personal experience of such
men will crop out. Scott. for instance,
fell deeply in love in early life with
girl of aristocratic family, and, as he
was then merely 8 poor barrister,
there was no prospect OF success. His
father, knowing this, and being desir-
Gus of bringing the matter to close,
sugge sted to the parents the propriety
of terminating the acquaintance, and
this was done in the least painful man
ner. The lady was the daughter of
Sir John Stewart, of Forfarshire, and
she aftervard married Sir William
Forbes, the noted Edinburgh banker.
As Scott was a well-educated young
man, of fine personal appearances and
agreeable manners, there could be but
little reason for giving the banker
preference, except his wealth AID
social rank. Scott felt this keenly
through life; in "Rokeby" he revives
the episode at some length. Matilda,
the heroine of the poem, represents
the object of his early love, who there
rejects poet in favor of one of higher
rank, and this scene becomes doubly
interesting as picture of SCOTS early
In 1911 Lady Forbes died,
but she had lived long enough to see
the once penniless barrister the first
poet in Scotland. Her death was
deeply felt by Scott, for although he
had been married for twelve years the
old flame was not extinguished. "Roke-
by" appeared next year, and Lockhart
says that there is nothing wrought out
in all SCOTS prose more exquisite than
the contrast between the rivals for the
hand of the heroine" Six years after
ward Scott wrote thus to Miss Edge
worth: Matilda was attempted for the
person of LADY, who is now no more,
so that l am fattered with your dis.
it." As this took place
nearly twenty years after the disap.
polntment, it illustrates the tenacity
with which the.author held to his first
love. When Lady Forbes died, Scott
was so affected that he called on her
mother, and both fell to weeping over
the sad affair. 1t is curious incident
in domestic history to see man car
rying his first love so tenderly through
life while married to another woman
to whom he always showed great at
tachment. Scott evidently made Ma
tilda the ideal or dream wife, who &C
companied him till the last. Having
recovered from the worst effects of his
disappointment, he met French girl,
whose father had saved both life and
fortune by fleeing from the dangers of
the revolution. At the time referred
to Miss Charpentier Tor Carpenter) was
an orphan, and to ner Scott transferred
his affections as far as this was possible.
He appeared, as has been said, much
attached to his wife through life, and
sincerely mourned her death. She was,
however, Intellectually and physically
inferior to the Scottish ladies of that
day, and the rapid degeneracy of the
family may 10 some degree be ascribed
to so unfavorable a union.
Jefferson, the author of the Decllra-
ton, was also subject to early disap-
pointment. His frat love was Vir-
ginia maiden of reputable family,
named Rebecca Burwell. The latter,
however. preferred a young man
named Robinson, and Jefferson, like
most sensitive youths, keenly felt the
loss of one whom he most tenderlv
loved. He afterward married Martha
Shelton, an attractive widow of twenty
two, and the union proved one Of rare
happiness. 1t lasted, however, only
ten years, at the end of which Jeffer-
son was left widower with two daugh-
tiers, four others having died in early
childhood. OF these daughters, Maria
married John w. Epps, while Martha
became the wife of Thomas Randolph.
The latter thus describes the care
which her father bestowed on his dy ing
wife: "For four months, during which
she fingered, he was never out of her
call. a moment before the closing
scene he was led from the room in q
fAinting condition by his sister, and
was SO overcome that it was feared he
would not recover. He kept his bed
three weeks after the funeral, and re-
quired my constant attention" Jeffer-
san was evidently q man Of deep ten
delness, and after his death there was
found in drawer a lock of hair from
each of his dead children, which he
kept rs sacred memorials. Though
only thirty-nine when he lost his wife,
he never married again, and remained
for fo1ty-four years widQwer.
Washington and Franklin both mar
ried widows. The former fell in love
with Martha Gusts at first sight, and,
having been disappointed in his ex-
pectation of the hand of Mary Morris,
he urged his suit until it was successful
He adopted his wife's children, and
married lifo was one of unhroken har-
mony. Franklin's case was rather
peculiar. During his early life in
Pniladelphia he paid attention to Miss
Read, but soon afterward went to Lon
don, where he remained several years.
During the separation he neglected
Miss Read in manner which he him
self afterward condemned. On his re-
turn he found that she had marie /,
but her husband, who had proved
worthless, was gone on a voyage, and
supposed to be dead. Franklin's early
love returned, and, being reinforced by
sympthy, ne asked her forgiveness and
a renewal of her affections, which was
readily granted. Jefferson was mar
ried at the age Of twenty-nine. Wash
ington was twenty-seven, while Frank
lin was only twenty-four. The latter
says OF his wife: 1--WE prospered to-
gether, and 1t was our mutual study to
render each Other happy. Thus I cor
rected as well as could the error of
my youth" This union continued for
nearly forty years, and, though Frank
lin was the survivor, he remained q
widower. They are buried side by side
in the old Philadelphia CEN etery, and
huge slab which covers both graves
bears the simplest inscription that
Franklin could devise. While sps Ak
ing of this subject it may be added
that American statesmen have gener-
ally been married men, and the Presi-
dental chair has never but once been
occupied by bachelor. 1t is said that
Buchanan, Ike Irving, was disappoint.
ed in his early love, and, if SO, it sf-
fcrds pardonable reason for his cell
bacy. Another bachelor politician of
some note was the late Preston King,
formerly United States senstor, and
also collector of our port. To these
instances il to be added that of Samuel
j. Tilden.
Shakespeare was at eighteen married
(no doubt through coupulsion) to g
woman eight years his senior. Before
he reached manhod he was the father
IL L n. IL