Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-24

Great disparity in the age of married
people is always objectionable, and is sure
to bring unhappy results. The marriage
of a somewhat noted Washington news
paper correspondent to gentleman some
fifteen years her junior, alluded to in to-
days "Timely Topics" calls to mind some
olden romantic events, the outgrowth of the
corrupt and corrupting follies of Washing
ton high life. Some sixty years ago, Purse
Timberlake, of the United States navy, was
ordered to the Mediterranean, on official
duty. He went, leaving behind him in the
city of Washington ayoung wife, beauti-
full, brilliant and of fascinating manners.
Time went on. Purser Undertakes duties
kept him in the Mediterranean for several
years. Meanwhile cruel scandals began
to creep around the name of his young
wife. Those scandals at last reached the
ears of the husband. He never returned.
He died upon the Mediterranean.
Suicide was alleged, because of
the scandals that reached him
from his native land. The name of Majo
John II. Eaton, the biographer of Gen.
Jackson, was unpleasantly connected with
the scandals. At length Major Eaton and
the Widow Timberlake were married.
Andrew Jackson was elected president of
the United States in 1928. His first cabi-
net was in March 1929. Major Eaton was
appointed q member of the cabinet. Some
difficulties among the ladies of the cabinet
began to crop out. They ignored Mrs.
Eaton, they refused to associate with her.
Thus the social life of the cabinet was pain
! fully vexed; seething scandal was more
current, until the lion-hearted old presi-
dent became aroused and violent. He es-
poused the cause Of Major Eaton and his
wife, and swore ''by the Eternal" that Mrs.
Eaton should be recognized. The ladies
of the members of the cabinet were mex
orable. This led to an explosion, and all
the members of the cabinet except William
I. Barry, of Kentucky, postmaster gen
eral, resigned. Martin Van Buren,, of
New York, widower, although sympathiz-
ing with the position, ostensibly, ('where
thrift might follow fawning,'') set the ex-
ample of resigning by throwing up his
portfolio as secretary of state. Soon
after in quick succession followed the
resignation of Samuel D. Ingham, of
Pennsylvania, secretary of the treasury
John H. Eaton, of Tennessee, secretary of
war; John Branch, Of North Carolina, Sec
rotary of the navy; and John NJ. Berrien
OF Georgia. attorney general. Thus Mrs
Eaton was In the forefront of the excite
ment that caused the resignation
of the cabinet. Major Eaton
in his wrath, basely villifed the character
of Mrs. Ingham, but subsequently retract.
ed his aspersions. The fury, the conster.
nation, the trembling alarm produced III
Washington and, indeed throughout the
country, by this social cyclone cannot cas-
lily be conceived of at this late day. Time
passed on: Major Eaton, who never again
went into public employment, died His
widow continued to reside in Wash
ington. She never again took rank
| in unquestioned social life. Subseuue
she married again, and after few year:
was again a widow, and if not a rich
widow, at least, had a fair patrimony
a comfortable competence. Time wore OIL
and grandchildren grew up around her. A
last, to the stunning surprise of Washing
ten and the whole country, for her career
had been notorious, she married a fourth
husband, and this time was welded to 6
young Italian dancing master, young
enough to be her grandson. Here was dis
parity OF years, marked enough. in mar
ried life. The young husband adroitly
managed to inveigle his aged wife into hi
wlles, and got possession of her property
seduced, and eloped with her grand
daughter, and left the old lady, with mix
ed, romantic, varied and disastrous history
to exc out in poverty the remnant of he
checkered life. Whatever may have beef
her faults and errors, she had fulfilled al
unusual destiny in life's high and low
career. She had been the leader of fashion
at the nations capital; she had caused tn,
suicide Of her first husband; had caused
the disruption and resignation of a cabine
Of the most powerful and popular admin
istration known to the histor,
OF the country; had beer
gallantly and fercely championed by tn,
president Of the United States, the mos
lion-hearted chieftan the countr,
has ever produced; and final.
y weakly subsidized into IN
worthy marriages, after the death of hel
second husband, and ultimately went
''life's ftful dream being over,o with few
to mourn her, to an obscure and unhonoreC
grave at The nations capital. Others from
her unhappy history might take warning
against disparity of age in mar,
itial engagements and also
against the seductive Influences
OF gay, reckless,sfast, corrupting, artificial
social life.and dashiag, ruinous, fashion.
able f0llies.
ID