The Baltimore County union., 1885-01-03
Loves of the Presidents.
How They Courted and Whom The
Married.

|
thred-headed and freckled Jeffersonh had
been dead years before her husband was
elected President. Rachel Dodelson,
the wife of the hot headed but courtly,
| Jackson, had her dresses made to take
Ter place as mistress of the Executive
Mansion, but died three months before
Gid Hickory was sinaugurated. Hannah
Ioes, the conSort of the foxy Miss
fancy Van Buren, lay in her grave II
years before Jackson made him his sue
cssor, and President Harrison died in
taice before his wife had come to Wash
ilgton.
The Presidents wives now living are
Hrs. Polk, of Nashville; Mrs. John
Tyler, at Richmond; Mrs. Grant, in
Few Jersey; Mrs. Hayes, in Fremont,
aid Mrs. Garfield, in Cleveland. Of
tlese the widows-Mrs. Polk, Mrs.
Tyler, and Mrs. Garfeld-draw from
tie Government pensions of $4,000
yeal
Mrs. Zach Taylor died in Louisiana
during the same administration for
whid her husband was elected. She
opposed her husband being candidate,
andvould have nothing to do with the
socil life of the capital. Abigail Fill
ne month after her husbanGs sfh1i iiiifstitd saH1
is term. The hard work of the White
House fastened her decease. Mrs. Lin
:oln lay i'll at the White House for
ong time after her husbands death,
and Andrew Johnson did much of his
first executive business at the Treasury
Department. Mrs. Letitia Christian
Tyler is the only Presidents wife who
has died in the White House. Martha
Washington died two years after the
death of her husband at Mount Vernon,
where Washington died in 1899. She
shut herselfup in an attic chamberand cut
a hole in the door for her cat. She saw
no one and lived without fire, and had
she lived to-day she would have been
deemed slightly crazy. Abigail Adams
health failed her after she had lived four
months in the White House. She left
it and went back to Massachusetts and
died there aged IA. Dolly Madison
was driven from Washington when the
British burned the Capitol in 1914, but
the shock did not kill her. She return
ia here to live after her husband S death,
sd she died at II, in 1S49. Mrs.
| ]hn Quincy Adams also lived to be II
vars of age. She was married at 22
I'D was born, educated, and married
il London. John Quincy Adams was
| egaged to her three years before he
rarried her, and her first tour after her
eddingw was to Berlin, where Mr.. Adams
ent to serve as Minister.
1t is curious fact that the first three
residents married widows. The sto-
res of their courtships abound in ro-
rance. Geo. Washington was Colonel
n his way to Williamsburg, the capitol
Virginia, when he was stopped by an
Id planter friend and asked to stay
yer night. He replied his business
as urgent and stoppage of any kind
as impossible. His friend then cited
ne virtues a~~heauties of a beautiful
7idow of 26 'ch glowing terms
. hat Col. Wasn. led to take
Inner and see the paras 'e was
o delighted that he staid all nigh. nd
IN the way back became engaged to
her. This was Nine. Curtis, whose
maiden name was Martha cambridge.
Tefferson's wife had been widow
Iour wears when she married him, and
he was only 81 years old at the time.
She was 10 years Jeferson's wife, and
n that period had six children by him.
sne died in 1882. 1t is said that she
vas much courted, and two of Jefferson
rivals met on her doorsteps day Oh
: Two before the latter's engagement.
, rhey heard sounds of music within, and
Boon found that Jefferson was singing a
love song to the young widow while
bhe played an accompaniment on the
harp. They concluded not to press
their suits, and left with their love un'
Eold.
Dolly Madison's parents were Virgin
! La Ouakers, who freed their slaves and
! vent to Philadelphia to live. Here, al
> to, Dolly demure Quakeress, married
. John Todd, Quaker lawyer, who died
when she was 23, and left her pretty
, widow. In less than a year she married
gain, and this time Mr.. Madison, who
, vas member of Congress. She was
2 years old when her husband became
Resident.
l Andrew Jackson's wife'S first hu'
binds name was Robards, and she wa:
only 16 years old when she married him
| Robards was a jealous fellow, and of ar
i exceedingly ugly disposition. Rache
Eobards separated from him, and go
what both Jackson and she thought wa
i a valid divorce before she was married
to Jackson. She was about 22 year.
old at this time, and the circumstance
d of their union created no general re