The Sunday herald., 1886-09-19
RANDOM NOTES.

Three marriages in prominent families, two being
quite ont OF the usual ORDER have delighted the gos
SIPS during the past week. That which possesses
most local interest In washington Is between Mr.
James a. Blaine, Jr., and Miss Mary NevIns, who is
remembered here as the protegee OF prominent
ladies OF musical .astcs and the Pas, in tho very
swell performance OF "Paui and virginia., a,
Albaughs Grand Opera House. The surprising
features OF this wedding have been quite politely
dealt with by the press, and has been treated as
one OF those romantic freaks which sometimes re.
suit In long aud happy welded Ife This reserve
need not be departed FROM though In private circles
tongues have waeged more freely Il MAY be re-
marked tina, Ia the ofolal certificate lcd 6y Father
Thomas J. Ducey, OF 81. Leo's Church, In East
Twenty.cighth street, New York, the date OF the
marriage Is given as September @, the age OF tho
bridegroom as only eighteen, his occupation reptle
man." his residence at the firh Avenue Hotel The
bride Is descriecd as nineteen years old. dauuh-
ter of Richard NevIns, born at Co,umbus
ONO, aud residing at the New York Hotel. The
witnesses are ID. Enright nnd Maggie Houahan
The "dlspcnsatlon" from tho Archbishop, which has
been 30 often mentioned, was not, an some suppose
10 allow q marriage Between a Catholic and Pro-
testah', bit to do without the publication OF bauus
Unless there was somc special reason, this hasy
marrying OF two minors without the knowledge or
consent OF the parents Of at least one OF them seems
open to the criticism which has Of late been very
| frequently bestowed upon such PROCESS In this
District II would subject the clergyman 10 liability
| for a considerable nnc
The son OF Jay Gould asllkcwise selected Young
auy ABOUT In the transition state from the AMATEUR
to the professional stage, though no has cspose her
regularly at his fathers ose.n the presence OF both
families This may be considered fair rcpr,sa, for
lady that his fathers broker unwllllnuy
contributed to the stage after her runaway marriage
Is to be hoped young Gould viii never he tcnptcd
TO quote from stage literature 10 the extent OF offer
ing 10 trade his "ktngdon for horsel, Il Ia curl.
ous to note the effect Of great wealth IN rendering
| man respectable and even popular after fash.
| Ion. The comment on the aouds on this occasion
Is neutral AMI even kindly AMI no ono thus far has
commseraed Miss Kingdom on her terrible nlsa,ll.
ance with the son Of the wreckrt OF Erie aud pal
| OF Jim Fisk. uuuld Was even cheered on his yacht
during the recent America cup race, by some Of the
| same New York public that wanted TO hang him
after the last Presidential election. The wedding
Of Anthony Drexcl, Jr., and Miss Rlta Armstrong.
at Elbercn, N. t., was uf tho conventional kind and
afforded no SENSATION.
The volume recently published, entitled "Memo,rs
| aud Letters OF Dolly Madlson," tNew York, Hough.
ton, Mlf''in q Co.,) though highly Interesting and
valuable within It's somewhat contracted limits, is
by no means eoifpete, either rs biography or us a
collection OF papers and other data. II seems
strange that the viii Of Mrs Madison, OF which the
original Is filed at the s,drt-house IN this District,
was not Included Or at least referred to by the au
thoress, Dc II throws some light on Mrs. Ma,lison's
relations with her family and especially with her
only son, who caused her 30 much sorrow, during
the closing years OF her long life II also shows,
ny the way, discrepancy In the statements Of the
volume mentioned In which the date Of the subjects
birth Is given as May 20 l712 AMI 1t Is sail that she
died In her eshiy.thlrd year, which would Indicate
the year 1855 Her will Is dated July o $780, aud was
died In court carly In 1850. It win be observed that
| though Mrs. Madison was named Dorothy after her
aunt, Mrs Patrick Henry, tile scrlvener OF the will
uses the nickname oil "Doiy," which seeis to have
become firmly identified with the memory Of It's
bearer. The will is as follows:
IN the name OF God, amen: I, Dolly r. Madison.
widow OF the late James Madison, OF Virginia. being
IN body. having In view the uncertainty Of lie aIrl
me rapid approach OF death, DO make, publish, and
declare ne following to be my last will aud testa
to my dear son, John Payne Todd, the sum Of ten
taOnsand dollars being the one-hai Of the up
| the purchase OF my husbands papers, which sum
stands ,, invested in the names Of James Buchanan,
JOhn Y. Mason, and Richard Smith M trustees
Secondly, give AMI bequeath to my adopted daugh.
yer, annie Payne, ten Thousand dollars, the rrman.
ng nar o. ne saif sln n twenty tousan dollars
10 the haries of said trustees, for her lifetime,
hereby directing the said sum Of ten thousand dol.
lars 10 remain In the names OF the said trustees for
the use OF my said adopted daughter for her re and
nat they the said trustees pay the interest, il be-
comes due on the same, to her during her life And
| further will and devise that should my said son
| Jonn tayne Todd, survive my said daughter, that
np Mel @ ne sum 80 devised to her shall be
OF my said adopted daughter, AWnie Payne suryiy.
Ing The said onn PaYh6 Toai ,hat the sum above
Fp ultn l,n hol,ui
trustees for her and her execntors forever, free
from all condition, leaving a the rest ana residue
o. my properly to be administered and distributed
| Signed, published. anu declared by me. the said
ninth day Of July the year isi9 In the preseuce Of
| Cults.
BY some influence Payne Todd. for whose extray
agance his mother had already sacrificed, 1t would
see large part OF HER own and her husbands for
tune was led to contest her last will with i,s slender
provision for the favore niece and adopted daughter
who tended Mrs. MadlsonIs declining years. lie
tailed, az he deserved to d. for verdict In the old
Circuit Court OF the District Of Columbia before
Judges cranch, Morsell, aud Dunlop, solennly re-
cords that u Jury found the paper to be "the true
last VIII and testament Of said Dolly r. Madison ~
Annie Payne, 1t appears, had become In the mean
time Mrs. James IL. Causen. Jr. The late James
NJ. Carlisle appeared for Payne Todd (who only sur
vved his mother about two ycars) and Walter Jones
for Mrs Causen. In the absence OF any explapa-
tory causes, this action Of Todd seems to complete
the unfavorablc view OF his character given In the
"MemotB.r
The will Of James Madison himself, though proved
In Orange County, Virginia, In 1886, was not put on
record IN this District until few years ago. when II
was needed to complete the title to some real estate
here. II Is drawn with the simplicity and care OF
IA Ia nth ntns
difficulty In the statement. II begins: ~, James
Madison, OF Orange County, do make this my last
will and testament hereby revokng all wills by me
heretofore made." lie first devIses to his wife.
for her life "the tract Of land where0n Iyer with
condition that II she should pay to his estate the
sum OF ~ 900 within three years the land should be-
come hers absolutely, otherwise to be sold MT her
death, and onewentIeth part Of the proceeds to he
subject to her disposition by will. The sum OF s9oOO
or the balance Of the proceeds OF SALE az the case
might be, was to be divided among Madlson's
nephcws and nieces equally. Then follow deyIses
Of "grlst-m" property TO his wife for life, with
remainder tby a codcID to the American Coloniza-
tion Society, and limestone quarry to his niece,
Nelly g. willis, after which his land In Washington
City and all his personal property is given to his
wife, with certain qualifications The first relates
to his negroes OF whom he desires that none
shoud be sold without his her or In case
Of their mIsbehavior. except that infant children
may be sold with their parent who consents for them
to be sold with him or her, aud who consents to be
sod." The second relates 10 his manuscript papers,
and Ia as follows:
Considering the peculiarly anu magnitude OF the |
occasion which produced the Convention at Phlla-
depna ~ ilsI the characters who composed Il, the
Constitution which resulted from their deliberations
Its effects during trla! OF many years on the |
prosperity OF the people living under It, and tho In
terest 4 has Inspired among the friends o. free gov
ernlIent, y not an unreasonable inference that
decisions OF that body, which with closed DOORS
by q member who waa constant In his attendance,
Will be particularly gratifying to the people OF the
United states and 70 all who take an Interest in the
progress OF political science and the cause OF true
liberty. II Ii my desire that the report made by
me should be published under her authority and dl- |
rectiOn, and as the publication may Yield d cOnsid-
cradle amount beyond the necessary expenses |
thereof give the net proceeds to my wife, CHARGED
with the following legacies.
The egacles include $4,000 to the Colonization 80
cely, 81 800 to the University OF Virginia, 900 10
the "College OF Nassau Hall at Princeton, N. j -
1000 to "the college at Uniontown. Pa )" and yari.
Gus sums to members OF his family. His stepson,