New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-19

their own hfeside. .. 80
have had battle. OF skirmsh. near Bladensbnrg
and here | am still. within sound OF the cannon
Mr. Madison come, not NAY to Gomez G TO bid me
fiv : but here mean 20 wait for him ~ .nis
late hour a wagon has been procured, anu nay
had IL filed with plate and the most vaiuaole
hle articles belonging 20 the house whether
Il will reach It's destination, the Bank OF Mary
land" fsl into the hands OF br id NJ Tay
events must determine Our KIND filenu Mr' gar
roll has come to hasten my departure. hnu III
very bad humor with me- because insist on wal,-
ing until the large picture =, OF nnscrewed from he
wall This process was found too tedlons loI .nc ~,
perlIous moments: have ordered the irhlno 10 20
broken and the canvas taken out. III is uohe anu
the pTscious portrait placed in the hahus VI WV
gentlemen Of Ncw-York, for safe xeepinR' Anu .ha
now, dear sister. must leave I'M, r;soneP in if NV
filling np the road am directed to takc. Wnen
shall again write to you, or where shaii oe To-
morrow l canot tell
Besides this valuable portrait, one OF the WORKS
of Gilbert Stuart. Mrs. Madison saved all her nus
bands papers aud the Declaration OF lhuepeh-
depce: but in the conAagration which followed
close upon her escape the President lost valuable
library and about $4,000 worth of other personal
nronerty. He met his wife presently and together
thew crossed to Virginia. At nightfall his vile
was induced to leave him, and rest with some
friends near GEORGETOWN, n rendezvous bcing
appointed for the next day in an apple-orchard
about sixteen miles from Washington. Long before
daylight Mrs. Madison and her attendants resnmel
their flight. They struggled through panic
stricken crowd under terrific thunderstorm, and
on reaching the appointed place were refused adj
mission TO the only house there. mob of refugees
venting upon them their rancOr against MI. Madl-
son as the Supposed author of their troubles Ihey
burst not 90 away however, and late at night inc
fugitive President Joined them only to be driven
~ ,aeh al Mrl
kent on the road with wagon and two COM
panions Ovortaken by news that the British hal
evacuated Washington. she retraced her steps to
the Long Bridge 1t was burned at both ends, and
the officer on duty at that point refused to let her
cross in the one remaining boat. not wishing he
SAID to let an unknown woman enter the city,"
The announcement Of her name was received with
,ncr4lnitv but at last she was permitted TO pass
over. and find shelter with her sister, Mrs. Cults.
The Presidents house was not rebuilt in time for
the Madsons to occupy it again but In the resi-
dence which they set up in building previously
occupied by the Treasury, on the corner OF fenn-
sylvania-ave. and Nineteenth-st, they renewed all
the peasanteSt features of their old establishment.
1t was remarked that Mrs. Madison's drawing-room
in February 1916, was the most brilliant that had
ever been held in the Executive Mansion and it
was talked Of for years afterward rs memorable
event. Tho commissioners who had just negotiated
the treaty of peace and the generals who had COM
handed III tho war, were present with crowd OF
other notabilities and political animosties were
forgotten in general chorus OF congratulation AMI
good feeling That must have been white day
for Dolly Madison, whose dearest wish WAS to sec
every body around her happy.
She was said to be- the most popular person in the
United States; but there is no evidence that pop
nlarity ever impaired her simple character. or
that adulation ever spoiled her many homely
virtues She will hold out to tho end
said one of her fathers friends; "she was a
dutifu daughter. and never turned her back on
an old friend, and was charitable to the poor" She
did hold out TO the end. She left Washington with
tue respect and esteem of all who knew her; and
then. during many years Of comparative retirement
in Virginia rs the close companion and indcfaii-
gable nurse of old AMI invalid husband, the still
youthful ana brilliant woman establishes new
claim to our admiration. She showed no regrot
for The gay scenes She had lcft--scenes for which
even the splendid hospitality Of a typical Virginia
manson of the ghest class could have Afforded
only a meagro cOmpcnsation Habitually rociuse
in his tastes, and now enieebled by ago ana Grip
pied by disease, Mr.. Madison was watched by her
with beautiful devotion, and his comfort was the
object toward which All the household ordered.
One cannot say that Dolly Madison made u saeri-
fee in adopting this life To such love as hers self
surrender is sacrifice it is the sweetest form OF
indulgence.
She survived her husband nearly twenty years
spending her last days in Washington. whore her
lovely disposition and alert mind fascinated all
visitors in Der extreme Old age as they had fa.c-
mated all in her merry prime At the height of her
celebrity she had not entirely escaped detracto on ;
those who did not know her suspected her Of court
ing popularity with some little cunning and insin-
ccrItY 1t is easy enough t. sec from her letters
that this suspicion was unioundel. She had one OF
those exquisite natures which inevitably attrsct
by sweetness. sympathy. and truthiulucss. She
could not quarrel. she could not think evil, she
could not repeat ill-natGred gossip The only
language which comes quite natural t. her is the
language of gentle though IS and aliectiopate i'm
pulses. And her winning disposition was gracod
and completed by the fine breeding which is less
an acquired manner than spontaneous growth OF
character. As loDk upon the sketch OF this
model lady OF a fashion which is never old we
renew Oul regret that the good word " gentecl has
fallen from its ancient state into doubtful respec
tabiiity; for gentcel in its true sense is Just the
word for Dolly Madison.