Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-08-27
VOL. 66.
A FEUD IN POLITICS
WHICH RESULTED IN DEATH At THE
MUzzLE OF A RIFLE,
Old Reading from Which a GOOD Lesson
May be Learned.

follows;
In 1915, Armistead T. Mason, of
Loudoun county, Va, entered the
Senate of the United States
young, handsome. gifted, wealthy,
with all his family prestige about
him. He was also quick to anger
and rather Overbearing. When in
the Senate l believe he was the
youngest member of that body
His father had been a United States
Senator before him, and was a
nephew of the illustrious George
Mason.
The McCartys were related, re-
| moteIy in blood and closely IN
marriage, to the Masons, the sister
of this Armistead T. Mason having
! married William McCarty, after
ward a member of the House OF
Representatives. In 1920, when
Mason had been about four years
in the Senate, there arose between
him and John NJ. McCarty, the
brother of William, some difficulty
of a political nature, which became
more and more embittered by the
| influence of iDiudicious friends,
until the usual result of such
"difficulties' in those days was
reached.
Mason had a young and devoted
wife with one child, a pretty little
boy but few months old. Their
home was called Selma, in the
county of Loudoun. John NJ. Nc
Carty was a brilliant young lawyer
of the same county, and he was
soon to be married to the lovely
Lucinda Lee. When about to start
for the field of honor Mason per
suaded his unsuspecting wife to go
on a visit to his mother, who lived
at the old Mason homestead, Rasp-
berry Plain, a few miles Distant
All we're in total ignorance of his
intentions. He left with his ply
sicians a letter directed to my
mother, asking her, in case of his
death, to 90 to his wife and com
fort her,
They fought at Bladensburg.-
Mason fell at the first fire, and
never spoke again. The old ply
sician and my mother hastened to
his young widow and darling boy,
and had the hard task of telling
first the dreadful news, and trans
forming a world which held moth
ing but beauty and happiness for
them into a dreary desert, scarce
better than the grave. Weeks
passed, so overwhelmed was her
grief, before it became certain that
she would regain her Senses
Scarcely less heartrendering was
the sorrow that bowed down the
dead Senator's fond mother.
In the meantime McCarty had
written to Miss Lee, relating what
be had done, giving her a week for
reflection and asking her to tell
him at the end of that time wheth-
er she would marry him after what
had happened. She related to me
long afterward the agony of that
week-hOw she knelt in despair at
her mothers feet and asked her to
decide; how the old lady could on
| ly advise her to follow her own
heart; how at last she sent a note
to her lover inviting him to call.
Their meeting she did not de-
scribe, but it was said that, sitting
at the instrument as he entered,
she sang the words
Come rest in this bosom, my own strick-
en- dear;
Though the herd has flown from thee, thy
home is still here.
know not, ask not, if guile's in thy
heart;
| but know that love thee, whatever
thou art.
After their marriage they settled
in Leesburg, near Selma.
The young widow of Mason al
length asked to go back to Selma
the scene of her short welded life
| Not anticipating what was to fol
| low her attendants carried her int
the wide hall. There, raising he.
eyes, they fell upon the coat an'
hat, hanging just as he had LEI
them, which her husband had OIL
when she saw him last. She cover
ed her face, and with a shrek
begged to be taken to the rea
rooms of the house.
There she remained. For twent,
wears she did not enter the from
part of the building. The room
there, opening from the dreaded
hall, we're kept in perfect order, ant
guests occupied them as usual
but on the day when her boy-th
lisping infant when his father die
became twenty-oDe years OF age
she invited all his blood relation
to dinner. / was one of the mum
ber. We we're all sitting in th
library, toward the rear of tn
house, when the door was throw
spen and the gray old butler bowe'
his announcement. without an.
intlmation of breaking the habit c
twenty years, Mrs. Mason prompt
ly arose-a frail, fair woman 9
forty--and, taking the arm Of be
son, walked directly into the iron
ball and thence to the dining-roon
as of old. Our surprise was greai
hut no word indicating that thi