The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-07
Mrs. Dolly Madison'S Beauty.
Harriet Taylor Upton, i'll Wide
Awake.


three. The portrait other in a Quaker
cap, from miniature painted at about
that time, shows how eXquisitely
pretty she was, though the lovely
pinks and pearlinesses of her complex
ion and the fine blackness of her silken
hair and brows and lashes cannot be
given in the crude black and white Of
ink and paper, nor the sweetness of her
blue eyes. She was wondrously fair.
Her mother, who would not permit her
to wear jewels, taught her to take care
of her complexion. She was sent to
school with long gloves on her hands
and arms, a close sun-bonnet, and a
white linen mask on her face. It is
plain to see that in many ways
great care was taken Of the outward as
we'll as the inward grace of the young
Friend. Though born Quaker baby
it was in LIP, about half dozen years
later than Miss Abigail Adams in
Massachusetts, and half a dozen years
earlier than Nellie Gusts in Virginia,
and the same yearas Martha Jefferson
at Monticello-little Dolly (who was so
fond of jewelry that she wore a grand
mothers gift of some around her neck
hidden in little bag grew up with a
love for dainty clothes; certainly more
exquisitely broidered and frilled little
Quakeress than she Of the miniature
has never been seen. There is in eX-
istence still, belonging to this period, a
delicate gray satin Quaker gown, with
elbow sleeves and square neck, worn
by the young beauty-she certainly was
beauty. Her mother and grandmoth-
er before her, on one side Of the house,
had been great bellies, and little Dolly
was lowered with sweet looks as well
as with a Scotch simplicity and an
Irish irresistibleness of manner-she
shared the Irish wit and good-nature
with her famous second-cousin, Patrick
Henry.
Her grand-niece, writing a hundred
years later, tells us how she met James
Madison. 1t was in Philadelphia,
whittier she and her little boy and her
mother (who was also widow had
returned, and where her reputation for
beauty was so great that gentlemen
stationed themselves at points she was
to pass in order to see her. Mr.. Madi-
son saw her one day, and got Aaron
Burr to call with him and introduce
him, and Dolly came down "in null
berry colored satin, and silk tulle
handkerchief over her neck and on her
head an exquisitely dainty little cap
from which an occasional uncropped
curl would escape
She must have much resembled a
famous Young Quakeress beauty of the
same PERIOD described by Frenchman
travelling in America, the Prince de
Broglie; writing Of her-Polly Lawton
of Newport-he says:
"She wore species of English gown,
pretty close to the figure, white as
milk, and a fichu very full and firmly
fastened. Her head-dress was a simple
little cap of very fine muslin plated
and passed around the head, which
allowed only half an inch of hair to be
visible, but which had the effect OF
giving to Polly the air Of Holy Fir-
GIN
All her friends rejoiced that she was
to be married to Mr.. Madison, though
he was twenty years her senior. Mrs.
Washington sent for her to come to
the Presidential pansion, and then,
"Dolly,n said she, sis it true that YOU
are engaged to James Madison?' Dolly
was embarrassed, and stammered that
she "thought not" and Mrs. Washing
ton then exhorted her to mot be
ashamed to confess it," for Mr.. Madi-
son would make a good husband.