Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-26
WOMEN OF THE SOUTH
Matrons Who Lead in the Social Life
of the Capital.
vIRGINIA'S FAIR DAUGHTERS
Representative Lee and His Distin-
guished Wife-Mrs. BoSSden aud Mrs.
Venabie - Mrs. Wheeler and MRS.
Bankhead OF Alabama.

A.. beautiful types Of Of ~omanhood Ia as
N that presented By the wife of Gen. W.
W.. p. Lee, the Representative of the
eighth district of the ancient common
wealth Of Virginia She recalls the loneliness
OF feature and form of the women Of the
colonial days. when the Fairfaas, the Dan
bridges, the WashlngtOns, the Randolphs the
Marshalls and the Bollings were dominant in
the politics and society Of the Old Dominion.
Mrs. Lee belongs to the historic family of Boil
ing, one Of the prominent names among the
earliest colonists ON the banks of the James.
In her maiden days she was Miss Mary Taft
Boiling, and was one of the celebrated beauties,
not only of her native city of Peters
burg, but of the state of Virginia
Her father. George ". Boiling. is descended
from the Indian princess. Pocahontas. of that
proud branch of the Algonquin family of abo-
rhymes, ruled by the mighty king, Powhatan-
Jane Rolf. the granddaughter of POcahontas,
married Robert Boiling who was the progeni-
Tor OF that noted family IN colonial and state
affairs. Miss Boiling received her education at
Petersburg and in the best schools of Rich
mond. Her uncle, Robert Il. Boiling. was
prominently associated with events in the his
tory OF Virginia during the past quarter of
century. In 1867 Miss Boiling. the belle of
Petersburg. became the wife of Gen. Lee. who
In his Young days. officer of the 9th
United States cavalry. served under Col. AL
bert Sidney johnson in the Utah expedi-
ton, but IN 1859 resigned to take
care of his estates in Virginia,
IN the historic county of New Kent. In the
late war he rose to ma jor general of confeder-
ate cavalry in the Army of Northern Virginia.
and after wounds in battle and capture and
exchange he surrendered with his dstn-
guished kinsman at Appomattox. After the
war be returned to his plantation. where he
took his bride and resided with old time Vir-
gina hospitality. During her husbands state
senatorial term Mrs. Lee visited Richmond
and was greatly admired by the aristocratic
society OF the capital of the commonwealth.
At the beginning of the official season of the
flfheth Congress Mrs. Lee entered the social
life OF the national capital. She is a woman of
tall, queenly figure, with fair complexion and
brilliant black eyes and hair. Her manner is
distinguished by grace and vet naffected She
seems to be utterly unconscious of her beauty
or OF the silent admiration which follows her
rs she passes among the brilliant ladies and
gentlemen in the fashionable throng of Wash
lngton life. General Lee Is a tall and well-de-
veloped type of masculine stature and vigor of
the old school He was born at Arlington. the
historic estate opposite Washington. and
mingled IN the gatherings there upon occa-
sions of polite entertainments or for visits of
etiquette during the administration of James
buchanan. To Representative and Mrs. Lee
Is conceded the palm of precedence as the
handsomest married couple among the MEM
bers Of the lower house.
MRS. BowDES.
The congressional district which embraces
the site OF jamestown, the first English settle
ment in the thirteen colonies and the scene of
the romantic incidents in the life of John
Smith, which recalls the gay colonial life OF
Virginias first capital. Williamsburg. where the
beautiful Martha cambridge captured young
Custls heart and as his widow became the wife
OF George Washington. and which revives the
historic memories of Corvallis surrender and
the close of military operations in the war for
independence. is represented socially at the
capital by Mrs. Eva Jones Bowden. Her father,
William Rodney Jones, a merchant of Norfolk,
belongs to prominent family from Maine, his