The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-28
JOHN RANDOLPH'S LOVE AFFAIR.
A Terrible Stroke to Sensitive Nature
Key to the Mystery.

A Terrible Stroke to Sensitive Nature
Key to the Mystery.
Martha Randolph Keim in The Currentl
John Randolph confded in my grand
mother. They were relatives, and his
brother, Richard, married my grand
fathers sister, Judith, daughter of
Thomas Mann Randolph, ST., of
Tuckahoe Our plantation, Green
Greek, was only few miles from
Bazarre, their homestead, and John,
who lived with them, came in and out
at our house almost as one of the family
My grandmother, in speaking of him to
me, said: slack had a remarkable
quality. Irritable and sensitive as he
was, when alone he could bear with pa
tience, and also invite full expression
of a friends opinion on his conduct.
either private or public" He ice
handed her valuable diamond ng,
with coiled Sc. pent on it, An initial
was caught glimpse of, cut in the ring,
under the COLL which lifted up with
spring. 1t was too quickly Withdrawn
for her to ,rutinize it more closely, and
his emotion too great to elicit confidence
IN regard to it. which, no doubt, he in
tended to give. He groaned out lone
l loved better than my own soul, or Him
that created it,
She told me who it was. He had
known and loved her from childhood.
A short time before their marriage was
to have been cOnSummated he was walk
ing with her betrothed, and she pro-
posed stepping into a store to look at
some fine laces which had just been i'm
ported. valuable piece was afterward
missed, and John must have noticed
her take it. This occurred in Richmond,
and he was seen going to his hotel in
very excitable manner Some hours
after, his servant found him in his room
in state of insensibility. Physicians
were called in, and it was long before
he was restored, and only at the prayers
and entreaties of his faithful and de-
voted servant, ''Juba," could he be in
duced to taste of the food placed before
him. He never communicated to any
one the cause of his strange conduct,
and the surmise was that the lady had
Tilted him.
One year after, she united her for
tunes with one i'll whose society she
might hope to live more happy life
tHdH III tldI VI uoI Otllcr IuOSG OGNOCoO,
but unfortunate, lover A few months
after her marriage, whilst Sully, the ar
fist, was completing portrait for her,
she took blue mass" in a green plum,
to increase her brilliancy, fell into
spasms and died. The key to the mys-
terry was found, and the secret disclosed.
She was a kleptomaniac. This took
place in the midst of the exciting de-
bates of congress. He writes to friend,
without stating the cause: 81 would
like to bid adieu to my native shores for
a few years at least. Nothing but high
sense the legations o: public duty
has prevented my resignation
And some time after, when feeling
depressed, he said My apathy is not
natural, but superindu ed There was
Volcano under my ice, but it is burnt
out, and face of desolation has come
on not to be rectifed in ages, could my
life be prolonged to patriarchial long
evlty. The necessity of loving and be-
ing beloved was never felt by the imag-
mary beings of Eousseau's and Byron's
creation more imperious than myself.
MY heart was offered up with devotion
that knew no reserve"