Griggs courier., 1893-06-30
WASHINGTON WOMEN,
TWO WIDOWS WHO LEFT AN IMPREs.
SION ON SOCIAL LIFE.

At the Capital Mrs. Madison Was Always
Treated as the LADY of the White
Hor:sc"-AIrs. Hamilton's Influence Was
In the Direction of Charity.
Mrs. Madison was i'll high fashion dur.
ing her later years. Society has it's at
tacls of this kind and takes up with as
little reason as it puts down Il favorite.
But there came with this late burst of
social warmth some good results into her
rather chilled and necessitous life. For
in that day it was positive loss OF fortune
to have held any public position. Mrs.
Madison had i'll vain tried for years to
effect IL sale of Mr.. Madison's papers to
the government. and for want of this
her means We're very straitened.. How
it came about do not know, but it grew
to be the correct and Indispensable thing
to call on Mrs. Madison Immediately on
leaving the presidents levees.
Her house was that diagonally oppo.
site from MIR. Summers. There the best
people met regularly. and yet no one
could have said why. Mrs. Madison was
once the "lady of the White House"
She had had the quick thought to cut
Waslli!igton's portrait 10y Stuart from
it's frame and roll it carefully and carry
it off in safety from the invading British
troops already BURNING, H'"'o'. st ss.,''1's.
She WAS always .l,,cc:: g: .., 49, 4 ii eet i.lall-
nercd ai.:l, to her great credit, as much
so liz her days Of changed fortunes as
when she was surrounded by cvcrv ail
to IL placid state of mind. And yet t.1is
was about all that was said And yet it
was such FL unwritten law that Mrs
Madison must have WIT she wished
that-just because OF t'A;%i mysterious de-
cree Of fsS!lion--she actually got from
congress what she hal v.tinly .,et!tioued
tor for years.
Air Buchanan stated o-le 1Hn:ring 70
the senate t.:.:t Ga :;,;':i = e?::5' Ms. -;;iA
iSo:i wouli: be such -: ,..e. ;;:iI tAat the
$4,000 asked for li.'. Lax. SOILS papers
would c;,:.2t. We'll 70 iiir IS :. birthday
present. ;:;iG it was l:!.,;etiilte!y voted
to her 70 .,a s:;;.'e it Has for t.1a writ
lr:-.s OF {. .Uot; patriot aGsi sttteslillu,
and ti!e wo;Hl..n tAr2c&.Te IL was oi great
a%;e and ii VS. IL tA;,t far better tll'>n
the vote for nearly TIE same a1.ioCnt for
tie cruel dnuh of /. good nan and sol
DYER wi.icl: :i;:;:s :;n evidence sh&t emo
t.nnnl Legislation is n"t yet extinct.
I1!lt this made the occasion ci I. grand
lave" for CO.. acc,2!:.tii:,;s N.:Is. Madison
and was among the last occasions On
winch :ss.,' Was seen IL public Her fine
figure had o1cl;.steG t!le tl.roascor@ and
ten years. an;i VIXEN wei! prepared for
company. IL Ter v'or-n. old fashioned
empire sc11su. I.er tEr!,an and clusters OF
a:; l!iuiai ;:izrlS-jUst as :ve sea them in
tie Portraits OF Miiie. de Stael-tEe neck
al,! on: ii.lass of the face wei. s!llO,: led III
foltl:; OF t,,lie.. she was still the handsome
Mrs. Ma,;ls,s" am quite sure never
heard her called "the widow Of Mali-
son"
Eut that x,,s the prefix always made
to tine historical nanleO of another woman
Of the same age. who also asked of con-
yrcss the sa1l.4 favor shown 20 Mrs. Mad
ison.
This lady WAS small ard always wore
the widows d,;pss she had to- assume in
her early life. For over 80 years she did
solitude of her heart.
She. too. ike Mrs. Madison. was ania-
BILE and of charn:,ng manners. but she
,1rned from the world forever when her
great husband te!l III tn" duel with Burr,
and from that time. her own, children
first. and close 50 them i'll hen interest
the orphans of ehe poor. received all her
attention. Mrs. Hamilton WAS, the chief
founder OF the Orphan Asylum. of New
York She saw it's fiftieth anniversary:
she saw the other charities that grew
ont Of 1.-THE C!lii,lren's Aid society is
one-;,nd though her quiet life is ended
her good works 20 on. and her family as
well as her memory are living parts of
them
Mrs Hamilton. was very small and
! light of figure. Her dark. bright eyes
and white hair gave her narquise ef
feet. and her widows dress gave the
| framing which suited her years and name.
She was very fond of young people and
| would tell rs gs-incidentally-
which made the early hardships and pen
alties OF the war for independence very
real
In speaking Of travelling on horseback,
she told US once how her mother and
herself had to give that up for time
and only go from Saratoga to Albany
when Il strong escort could guard them.
1T was after poor Jane McCrea had been
killed by the Indians" and she made us
such picture cf the condition of the In
dians after the English enlisted them
against us. that we ''realized" how far
back lay the time when such "a thing was
possible. and poor Jane McCrea" be-
cume "a real girl in place of the bad little
wood cut. with one Indian holding her
long hair. and the other flourishing his
tomahawk as he kept his foot on the keg
of whisky.
They have passed completely away
the handsome. gracious. society loving
Mrs. Madison and the gentle widow of
Alexander Hamilton" But Washington
is the wrecking ground Of great names.
There are to be seen now, thankfully
working for slender pay and tremblingly
anxious to keepit safe amid the changes