Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-06-17
WASHING TON WOMEN.
TWO WIDOWS WHO LEFT AN IMPRESS
SION ON SOCIAL LIFE.

At thc Capital Mrs. Madison Was Always
Treasod as tile Lady Of tho White
nouso"s-rfrs. kianiltom's influence was
In tho Direction OF Charity.
Mrs. Madison was in high fashion dur
ing her later years. Society has its ut
tacls of this kind and takes up with rs
little reason Us it puts down favorlte.
But taero came with this Late burst OF
social warmth solne good results into her
rather chilled and necessitous life. For
in that day it was positive loss of fortune
to have hold any pa5lic position Mrs.
Madison had in vain tried for years to
effect sale of Mr.. Madisons papers to
tho government, and for want of this
her means wero very straitened. How
i. ca,ne about do not know, but 1t grew
10 be the correct and Indispensable thing
to call on Mrs. Madison Immediately on
leaving the presidents levees
Eer house was that diagonally oppo-
site from Mr. Summers. There tho best
people met regularly. and yet no ono
could have said why. Mrs. Madison was
once tho Indy OF the White House
Sho had had the quick thought to cut
Washington's portrait by Stuart from
its frame and roll 1t carefully and carry
1t Of In safety from the invading British
troops already burning Bladensburg.
Sho was always gracious and sweet man.
r;so-cd and, to her great credit, as much
80 j., her DAVIS Of changed fortunes us
when she was surrounded BY every aid
to l. placid state Of mind. And yet this
vas about ali that was said. And Yeti
was sucb NJ ;nwritten law that hlra
Madison must havo what she wished
that-jrst because of this mysterious de
cree OF fash;on-sho actually got from
congress what she had vainly petitioned
20. for years
sfr. Buchanan stated one morning to
sAa senate that on such Gay Mrs. Mad
ison would be such IN age, and that tho
SIC. Geo asked for Mr.. Madison's papers
would come we'll to her as birthday
r-esa,it. and it was Immediately voted
t. her To bc sure it was for tho writ
incs OF u gon. patriot and statesman,
and tho woman toreceivo it was or great
aye. and 1t was in that FAR better than
the vote for nearly the same amount for
tho cruel danh OF good man and sol
t;lo5 which was an evidence that emo
,!oaal legislation is not yet extinct
But this undo the occasion Of q grand
leyce for congratulating Mrs. Madison
ans! was ainong the last occasions on
which she was seen In public Her fine
figaro had outla.ts1 the threcscoro and
ten years. and when we'll prepared tor
company. 10 her worn. OLD fashioned
c:,pire gown. her turban and clusters OF
artificial cnr,s-iust rs we see them IN
tho portraits cf Nine. de Stael--the neck
and outlines Of the face we'll shrouded IN
folds of tu!le, she was still the handsome
Mrs Madison am quite sure never
heard her called tho widow Of Madi-
SON
But that was tho prefix always made
TO tho historical nameof another woman
of the same aye, who also asked of con-
gress the same favor shown to Mrs. Mad
ison.
This lady was small and always wore
the Widows dress she had to assume in
Ter early life. For over so years she did
not vary this outward emblem OF the
solitude OF her heart
She. too. Ike Mrs. Madison. was anna
BILE ind Of charming manners, but she
turned from the world forever when her
great husband FELL in tho duel with Burr.
and from fiat time, her own children
first. and close to them IN her interest
the orphans Of the poor, received all her
attentions Mrs Hamilton was the chief
founder Of the Orphan Asylum of New
York She sew Its fftieth anniversary;
s,lo eaw tho other charities that grew
out of 1.-THE Cll;ldrel's Aid society is
ono-und though her quiet life is ended
her rood works 60 Oh, and her family as
well rs her memory are living parts of
them
Mrs Hamilton was very small and
light OF figure Her dark, bright eyes
and white llais gave nc, marqu1se eff
feet, and her widows dress gave the
framing which suited her years and name.
She was very fond Of young people and
would tell US things-incidentaily-
which lniMo the early hardships and pen
sltics Of tho war for Independence very
real
in speaking Of travelling on horseback:
she tod us once how her mother and
herself had to give that up for time
end only 20 from Saratoga to Albany
when strong escort could guard them
1T was a:te- poor Jane McCrea had been
killed by the Indians and she made ua
sucha picture OF tho condition of the IN
diins after the English enlisted them
against us. that we realized" how far
back Icy the tine wheE such thing was
possible. and poor Jane McCrea7 be-
came real girl in place Of the bad little
wood cut. with one Indian holding her
long hair. and tho other 1ourishing his
toraahnwli ,ls he kept his foot on the key
o: WHISKY
They have passed completely away
tho handsome. gracious. society loving
HRS Madison and the gentle widow Of
Alexander Hamilton" But Washington
is she wreci.ing ground Of great names
There are to be seen now, thankfully
working for slender pay and tremblirgly
anxious 10 keepit safe rlnid the changes
In the departments. descendants Of pres
idents, chief justices. If secretaries Of thu
treasury. of jefferson. Franklin. and of
o.hcrs Of later namcs-men who gave
literally their all 10 their country. and
who deserved the praise Talleyrind gave
Of Hamilton. Of whom he eaid: II have
Seen truo public virtue have seen the
minister Of finance. who gavo wealth to
his country. toiliny through the Int
hours OF tho night to gain support for
his young family. Mrs. Jessie 3. Ere
mont 10 New York Ledger.
Tho Baroness de Rothschild.
The Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschilo