Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-07-18
WASHINGTON WOMEN,
Two WIDOWS VINO LEFT An Iapass
SION ON eociAL ufR.

TWO WIDOWS VINO LEFT An IaPass-
SION ON SOCIAL uFI.
~ - csjstai nra lGa1issa W. A,vags
fssassd - TIE ''Lsdy u tAs wAlss
Hsusss-lGra Hsaiitsa's Inasnss W.
N ~ Dissssiss q CHARITY.
Ma Madison was In high fAshion dur
ing hw latsr yearA Society hes IL ~
taclu Of this hind and takes mp with -
little reason - II puts down favcrits.
But thsrs came with this late burst q
social warmth some good results into ha
rather chilled and necessitous tfe For
In that day Il was positivsloe Of fortune
10 have held any public position. Ah
Madison bad In vain tried for years 10
eject Q sale of Mr.. Madison's papers 70
the government. and (pr want Of this
her means wers very strsitened. How
Il came about I do not know. but II grsw
20 DO the correct and indispensable thing
70 cali on Mrs.. Madison Immediately On
leaving the presidents leveea
Her house was that diagonally oppo-
site from Mr.. Summers There the bsst
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
Washington's portrait by Stuart from
its frame and roll Il carefully and carry
Il OF In safety from the invading Brtish
troops already burning Bladensburg.
She was always gracious and sweet man.
uered and. to her great credit, - much
20 In her days of changed fortunes -
when she was surrounded BY every aid
TO q placid state Of mind. And yet this
was about all that was said. And Jet II
was such an unwritten law that MrH
Madison must have what she wished
thst-just because Of this mysterious do
cree Of fashion-she actually got from
congress what abe had vainly petitionsd
for for years.
Mr.. Buchanan stated one morning 70
the senate that on such q day Mrs. Mad
isou would DO such an age. and that the
S20, 900 asked for Mr.. Madison's papers
would come well to her as birthday
present. and 1t was Immediately voted
to her. To be sure II was for the writ
ings Of q good patriot and statesman,
and the woman torecei'e 1t was OF great
are, and Il was in that far Latter than
the vote for nearly the same amount for
the cruel daub Of good man and SOL
der which was an evidence that emo
tional legislation Is not yet extinct.
But this made the occasion OF q grand
leyee for congratulating Mrs. Madison
and was among the last occasions on
which she was seen In public. Her fine
figure had outlssted the threescore and
ten years, and when well prepared for
company, In her worn. old fashioned
empire gown. her turban and clusters OF
artificial curls-just as we see them IN
the portraits Of Mime. do Stael-ths neck
and outlines of the face well shrouded In
folds of tulle. she was still the handsome
Mrs. Madison. am quite sure ] never
heard her called "the widow OF MaM-
SON."
But that was tho prefix always made
to the historical name Of another woman
Of the SINE age, who also asked OF con-
gress the same favor shown to Mn. Mad
ison.
This lady was small and always woys
the widows dress she had to assume y
her early life. For over 30 years she DID
not vary this outward emblem Of the
solitude Of her heart.
She, too, like Mrs. Madison, was amta-
bic and of charming manners, but abe
turned from the world forever when her
great husband fell In the duel with Burr,
and from that time. her own children
first, and close to them In her interest
the orphans Of tho poor, received all her
attention. Mrs. Hamilton was the chief
| founder Of the Orphan Asylum Of New
York. She saw Its fftieth anniversary
she saw the other charities that grew
out Of 1.-THE Children's Aid society y
one-and though her quiet Life IL ended
her good works 60 on, and her family -
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 Q marquise ct
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-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 60 from Saratoga to Albany
when q strong escort could guard them.
1T was after poor Jane McCrea had been
killed by the Indians" and she made n
such picture of the condition Of the In
dams after the English enlisted them
against MS. that we realized" how Tar
back lay the time when such thing was
possible. and "poor Jane McCrea" be-
came real girl In place Of the bad little
wood cut. with one Indian holding her
long hair. and tho other fourishing 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 DO seen now, thankfully
working for slender pay and tremblingly
anxious to keepit safe amid the changes
N the departments, descendants Of pres
!ients. chief justices. Of secretaries Of the
treasury, OF jefferson. Franklin, and Of
others Of later names-men who gave
literally their all to their country, and
who deserved the praise Talleyrand gave
bf Hamilton, Of whom he said; ~ have
seen true public virtue. have seen the
minister Of finance. who gave wealth to
bis country, toiling through the late
hours Of the night to gain support for
his young family."-Mrs. Jessie B. Ere
mont In New York Ledger.