The weekly tribune., 1893-05-26
WASHINGTON WOMEN.
TWO WIDOWS WHO LEFT AN lHpa o..
SION ON SOCIAL LIFE

Mrs. Madison was in high fashion dur
ing her later years. Society has its at
tacks of t.lis kind and takes up with ~
little reason as it puts down favorite
But there came with this late burst o
social warmth some good results into hel
rather chilled and necesstous life. Fol
il that day it was positive loss of fortune
to have held any public position. Mrs
Madison had in vain tried for years tc
effect sale of Mr.. Madison's papers tc
the government, and for want Of thi,
her means were very straitened. How
it came about doro know, but it grew
to be the correct AMI Indispensable thing
to call on Mrs. Madison Immediately OF
leaving the presidents levees.
Her house was that diagonally oppo.
site from Mr.. 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
Washingtons portrait by Stuart from
its frame and roll it carefully and carry
it off in safety from The invading British
troops already burning Bladensburg.
She was always gracious and sweet man
nered AMI, to her great credit as much
so in her days of changed fortunes as
when she was surrounded by every aid
TO placil state Of mind. Ard yet this
was about all that was said. And yet it
was such an ullvritten law that Mrs.
Madison must have what she wished
that-just because of tins mysterious de-
cree of fashion-she actually got from
congress what she had vainly petitioned
for for years.
Mr.. Buchanan stated one morning TO
the senate that on such day Mrs. Mad
ison would be such an ate, and that the
$4,000 asked for Mr.. Nladison's papers
would come well to her as birthday
present, and it was Immediately voted
to her To be sure it was for the writ
ings of n good patriot and statesman,
and the woman toreceive it was of great
age. and it was in that far better than
the vote for nearly the same amount for
the cruel daub Of good inan and sol
Licr which was an evidence that emo
tional legislation is not yet extinct.
But this made the occasion of grand
levee for congratulating Mrs. Madison
and was among the last occasions on
which she was seen in public, Her fine
figure had outlasted the threescore and
ten years, and when well prepared for
company, III her worn, old fashioned
empire gown, her turban and clusters of
artificial curls-just as we see them in
the portraits of Nine. de Stael-the 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 1.-THE widow of Madi-
son."
But that was the prefix always made
to the historical name Of another woman
of the same age 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
her early life For over so years she did
not vary this outward emblem of the
solitude of her heart.
She, too. like Mrs. Madison, was amia-
BILE and Of charming manners, but she
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 ;ntarest
the orphans of the moor received all ber
attention, Mrs. Hamilton was the chief
founder of the Orphan Asvlpm Of New
York. She saw its fiftieth ann;vars,rv.
she saw the other charities that grew
out ,f 1.-THE Children,s Aid society 10
one-and though her oniet life ia sn1e1
her good works 90 on and her family .s
well as her memory are living narts Of
them
Mrs. Hamilton was very small and
light of figure Her dark bri~ht evas
and white hair cave her n morrnisa af,
feet. and her widow's dress gavo tho
framing which suited her years and name
She was very fond Of vonn,, nnonlo and
would tell MS tbin|s-incidenta,lv-
which made the early hard sbins and Nov.
alties of the war for in1enendonce vory
real
In speakjnp of TRAVELLING ON horsoh,cl,
she told us once how Lor ,notI,or nrJ
herself had TO rive ,hat nm for , t;,na