Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1893-04-05

various fTeSluelltS.
Some Presidential Love Affairs
and Romances.
1t is q notable fact, dec ares the
New Yolk World, that most of the
Presidents were or had been very hal- |
py in their domestic relations. But,
then, Tie ladies Of the White House,
from Martha Washington to Frances
Cleveland, have been admirable and |
lovable representatives Of their sex.
Buchanan was the only confirmed |
bachelor among the Presidents, yet |
he, too, had had his romance. lie had
loved Miss Coleman, who Tilted him
without word of explanation. When
she died shortly afterward', he wrote
to her father, saying "lrt he had
loved her more infinitely than any
other human being could love, and
though he might sustain the shock Of
her death, happiness had fed from him
forever" Van Buren, Jefferson and
Arthur were widower, when they en-
tered the White House. All of them
cherished q most touching devotion TO
the memory OF their wives. Arthur
had met his wife at Saratoga and af.
ter her death he could never bear TO
60 to that place. Jefferson tended his
sick wife four months, and on her
death-bcd solcmnly promised, his hand
in hers, that he would ucver marry
again. When the end came he Stag
gered into his library and tainted.
When he revived he was almost out of
his senses and for weeks was nlinel
to the library, pacing up and down
the room all day and all night until
exhausted nature could stand no
more.
One of the qucerc,t couples that ever
inhabited the White House, and one of
the most devoted, were Andrew Jack
son and his wife. She WAS as demo-
cratic as himself, smoked pipe and
used strange country dioms aud con-
fined her reading TO the Bible. Yet
she was intensely sensitive to public
opinion. There had been solnc mis-.
understanding about her divorcu from
her first husband, which, through a
confusion of State laws, had not really
taken legal effect until after her mar
riagc with Old Hickory. The scandal
was revived when she entered the
White House, and 1t was the object of
JaCkson's tendcrest soliciude to keep
from her all knowledge of the shan e.
full attacks tha abounled in the news
papers. She died in the White House
and her bcrcavcd husband ever after
wards bore around his neck and hidden
in his bosom a miniature, which every
night he placed on little table by his
bedside, so that her face might be the
first thing TO greet him in the morning.
Ga her tombstone he had caused TO be
engraved the words, "a being 50
gentle and yet SO virtuous, sIandcr
might wound but C ,uld not dshonor.
General Grant during the whole of his
MAJ ricd life wore IL ring which his
wife had given him during his en-.
gagemcnt and at Ills request it was
buried with him.
General Tyler aud Mi!larl Fillmore
We're he only Presidents who were
twice married. The former was
President at the time of his second
marriage, but for some reason he con.
sidcred it indelicatc to he married in
the White House, Il plccedent which
Cleveland rightly honorcl in the
breach rather than in the obscl vance.
Filnore's first wife was taken sick on
the very day his term of Office expired,
and died u few weeks afterwards al
WilIard's Hotel, in Washington,
whittier she had been removed from
the White House.
Lincoln's romance was connected
with his first love rather than with the
lady whom he afterwards married.
The former was a goldcn.haircd little
blonde named Anne Rulledgc, to
whom he was engaged at the age Of
"a. She died before they could be
married, and Lincoln almost went out
of his mind. His friends thought in.
deed that he was crazy, Tic was es-
pCclally violent III gloomy or stormy
weather, when he would rave and cry
that he could never be rrconciled 10
have the snow, rain or storms to beat
upon her grave. 1t was not until
nearly ten years afterwards that he
became engaged to Miss Mary Todd,
who refused Stephen A. Douglas in
order 10 accept him. Bat he had II
prescntimcnt that the marriage would
not be happy one. On the day first
set for the wedding he became sud-
,enly i'll aud was unable to make his
appearance, though bride, clcrgymcn
and guests were all waiting for him.
More than year afterwards the mar.
riage was finally consummatcd.
Most Wonderful LiUimg Skeleton,
The most singular freak of m u'e
known to surgical or medical liicra-
lure was Claude Ambrose Leura,, u