The age-herald., 1897-11-24
SHE WAS SEVEN TEEN
 HE WAS ElGHTY-FOUR

An old mans darling. That is she was. She is not now. This refers to a young woman, seventeen years of age. who about two and a half years ago became the wife of Gen. Cassius M. Clay. of Ken lucky, who was then more than eighty four years old. Cassius M. Clay has been for the past fifty years one of the conspicuous men in the political history of the country. Tn the latter 40s he ed- ited an abolition paper in Lexington. His office was mobbed and the contents taken into the street and set fire. The next morning Clay erected a stand on the funeral pile of his office, as it were, and made a spes sch telling the people that while they had destroyed his printing office they had not caused him to cease from being in abolition's favor. Clay was an abo1itionist all his life. It was not twelve years ago on his farm near Richmond, where he shot to death me- gro without any apparent provocatton. Favored the freedom of the negroes, yet became the first murderer of one. He was promptly acquitted for the murdsr.. Cass.us M. Clay was born eighty-seven
 
 where he now lives. He owned at one time stretch of 2,3OO of the most fertile acres under the sum He was gradu- ated from Yale in 1882. He was conspic- uous in the Mexican war. At one time minister to the court of St. Petersburg. He was one of the leading republicans at the birth of the republican party. An Intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, William Lloyd Garrison. Wendell Phillips, Daniel Webster and hosts of others who were then, and who since have been conspicuous in the na- tion's history. As a fighter, Cassius M. Clay has had few equals. He courtsd quarrels and was happy when fighting. A man of the greatest courage.
 It was nearly three years ago that Gen. Clay, who had been a widower for many years, married Miss Dora Richardson, who had occupied place in his house as kind of maid to the Scotch house keeper, who was a relative of Gen. Clay. The girl was then about sixteen or seven- teen years of age. One day he came upon the young girl in the fields near where some shepherds were engaged in caring for their f1ocks. She was young and beautiful. In his eccentric man. ner, he fell desperately in love with the modest little country girl, as he saw her bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks peep ing from under an old-fashioned sun bon net. He had seen her occasionally about the house, but had paid little, if any at- tention to her. It was beautiful day in June. The blue grass on the hills and valleys was moving to and fro like the swells of an ocean. The flowers were in full bloom. The birds were singing more sweet1y than ever before. All na- ture to him was jubi1ant. The country girl in the innocence of her youth, ap- peared as an angel, come 10 comfort him in his declining years. The old warriors heart was made young again. He who had danced with an empress in the ball rooms of the palace of the czar, the most scholarly American that ewer graced that magnificent court, had here fallen victim to the sweetness of the face of a modest little maid from the noun tains in the most rugged part of eastern Kentucky. She was uneducated, except SO far as what she had learned at the country school. She was beautiful and innocent He made love to her then and there with all the fire that won for him the title of general upon the field of Che pultepec, where he followed Gem Scott in the. war with Mexico. The girl had never heard the tender passion of love portrayed as it was on that day by this old man almost e,ghty-four years of age, whose hair was as white as the snow upon the mountain top. The girl became excited. She ran to seek protec- ton of the shepherds not far distant. The old gentleman informed her that he did not intend to harm her, but that he loved her as he had loved no other wo- man. She had given him inspiration as from the fountain of youth. He had the ardor of a lover of less than two and twenty. She went home to her brother, and communicated to him what Gen. Clay had said.
 The girls family was poor. A mar riaele settlement became at once the ob- ject of the family's desires. The brother told Gen. Clay that his sister could be- come his wife provided there was mar riage settlement. The old Kentuckian gladly consented The amount was fixed and the wedding day was set. When the news of this became known there was what tnn6dIeneu to De OpSil Wdfldr6 III the Clay family. He had sons and daugh- ters who objected to his marrying. Gen. Clay's first marriage had been an un- happy one. His wife belonged to fash fonable society. He sued for a divorce, his wife opposed it. The divorce, how ever, was gramed. Gen. Clay in his last marriage, decided to go to the other extreme of society, and choose for his wife peasant girl for such in fact she was. Gen. Clay had the desire to marry other women before he met This little peasant waff. Each time it was broken up by his children. Again the attempt was made, but to no avail. They were married and Dora Richardson, the little mountain girl, became the wife of a rich landowner and one of the most distin- guished men of his time. It was but few days ago that she mustered enough courage to leave the Clay homestead.