The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-19
DOLLY MADISON.

he second volume IN ScrlDner S de-
lightful series entitled "Women of Col
onial and Revolutionary Times,' is de-
voted to Dolly Madison. that winning
"first lady of the land,'' who for nearly
half a century welded powerful influ-
ence on the social life at the National
Capital. Her long life of 81 years was
a connecting link between the old re-
glme and the new, for she entered Off
cial society on the arm of Jefferson in
1901 and took her leave Of it in 1S49
upon the arm of Polk. Her public and
semi-public career covered nine admin
istrations and touched the lives of
Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton,
Decatur, John Paul ones, Talleyrand,
Lafayette, and George and Martha
Washington with whom she was on in
innate terms of friendship.
The demure little Quaker maiden.
who afterward became such brilliant
social success, was born in 1768, of
most worthy Virginia stock, and car
ried in her veins the blood of English,
Scotch, and Irish lineage. Her Irish
blood came from her mother, from
whom Dolly inherited her beauty and
wit and that subtle charm of manner
that Won all who came under its spell.
When she was less than 25 she had
been wife, mother, and widow; but her
husband, the Quaker, John Todd, of
Philadelphia, had been dead hardly
year when James Madison, seventeen
years her senior. married the beautiful
young widow after very brief ac-
quaintance and courtship. In his old
age Aaron Burr used to boast with
chuckle that it was he who made the
match, which perhaps was the most
creditable as we'll as successful of his
numerous and various undertakings.
In series of most interesting chap.
ters her biographer sketches the social
and domestic life ofDolly Madison and
the epoch in which she lived. Wheth-
er in the fine old Virginia home, Mont
pelier, where she took the most devoted
and affectionate care of her husbands
aged parents, or in the White House,
where she needed to steer her social
bark most wisely to avoid disastrous
intrigues and jealousies, her tact, sweet
ness of disposition, and graciousness of
manner never failed. One other quail
ty contributed to her success, the art
ofadapting herself to her circumstances
and surroundings, even to the extent
of putting aside her own feelings and
her own comfort. She was intensely
loyal to her husband and his career,
and devoted herself with untiring af
sfection to turthering his every interest.
Her political creed, so writes Mrs.
Goodwin, was an adaptation of Deca-
tur's motto: "My husband may he
ever be right! but my husband, right
or wrong" In summarizing her char
acter her biographer writes thus: ''Let
us admit that she was not great wo-
man-not of that stern stuff which
formed some of the heroines of Revolu-
tionary and Colonial days; that she
was not even woman given to pro-
found or independent thought, or to
sitting opinions or weighing argu-
ments. But she charmed
every Ole with whom she came in con-
tact from the beginning to the end Of
her life. How did she do it? Assur-
edly not by conscious effort, or with
prepense intention. 1t was what she
was, rather than what she did or said,
which attracted all who came within
the circle of her personal magnetism" p"
The last twelve years other life were
spent in Washington in the mansion
now owned by the Cosmos Club, with
er she came after some years of retire
ment in the Virginia home. In her
old fashioned gown and turban she was
picturesque figure, and strangers and
foreigners paid homage to this vener-
able parsonage. In her old age she
would have suffered from poverty
through the extravaganza of her worth
less son, John Payne Todd, had not
Congress purchased from her Madison s
"Reports Of the Constitutional Con-
vention,H his letters and other writings.
Today Dolly Madison is remembered
tion, not as woman of great intellec-
tual power, nor as shrewd and schem-
ing social leader, but as gracious,
lovable person who though conscious
of her position in society manifested no
undue assumption or eNaggerated sense
of her Importance
The historical features of the book
are most entertaining, touching upon
the crude and early days of the city of
Washington, then the new capital, the
burning of the city in 1914, and the
flight from the White House; while
the pictures Of the old-time Virginia
hospitality, the domestic life, and the
social customs are none the less fasci-
mating and instructive. 1t is book
for young as well us old, and no better
piece Of biography can be put in the
hands Of a girl in her teens; for it is
history, biography, and romance most
exquisitely combined.
Our trials show us how strong