The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-10-08
Gen. CLAY AND
HIS MANSION
OLD KENTUCKIAN AND HES CHILD
WIFE, .l0.v a...'
Dora Richardson, Who Has Just
Been Divorced From the Aged
Fire-Eater, Tells the story Of Her
Married Life-~He Never Caressed
Me, Never Kissed Me, and Didn't
Like That' Gen. Clay's Career
Has Been a Tempestuous OnS
throughout. =

Throughout.
Sitting in her little plank house with
her lover, Riley Brock, who is to-day
friday to become her husband, by her
side, Dora Richardson who until a week
ago yesterday the child wife of Gen.
Cassius Marcellus Clay, told the story of
her romance with the aged philosopher,
soldier, diplomat statesman, editor, ora
tor, duellist, anti-slaveryist and man of
affairs. Thus says letter to the New
York World from Pinkard WOodfOrd
county, KY. She did not tell her story as
Gen. Clay could have told 1t; she did not
tell 1t with that vim and vgor for which
the Sage of White Hall is noted, but she
told it with the simplicity Of little child.
Through it all she did not say one harsh
word against the man who has just put
her away as he put his first wife away;
and in every sentence she spoke she
showed her generation for him who tried
to lift her from the poor white trash"
life to which she born to the highest
circle of Kentucky society. But, like
others of her SEX she had cast aside the
learned philosopher to cling to one Of
her kind, the sawmill hand, Riley Brock.
II hardly know where to begin," she
said when asked to tell the story of her
romance. lit is not true, as has been SO
often stated, that met Mr.. Clay when
her black eyes flashed. but l did meet
him when I was on q visit to my brother,
Clell, who was then working for Mr..
Clay" (She never calls him generally
II was only a little child when he first
began to pay attention to me, and l did
not think he was a. sweetheart. l had
had little boy sweethearts at school. but
had NO idea at first that such an old
man as Mr.. Clay would fall in love with
O little foolish girl like me-.
"Of course rescected him. He was al
ways gentle and polite He would buy me
anything I Wanted--candy; dolls, picture
books, music books and dresses and every
thing nice. No, he didn't buy all these
things for me before / was married, but
he bought lot of things
II don't think L would have married
him if 1t hadn't lbeen for my folk. Yes,
they persuaded me to marry him. And he
begged me to. He didn't make love to
me- like boys make love-" (Here she
looked at Riley and blushed and smiled.)
He just talked to me like a father. Well,
at last 7 decided to marry him. My folk
were glad.
"They thought / would be rich and
would give them all lots of money. can
tell you about our wedding. 1t all seems
like q dream. You knowit was four years
ago. when was only fourteen, and I can
not recollect just what did happen.
"YOu know it was in THE winter time,
about Dec. 49, and a cold, raw day, and
T did not see anybody but the preacher
and the doctor who came with him. After
we got married II went into the kitchen
and stayed until late that evening when
the men had left. il didn't have any nice
clothes then, and Mr.. CLAY bought me
some right away, and 'he was awfully
nice to me for awhile. He tried to edu-
cate me. but 1t was SO much trouble to
learn. I like to take music, that's all.
When it come to leaning all the other
books I got tired.
HE never caressed me, never kissed
me, and didn't like that. thought he
ought to love me "a little; at least he
ought to show some signs rof love, but he
didn't. Well, I thought that was like an
old man, and tried to love him. Yes,
did love him "a little, but not as If he was
my husband.
HE never told me anything but the
truth except once.
zone day asked him to let ME go up
to neighbours, and he said I could go
the next day. When the next day came
reminded him of his promise, and he
said he didn't promise me could go. I
told him he did, and we had a quarrel. I
talked pretty sassy to him, for was mad.
told him he had no business marrying
me. child. # he thought I was not
enough of a woman to go and come when
pleased
II told ilfTn that I was his wife, and
that had a right to go II I wanted with
out asking him whether could cor not.
He got mad and blurted 'out, = 1t, go
then This was the only cuss word he
ever used to me in four years.
"From that time On he seemed to want
me to have my way and reckon had
it. He said I was right, and he ought to
allow his wife to have some privileges.
although he thought was most too
ried an older girl. He said he reckoned
he ought
'He tried mighty hard to please me.
He bought me nearly everything asked
Elm for, and T have mot oone word to say
against hin. I don't know but what we
would have been living together yet II The
hadn't gone to Cincinnati to have his eyes
treated early in the summer of last year.
While he was gone Mamie Biggerstan.
a neighbor GIRL stayed lat White Hall
with me.
''she is lively. arsd when mfr. Clay came
home and Mamie went away the big house
appeared SO lonesome THAT j just couldn't
stay there; that is an there Is to It. II
hated to leave Mr.. Clay there by himself
after he had been SO good and kind ito
me, but it seemed to me that must
leave the old place ( reckon he made me
a little afraid to stay there, for he was;
80 afraid some member of his family
would kill me that he would not let me
go out of the house at night even for
q bucket of water. .,. 'a..- ,..-., .
"To tell you the TRUTH, both ms 1olkS
and my folks interfered with US. His son
Brutus-I hate h1In-trded to keep us from
getting married, and them after we were
narried I think he did all he could to
make Mr.. Clay dissatisfied 1 hear he
went ito White Hall to see Mr.. Clay the
day before the divorce papers Were got
out. e..
.My folks made a lot of trouble for me.
They ssemed to think that because was
Mr.. Clay's wife ought to be able to give
them anything wanted. Finally they got
ITO fighting over me, and 1t seemed as II l
syas causing everybody trouble.
~, ct reckon 7 would have learned to love
a,nn rs a wife ought to love her husband
if we had not been interfered with. The
xpay nv kf,1folks acted, it made him mad
ct them and he abused them for every
+htne he co4a1d think of. OF course. I
did not like to hear my own brothers
e,h,,ssed and so that made me mad, and
VIII admit did not always feel as
Kind to Mr.. Clay as ought to have felt.
Then his folks or some OF their TRENDS
ran TO him with a. lot Of lies about me
and Win Bryant.
ssfIis faith in me was shaken, and !
could see that he did not feel toward me
as he used to feel. had only been away
.rorn white Hall little while when
these stories began to be told, ana
fully intended to return In time, but
xa1em / felt that Mr.. Clay did not be,
Aawn In me- any longer thought u
Y II
2 As stsss