Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-25

ten by her to her niece, Fanny, in Vir-
ginia, while the new sovereign lady
was in full flush of her honors in tho
presidential house in Cherry street,
Manhattan II live a very dull life
here, and Know nothing of what passes
! in the town. | never go to any public
place. Indeed | think ] am more like
state prisoner than anything else.
There are certain bounds which | must
rot depart from, and as I cannot do
as | like [ am obstinate and stay at
home great deal"
And this while the very first lady
was in the habit Of showing herself
in public in a carriage of cream and
gold, with six horses and outriders;
when her Friday evenings were
thronged with the beauty and fashion
and distinction of the first adnfinistra
ton period Truly, the heart Of a
good woman clings healthily to first
principles.
sprightIy Abigail Adams.
Abigail Adams, wife of the second
president, the first lady to occupy the
executive mansion-over which, it
must be avowed, she grumbled and
fused vigorously, objecting to the re-
moval from gay Philadelphia to for
lorn Washington-ha previously en-
joyed long training in the ways of
courts and rulers. She had made part
of high society in England when her
husband was the first diplomatic rep
resentative Of his country at the court
of ST. James, and had travelled on the
continent, meeting and noting many
interesting persons. AS wife of Wash
ington's vice president she had been a
power in administrator circles in
New York and Philadelphia She was
bright, CHEEKY, quick-witted woman,
with a keen sense of fun, some tenden
cy toward ridicule and much adapta
bility to circumstances. Her letters
apart from their chronicle of events,
are distinctly good reading and her
sway at the white house set high
standard of social elegance for her
successors to maintain.
Mr.. Jefferson, on becoming presi
dent, was widoWer, and his young
married daughter-she whom Ran
dolph of Roanoke styled the noblest
woman in Virginia-was supremely oc-
cupied with the cares of a young fam
lily at Monticello. The president had
thought to rid himself of one feature
of the cares of sovereignty by abol-
ishing the levees bequeathed to him by
his predecessors in office. But he
reckoned without his guests, since
some of the DANES and damsels of
Washington, resenting this infringe
ment of their social privileges, once
descended upon the white house in a
flock and were found by the president,
on his return, muddy and weary, from
a ride, occupying the accustomed room
of state To provide against such
forays in the future Mr. Jefferson So
licited and obtained aid in social mat
tiers from the accomplished and ca
pable Mrs. Madison, who, in the alb
sence of the ladies of his family.
thereafter presided when called upon
by the much-beset executive.
Of Mrs. Madison, affectionately
known as Dolly Madison SO much
in latter years has been said and writ
ten that it is only necessary to recall
the fact that she was widow of
Quaker ancestry when Mr., afterward
President, Madison married her, in
1894 A tradition of her youth in
Philadelphia told how her admirers
would stand at street corners only to
see her pass.
During the reign of this charming
parsonage social life at tue white
house received new impetus. There
was an immediate refiorescence of the
extinct levees and to all corners was
extended a gracious and bewitching
hospitality.
Following in the footsteps of Mrs.
Madison walked Mrs James Monroe,
formerly Miss Eliza Kortright of New
York, a renowned belle after the rev.
olution. The young ladys friends had.
indeed, thought she might do much
better in the matrimonial mart than
become the wife of the plain little
Virginia congressman. But she had
been serenely happy in her life with
the man of whom Mr. Jefferson said
This soul might be turned inside out
without discovering blemish to the
world" and through him, also, had
come to her the worldly rewards Of
the high place in his country's diplo-
matte service abroad, eliminating now
in the highest position in the nation 8
gift.
Of Maryland Lineage.
Mrs. John Quincy Adams, daughter
of Joshua Johnson, a Maryland squire
and statesman, was born in London
and lived abroad for years, her mar.
riage with Mr.. Adams occurring while
he was minister resident at The
Hague, a position he afterward ex,
changed for st. Petersburg and Lon
don. Her life in Washington during
the eight years that Mr. Adams was
secretary of state had given high evil