The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-29


 with great solicitude the encourage
 ing news from the bedside of Mrs Jefferson Davis. The marked improvement in her condition has brought the hope to hundreds and thousands of hearts that the widow of the president of the Confed- eracy may be fully restored and live to even riper old age. Mrs. Davis is now seYenty-seven. Women who have played prominent part in the history of the world cannot have their years reckoned in the ordinary way It is like the books and the plays, ten, twenty, thirty years eclipse between scenes. Some women count their ages by decades, by events
 Mrs. Davis does not look her age de- spite an infirmity that has forced her to walk with a stick for years. She has long been unable to stand the fatigue at pub lie receptions and at those held in her honor she has been compelled to receive sitting. Her health has declined steadily since the death of her idolized daughter Winnie, and she has continued to live quietly at her same apartments in the Girard hotel at 12S West Forty-fourth street, New York city.
 Mrs. Davis owing to some trouble with the Lippincotts over the publication of her book Jefferson Davis; A Memoir by His Wife" was prevented from real izing sufficient royalty that would have provided amply for her wants. She has been compelled to turn her literary tal- ents into various channels. As a critic and writer of special articles. she has been able to maintain herself comfort ably, but modestly and it is well known that the widow of President Davis de- rives a large part of her income from proof reading.
 She lies ill at Castle Inn, the old home of Willard Fillmore, President of the United States. Mrs Grant is dead. Few contemporaries of those historic women are living today Mrs. Virginia Clay Clopton, one of the memorable women of a memorable era, is at work upon her memoirs that will revive the tragic and dramatic scenes in which the President and Mrs. Davis were the central figures. During the first years of President Davis imprisonment, Mrs. Davis was not permitted to be with him, but she re- mained with him during his second year of confinement at Fortress Monroe.
 Mrs. Davis was a brilliant figure in Washington when her husband was In congress and afterward in the senate. and later during his term as secretary of war. With the exception of the years spent in Washington and Montgomery. Richmond and Memphis, Mrs. Davis dur ing the Presidents lifetime passed a greater part of the time at their Brler- field plantation in Warren county, Missls- sippi, and at "Beauvoir." They were in England for several years.
 Mrs. Davis last visit south was upon the invitation of the Mississippi legisla- ture, which was considering the purchase of Beauvoir for the purpose of convert ing it into home for disabled confeder- ate soldiers. She disposed of the beauti- ful old place that it might be forever more associated with the confederacy, and made practically a great sacrifice f- nancially. as she had declined a large offer from a northern syndicate.
 Mrs Davis spent day In Birmingham on her way to Beauvoir. At reception arranged in her honor hundreds of people had the privilege of seeing again. and many of them for the first time. one of the most heroic of women.
 We are fond of dwelling upon the lives of women who have made history. Wo like to read Hearn's description of the marble memory of Josephine that stands in the Savon. We weep over the
  draw parallels. And while the widow of the President of the Confederacy lies i'll at Castle Inn the people of the south are stirred by memories of one of the noblest and sweetest of historic women.