The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-10

jackson was married in 1892. His wife |
was Rachel Donelson Richards. an un- |
happy young girl who had been beaten /
and driven from her home by her first |
husband, and who suffered the faint OF
his low nature until her death. One
who knew her well wrote CT her. when
the strife and sorrow and happiness
were all at an end, that like many a
woman with nothing remarkable IN
her she had the enviable gift Of max
ing life sweet and reposing to all about
her. She was eminently a gentle wo
man" For thirty years this wOman's
life was bound with that Of Andrew
! Jackson, and for nearly twenty years
| after her death her influence governed
/ and restrained him.
The Young Lawyers Love Affair.
jackson studied law as a youth at
/ Salisbury. " c., and took UP his resi-
| dence at Nashville. Tenn, in the year
! 17ss. Young lawyers then. as now. had
little enough to live on. The fight for
Il practice in Tennessee was particu-
I larly hard the State bar being so dis
tinguishe1 that when Buchanan went
/ there subsequently to open an Office, he
turned right about face and renewed the
/ Ight in Pennsylvania, where, he said,
there was less severe competition
During this struggle Jackson boarded
with the widow Donelson. Among the
Others in the house were his friend.
MAJOR Overton. and Mrs Rachel Rob
ards. the Iandlady's daughter. Mrs.
Robards had married several years be-
fore a man named Lewis Robsrds. had
borne III treatment at his hands with
out complaint, and had left his house
only when driven away. Mrs Donelson.
Mrs. Robards. Major Overton, and the
young lawyer grew to be great friends
Their home life was disordered, how
ever. by the arrival Of Mr.. Robards, who
had given up his house and removed TO
Nashville 10 make up with his wife.
| Robards remained with them several
weeks, found a new home for his shrink
ing. submissive unhappy, little mate
and then began TO exploit the most re-
markable suspicious as TO Squire Jack
son. The latter answered him in his
own way. There was nothing charged
and so nothing could be denied. but he
would talk with Robards. and for a
whole afternoon those two men thresh-
ed the subject about an orchard-the
husband vilifying the wife and the stran-
ger stoutly defending her against her
rghtfuI protector.
A Runaway Husband.
If there were any distinct allegations
of wrong conduct on the part Of Mrs.
Robards there was abundant testimony
% rebut them. Major Overton was
Jackson's room mate and swore not only
10 Jackson's good conduct in Nashville
but to a uniform morality which would
be exceptional today, and which was
rare indeed at the end Of the eighteenth
century. Mrs. Donelson and her daugh-
ter were inseparable. until the redoubta-
Bile Robards carried the younger woman
away and her testimony IS unassailable
| Prominent residents Of Nashville, a
J / JAA6E dlllDIlb A44SAAAS fCNN~++~--
Robards' character by receiving her in
their homes and sby publicly avowine
E her innocence. But the most convinc-
I ing answer to the accusations made by
Robards is this-that they did not allege
t and never did aIlege, one single specific
s act Of wrongdoing.
8 Robards was so wonderfully active II
= disseminating his mistrust that within
a few months 1t was known throughout
the whole State OF Virginia. This de-
! pressed Jackson greatly. He seemed tc
feel. says Major Overton, that his kind
~ attentions 10 the mother and daugh-
ter were the sole cause Of their unhap-
piness. But he did not waver in his at.
titude Of respectful. courtly guardian
ship over the two women or counte-
J nance by any single act the charges
a against them.
I IN a few months the girls husband
=, abandoned her again. This time h,
e made his way direct to Richmond, filed
a petition before the State Legislature