The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-26
MARGARET LEA. THE ALABAMA
 BRIDE OF GENERAL HOUSTON

bellum life in the South. Four slender columns reach from the ground to the
 second story and the wide yard is filled
 now as it was probably filled in 1s4O.
 with trees ard flowers. It Is on the same street and not far from Marion Female Seminary. the historic old insti- tuition of learning.
 dents of the wedding which, to say the
 least, should be recorded in history, all
 though the recounting of nne of them
 history that the hero of San Jacinto
 end the President of the Republic of
 Texas, drank deep on the day of his
 wedding He ,an drank t,s. so he oIyen ws to to the
 in condition to go on with the cere-
 mony. And every. time he drank one
 of his friends drank with hint In this
 we are told that the wedding party
 was not only observing the customs of
 the time customs which are known to
 have come down to a later day.
 The old Question.
 At any rate President Houston. so
 history tells us, needed treatment be-
 fore the ceremony. Ice water was
 brought and his head a,s was .,S,n wrapped p in in
 competent to fill the important role of bridegroom at the wedding.
 There come. too, we'll authenticated befornt before the oi wedding M between President Houston and Martin Lea, brother of the bride. In this interview MT. Lea asked
 the general what were hls reasons Tor As the protector of his sister, and the chief one concerned in her welfare, it might have been thought that he was nevertheless. an unfortunate question The old warriors face clouded and in hot words he spoke his anger.
 He declared that that was not ques- | tion which he could discuss with any | man. If Mir. Lea insisted on discussing | 1t he might dismiss the wedding guests | for there would be no marriage The | subject was not mentioned again; The wedding was marked, too by an action which might have been but was not serious. After the marriage the | bride and groom and guests repaired to | the home of another member of the Lea family, where a great reception | was rendered them. In the midst of the festivities the floor fell in, but no one | was seriously hurt.
 | This old Lea home still stands, to be | pointed out to visitors in Marion. The welded life begun so strangely r and under circumstances which might
 have been considered forboding: was | piest days of the stormy and pictur-
 esque life of General Houston were spent with his Alabama bride. Several | children were born to them. and one,
 Temple Houston. was a man of recog- | nized ability as a speaker and writer At the time of his marriage, General
 Houston was 47 years of age. In the |
 continued to bestow all the honors within their gifts. And yet he died a | grieved and disappointed man. His | disappointment and grief came from his strong opposition to the views of | his people on the question of seces- l sion. He was a man of the strongest
 passions and the strongest convictions ! and when he set his face against the
 secession of Texas from the Union, the
 overwhelming popular sentiment in
 favor of secession could not move him | He was Governor then. The State se-
 ceded over his protest and objection. He | refused to take the oath of allegiance
 to the Confederate Government, and he
 was deposed from the office of Gov | ernor. He died, little later, in retire
 ment, a pathetic end of remarkable
 strong ana picturesque career.
 The Lea family was one of the ear Hest of the wealthy settlers of Middle
 Alabama. Miss Margaret Lea, the | bride of Houston, was sister of Hon. | orable Clinton Lea, who had an honor
 able public career in Alabama, and she was, therefore, the aunt of Honorable | Sumpter Lea, formerly of Perry County,
 but now living in Birmingham.