Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-22

| addressed 10 the care or the freSlueill O1
the United States, although, it is entirely
probable that Mrs. Todd was visiting his
| family at the time. Washington had sew
eral brothers living in that part OF Vlr-
ginia. and frequently went with the rest
| of the fashionable world to drink the
| waters Of Berkeley springs.
|! The writing is very legible. although
the letter is much worn by human con-
tact and at the creaSes 1t is broken so
that some of the words cannot be de-
ciphered. 1t begins as follows:
The Letter Of Advice.
PHILADELPHIA, August D. 1884
Il will not delay a moment, my ever
dear and valued friend, to reply to your
last interesting Epistle. Flattered as /
am by your Condescension in consulting
me on this important Occasion, and truly
and disinterestedly solicitous for your
Welfare-the Task I undertake is far
from being painful one. AS your friend
feel not the least Hesitation in forming
my Opinion-ought I, then, to feel any
reluctance in communicating it?
Mr. Nh is man whom I admire
not therefore content myself with taking
his Character from the Breath of popular
applause. but those who knew
him intimately in Private Life. His per-
sonal Character, therefore. l have every
reason to believe is good and anna BILE
He unites to the great Talents which
have secured his public Appreciation those
engaging Qualities that contribute so
highly to domestic Felicity. To such a
man. therefore. I do most freely Consent
that my beloved Sister be united and
happy"
The four lines following were erased
with great care, SO that the reader could
not If she tried be able to interpret them
Yes nv dear and amiable Julia you
nave my fullest and freest Appreciation
of the Step you are about to take. No
wish is dearer to my Heart that your
Happiness & Heaven is my Witness that
nothing is less selfish than my Attach
ment to you. That I have not been in
sensible to your Charms ought not
think to be regarded as Fault Few
persons in similar Situations would not
have felt their irresistible Influence; but
none / will venture to say could have
mingled in their Emotions more true Re-
spect and Fraternal Affection than .
have"
Then, having earnestly advised her to
accept Mr.. Madison's proposal. he says:
with respect to the Settlement on
your Son | will give you my sentiments
frankly. You are placed in a critical sit
uation in this Affair. The Eyes of the
World are upon you and your Enemies
have already opened their Mouths to
censure and condemn you. l hope you
Will diSapDoint them.
And then he proceeds to discuss her
duty to her child.
"Mr. Nh is as I am informed man
Of genteel tho not of large property. He
has a right to expect some part but does
not want the whole of your Estate. /
would suggest therefore that your House
and stables situated in Fourth Street be
previously to your marriage conveyed to
trustees in trust for the benefit of your
son. and Mr.. Wilkins explains in detail
how it should be done. Then he closes
his letter as follows:
IF / have given my opinion with too
much Freedom l earnestly solicit your
pardon. l am sensible that neither Age
Wisdom or Relationship authorizes M
to advise-but your own Command has
opened my Lips and Friendship bids me
be sincere.
with the truest-sincerest wishes for
your Happiness. l am ever and affec-
tionately yours:
MY respects to Mrs. Payne.
Mystery as to Wilkins.
1 wish we knew who Wilkins was and
how he acquired the right to address the
pretty widow in these tones. They must
have been very close friends. Perhaps he
was lover and she took that method OF
informing him of her engagement to an
ether. 4ir any rate, they were on terms
of affectlonate confidence. He calls her
Julia" which was probably pet name,
but no one else ever used it, There are
hundreds of letters in existence that were
Written to Mrs Madison by intimate
friends at all periods of her life. and that
name does not appear in any of them.
Nor is it referred to in any of the several
biographies that have been published of
this distinguished lady and her diStin
guished husband. Evidently nobody but
Wilkins ever called her Julia. and that
makes us all the more curious TO know
who wilkins was. He calls her his be
loved sister," too, which suggests that
perhaps she had refused to marry him
and had offered him the consolation that
has often been given to other men. He
alludes to a "fraternal relation" which
confirms the theory that she had prom
Used to be his sister One would suppose
that the identity of friend to whom SO
strong character as Mrs. Madison would
apply for information to the private
life of the man she intended to marry
must be disclosed somewhere in the vO-
luminous publications that concern her,
but it is not
Acting upon Wilkins advice. although
she had undoubtedly made up her mind
before she wrote him. Dorothy Payne
Todd was united in marriage to James
Madison at the home of her brother-in-
law, Charles Steptoe Washington, Sep
TENDER Is. 1914. and an Episcopal clergy
man was brought from Winchester to per-
form the ceremony. The next day the
bridal couple started for Montpelier, Mr..
Madison's estate in eastern Virginia. and