The Washington herald., 1913-11-08
MRS. CLARK ADDRESSES
CONGRESSIONAL CLUB
Wife Of Speaker Discusses @0uI
Minds. Morals, and Manners,
Past and Present.

The regular Friday afternoon tea Of
The Congressional Club was enlivened
yesterday afternoon by the first of a
series OF informal talks. inaugurated
by Mrs. Duncan U. Fletcher, president
of the club. Mrs. Champ Clark, wife
of the Speaker. opened the series, TAX
ing at random a text for her remarks.
'our Minds. Morals, and Manners-Past
and Present"
from lively to severe" and took a pass
ing notice of nearly everything of i'm
portance since the foundation OF the
government, from Washington's first
state dinner down to Miss Jessie Will
sons forthcoming wedding.
Starting out with the proposition
that whatever things be sweet and
fair, love makes them So" Mrs. Clark
diseoursed on the love affairs OF our
lawmakers. and told about the wooing
by John Adams of Abby Smith, and
how she-destined to be the wife Of
one President and the mother of an
other-overcame parental disapproval
and married the man Of her choice.
John Adams" said Mrs Clark, was
not a favorite with Parson Smith. Abb
gail Adams father. The Smiths turned
up their noses at the Adamses, and
Abby was told TO put John Adams out
minded to do. At that time II was
customary in good New England So
ciety to preach a wedding sermon. thus
announcing the engagement, and the
bride was allowed to choose the text.
Mary Smith, AbigaiPs older sister, was
engaged to a man named Cranch,
connection agreeable to her father.
Mary. the sanity maiden, chose as her
text, Mary hath chosen the better
IL. - lrev rory
from her." When Abby's turn came,
her mind running on the fact Of her
sweetheart never even being invited
to dinner, she chose, John came, neith-
er eating meat nor drinking wine, and
you say he hath a devil"
In speaking of Thomas Jefferson and
his love affairs Mrs. Clark said that Of
all the people of whom history makes
but brief mention she felt sorriest for
Bathurst Shelton, the first husband of
Jefferson's wife, whose fine qualities were
swallowed up in the splendid fame of his
wife's second husband Although Mrs.
Jefferson was only twenty-three when
married to jefferson she had borne son
to her first husband which had died in
infancy. Mrs. Clark averred that II Mrs.
Jefferson's second husband had been any
other man on earth than Thomas JEFF
ferson, who made a note of everything,
the name of this child would never have
come down to posterity. But in Mr..
Jefferson's neat hand writing We have
his name, John Shelton, and one of this
child's collateral descendants, John Skel-
ton Williams, is an official of the present
administration.
In speaking OF Aaron Burr Mrs. Clark
laid stress on the fact that this noted
American was a good family man and
a kind stepfather to the children of the
Widow Provost, whom he married be-
cause OF her good manners, when he
could have gotten any girl he asked and
thus built up his financial and political
fortunes.
He was always a favorite with the
women" said Mrs. Clark. which 1 think
is the best test of all His wife adored
him, and his daughter Theodosia said: I
had rather net be than not be the daugh-
ter of Aaron Burr"
Mrs. Clark told the romantic story of
Matthew Lyon, the great-grandfather of
former Representative Hepburn of Iowa,
now a resident of Washington. Matthew
Lyon was an Irish boy, who sold his
services in exchange for passage to
America The ships captain in turn sold
young Matthew to the Governor of Yer
mont, who took a fancy to him, AMI
Matthew married the Governcr's daugh-
ter. AS Representative from the State
Of Vermont Matthew Lyon created quite
a sensation by splitting in the face of an