El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-07

2 Owe. the poets say, is blind. The
poets are high authority on the
subject. If they needed proof to
support their statement what more
impressive instance would they have to
furnish than that of Andrew Jackson?
For twenty four years Andrew Jack
son never went without his pistols
ready 10 kill those of his enemies who
made capital out of the iTregularity of
his marriage to Rachel DOnelsOn. OF
all the duels he fought and all the
street braWls in which he engaged
after his marriage, only two were due
to causes other than criticism of him
in connection with his union with his
wife He killed Dickinson. He lOnged
to kill Clay. He tried to kill Benton.
It was one Of the griefs of his life that
he could not kill Calhoun.
He could forgive anything but a re-
Election upon the woman he loved. To
him she was a goddess L never saw
her except with the eyes Of his youth
when she was sprightly, gay and
charming Tt mattered not to him that
soon she became fat and ungainly;
that she Waddled and was almost gro
tesque; that from a fun loving girl she
became painfully piOus and bored
everyone but her husband with her re-
ligiOus eXhOrtatOns To him she was
a queen among women He might be
IN the company Of the most beautiful
and talented women Of the land, but
had eyes for no other of her sex He
was her knight her slave, her devoted
lover.
And Rachel DoneIson-what was
she2 a child Of the frontier. She never
really mastered photography or gram
mar. although she read much and
wrote much. Her heart may be said
TO have been as big as her body. Hav-
mOthered all the people who came
about her. She never did an Unkind
act and never tired Of deeds Of kind
ness She had a rare business head
She managed the great plantaiOn-the
Hermlta ge-berter than did her nus
band. When the general was absent,
his affairs prOspered- When he as
sumed control things did not 90 so
well.
She had for a husband a man of
furious temper, one who drank
freely, gambled and swore like q
trooper. He-never uttered an unkind
lacking in courtesy or devotion. /
Through his great love for her he 1
took under his wing all the members
of the many branches Of her family. /
To be related to her was sufficient 1
claim for anything. Her nephew he /
adopted as his son. Her cousins and !
their children shared his purse and |
his possessions.
His Two Loves.
Andrew jackson loved two women
his mother and his wife Of the two /
women the mother was the greater !
character. She influenced Jackson /
throughout his life, although she died
before he vas IA years old. Rude /
strong, great man that he was, he (
could not speak about her even in his /
old age without tears coming into his
eyes. And few women were more de-
serving Of the tears of respect of a
son than was the mother of Jackson.
It was when he was q that Jack
sons love romance began. He had
travelled from North Carolina over the (
mountains to a settlement in what is
now middle Tennessee and the site
OF the city Of Nashville. In the out
skirts Of the settlement dWelt a Mrs. I
DonelsOn, widow Of Col J. W. DOnel-
son. a pioneer of Tennessee With her
were various of her chaldren, includ-
ing Rachael, the wife Of Lewis RO-
bards. The DOnelsOns were WelltOdO, {
but their home was so exposed to in
dian attack that it was thought wise
to take men bOarders as a matter of
protection Andrew Jackson and one
OF his companions John OvertOn, took
one of Mrs. DonelsOn's small log cab
ms as their sleeping quarters and law
office.
Rachel Richards.
Mrs. Robards who was less than q,