Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-07-30
The Love Story of,Thomas Jefferson.

He was a lean, freckled, sandy-haired
lawyer and planter. She was known as
''the girl widow" And she was not only
pretty. but had an enormously rich father.
He was Thomas Jefferson-one day to
become author of the Declaration, Presi-
dent OF the United States, Father OF De-
mocracy. She was Martha Shelton,
daughter OF Counselor John Wayler and
widow OF Bathurst Shelton. When they
met she w2s 21 and Jefferson was 20.
That was in ITO.
Jefferson, like Washington, chad ever
an eye for fine woman" AS a young
man he was forever falling in love and
out OF it again. For example, he pro-
posed TO Susan Burwell, Williamsburg,
| VA beauty, whom he always spoke oil
as Belinda" He asked her TO be his
wife and coupled his proposal with the
remark that he was in no great hurry 10
marry, but that he would be glad to wed
Susan on his return from an indefinitely
long trip to Europe. She angrily rejected
this lukewarm avowal and soon after
ward married another man.
II was while his oft-battered heart was
healing from this wound that Jefferson
met Martha ,Skelton. Theirs was no
whirlwind courtship. The wooing lasted
two years, from ITO TO l772. He had
plenty OF rivals, for Martha was wonder
fully attractive; nor did her fathers wealth
lessen her charm.
But Jefferson had one great advantage
over all other suitors. He was musical.
They were not. And Mrs. Shelton was
music mad. She had fine voice and
played divinely on the spinet the piano S
harp-like parent, and she cared little for
people who could not produce melody.
Jefferson had a magnificent voice, and he
played the violin better than could any
other man in Virginia. 1t was musical
wooing.
Here is story still told in Virginia
Two men who were courting Mrs. Skel-
ton met by chance in front OF her home
one day. Each had come thither to ask
her to marry him. AS they mounted the
steps OF the house they heard the strains
of music through the open drawing room
window.
Jefferson and Mrs. Shelton were sing
ing duet, accompanying themselves on
the spinet and the violin. The two call
ers listened for a few moments, then
glanced at each other in sudden under
standing, turned around and without a
word walked away. They said after
ward they had realized then and there
that none but acknowledged lovers could
sing together in such matchleSS and SYM
pathetic harmony. Jefferson and Mrs.
Shelton began the year Of l772 auspici-
cusly by marrying on New Years Day.
They were married at the house of Mar
tha's father. Jefferson, in his delight
over the occasion, spent money left and
right. He gave the clergyman big fee,
overpaid the musicians, tipped the SER
wants and-ran out of money before the
festivities were half over and had to bor-
row back the fee he had given the clergy
man.
Then the bride and groom set out in a
travelling coach for JeffeTSon's 5000 acre
Monticello plantation. The weather was
bitter cold and snowstorm was raging.
The snow at last grew so deep that the
coach broke down. Jefferson and Martha
finished the Journey on horseback. They
reached Monticello at dead OF night, worn
out half frozen.
OF all the plantations 81 negro slaves
not one was present to welcome them.
Not expecting their master to return until
the next day, all the servants had retired
to their cabins for the night. The big
house was deserted, firelesS and without
lights. 1t was gloomy homecoming, the
more so since the famished couple could
find no food and were forced 10 make
their house warming feast on half bot
tie OF stale wine that Jefferson discovered
behind a row Of books in his library.
Yet the union so cheerlessly begun was
destined TO be very happy. About year
later Martha's father obligingly died, leav-
ing his huge fortune TO his daughter.
For 10 years The Jeffersons lived together
in ideal content, mutually devoted. Then,
in 1882, at The close of the Revolution,
Martha died-long before her husband
reached the pinnacle OF his world-great-
ness, but perhaps not too soon to foreSee
something OF the wonderful future that
lay ahead OF him.