The Washington herald., 1916-05-09
YOUR WEDDING DAY
And the Famous Men and Women
Who Have Shared 1t.
BY MARY MARSHALL.
May 9-King James ", of Scotland
and Mary of Guise-Samuel
Houston.

Mary was a charming young widow OF
q when she first, cast the spell OF her
fascination around James ", of Scotland
who had also but recently mournod the
death of his first wife, Queen Magde-
lene. Mary possessed all the wit, in
tellisence and beauty of the house of
Guise to which she belonged. Added to
that she had been adopted blythe French
king and she possessed no little fortune
from her late husband. Louis of Orleans.
Strange wonder, then, that the Scotch
King on trip to the French capital,
should have been dazzled. And strange
wonder, too, that King Henry VIII, Eng
lands many-wived monarch, hearing OF
the many attractions OF the young
French widow should have cast covetous
eyes across the channel But apparently
Mary was not Indifferent to the charms
OF the Scotch royal suitor. At any rate
Henry's ambassadors pleaded in vain
and within few months after the Scotch
king first pressed his suit she was wed
in Notre Dame cathedral in Paris by
proxy and was on her way over seas to
Scotland. Naturally she would have made
the long trip to the highlands by way OF
England. But Henry had taken his re-
fusal in anything but the way he ought
TO have taken it. Mingled jealousy and
disappointment took possession Of him
and to show his Ill nature he ungallantly
refused his Scotch neighbor's bride the
privilege Of Passing through his king
DOM
Mary was considered to be a woman
of rare beauty although, as we read in
the old accounts, she was of the largest
stature of women" Apparently Henry
and James both admired the Amazon
type Of woman. Especially interesting is
this union because its only offspring was
Mary Queen of Scots.
SeVenty-siX years ago today Sam
Houston. the great Texan hero. was
married to his second wife, Margaret
Moffette Lea, and that day began a
domestic life of singular happiness. At
the time of her marriage Margaret
Lea was regarded as the belle of the
section of Alabama in which she lived
She had meet Houston while on a visit
to Mobile and at once she was drawn
I to the fascinating personality of the
man who was even then the leading
figure in Texas affairs. Although usu-
ally quite immune to feminine charms
the big Texan was entirely captivateG
by the young woman and an engage
ment followed a short courtship.
That the union would be a happy one
was something that few would have
predicted at the time. In spite of
he was. at that time, much given to
drink. and the nick name, THE Big
Drunk" given to him by the Indians,
had not failed to reach the ears of
Margaret Lea. Then, too. there was
the Unsolved mystery of his first
marriage. the rumors of which were
soon brought to the young woman
This had occurred eleven years pre-
viously at the outset of Eouston's ca
reer. After three months of married
life Houston had suddenly left this
, first wife. without a single explana-
/ ton being offered from either. This
| is painful" Houston often said wher
confronted with the scandals that
arose from this unfortunate affair
but ii is personal affair" And
more than this he could not be in.
duced to say.
! Needless to say, the second Mrs
Houston worked a perfect reform
with her husband so far as his ole
/ habit was concerned and their mar,
ried life. blessed by four sons and
four daughters, was one of great hap
piness.
!