Evening star., 1939-07-16
Cosmos Club
Is Present
Custodian
Popular Occupant
Attained Unique
Position Here
By John Clagen Proctor.

The suggested purchase of the
Cosmos Club properties, facing La
fayette Park, naturally brings to
mind the old home of Dolly Mad
ison at the southeast corner of H
street and Madison place, purchased
by the club in 1886 and added to
since then until it now extends south
on Madison place to the alley ad-
Joining the Belasco Theater.
The fact that President Madison's S
attractive wife and widow resided
in this building and died there nat
urally makes the place historic and
to the lover of famous old homes
would form very good reason why
this property should not be dis
turbed. But the writer's expert
ence has been that this will have
little if any bearing on the sub
ject.
Dolly Madison was born in North
Carolina May 20. 1853, when her
mother, Mary Coles Payne, wife
of John Payne, jr., happened to be
visiting her parents in the Tarheel
State, for Dolly's parents were then
residents of the Old Dominion State,
In Hanover County. But, at any
rate, Mrs. Madison was undeniably a
real Southern beauty.
However, her parents were Quak-
ers and did not believe in slavery,
and so, in 1888. after freeing his
slaves. the father, John Payne,
moved from Virginia and settled In
Philadelphia. Dolly was at this
time IS years Of age, and six years
later she married John Todd, jr., a
young lawyer, who was "tall, hand
some in face and figure, of manly
bearing, independent means, was
well established in his profession and
had given every promise of future
eminence at the bar"
Fighting Scourge.
In 1893, during one of Philadel-
phia's worst yellow fever scourges,
John Todd moved his wife and in
FAINT son-there was soon to be
added another-to place of safety,
just as President Washington did
at the same time when he moved
out into Germantown and leased
the residence of Col. Isaac Franks.
After Mr.. Todd had succeeded in
getting his family safely located, he
returned to the infected area to
render what aid he could to the
sick and dying, which included
watching at the bedside of his father
and mother, who were fatally
stricken with the dreaded disease.
When the epidemic had subsidized,
he returned to his little family, but
1t was too late, as her nephew tells
us: "The young wife threw herself
into his arms, but he bore with him,
all unconscious, the seeds of the
dread disease, and died October "a,
1913; while she, the adored, having
taken the fever, lay at the point of
death for three terrible weeks, and
recovered only to find herself bereft
both of her husband and infant"
If there is any doubt as to the
kind of man Todd was, read this
part of his will, and then there can
be no question in any ones mind He
says:
"I give and devise my estate, real
and personal, to the dear wife of
my bosom and first and only woman
upon whom my all and only affec-
tions were placed, Dolly Payne Todd,
her heirs and assigns, forever, trust
ing that, as she has proved an amia-
BILE and affectionate wife to her
John, she may prove an affectionate
mother to my little Payne and the
sweet babe unborn. My last prayer
Is. may she educate him in the ways
OF honesty, though he may be obliged
to beg his bread, remembering that
will be better to him than a name
and riches"
Wedding at Hardwood.
But it was not given that Dolly
Payne should remain widow for
long, and soon we find Aaron Burr
interceding for James Madison for
an introduction to her. and within
a year they were married. She at
this time was 26; he was II years
her senior. The wedding took place
at the home of her sister, Mrs
George Steptoe Washington, at
Harewood, Va, now West Virginia
From here they went to Montpelier
100 miles distant, which was ever
afterward their private home. There
was every bit as much love between
them as there was between her and
her first husband, and their earthly
separation was equally as sorrow
full.
During the invasion of Washing
ton by the British in 1914, Dolly
Madison was one of the most COM
posed people in the city and the last
one of the Presidents official family
to leave the White House, and ther
not until she had secured the picture
Of George Washington and borne II
away to place of safety.
When President Madison left the
White House in 1877, he and Mrs
Madison returned to their home ir
Montpelier, in Orange County, Va.
where the former President dice
June %, 1886. At Montpelier, Mrs
Madison remained for more than q
year, when she returned to Wash.
ington and took up her residence al