did not attach the value to them that she did, and this led her to a course which proved her wisdom in matters of more substantial character than drawing-room diplomacy. She wrote to President Jackson and proposed that the Government should become the owner of the writings she had for sale.

Before the meeting of Congress in the winter of 1836, President Jackson received a long letter from Mrs. Madison, dated November 15, 1836, in which she stated, that her husband had charged legacies against his "Report of the Debates in the Constitutional Convention," that there was then no reason why this part of his writings should not be published; that she had not been successful in getting publishers to take hold of the work on conditions with which she could comply; and suggested the propriety of the Government purchasing the work or becoming responsible for its publication. The President immediately laid the matter before Congress, and recommended favorable action in the case.

On the 24th of January, 1837, the Library Committee reported in favor of buying the manuscript to which Mrs. Madison referred in her letter, and recommended the payment of thirty thousand dollars for it, giving to her the right to publish the work in foreign countries. The resolution was not finally acted upon directly, but an appropriation of the amount recommended was attached to the general appropriation bill on the 3d of March, for the purchase of the "Madison Papers," consisting of Mr. Madison's report of the debates in the convention which framed the Constitution of the United States; a report by Mr. Madison of the debates in the Continental or Confederate Con

gress in 1782, 1783, and 1787; and selections from Mr. Madison's early letters, together with Mr. Jefferson's report of the debates on the Declaration of Independence. The work as printed and bound in three volumes, by act of Congress, July 9, 1838, contains a number of other valuable items.

On the last day of May, 1848, Congress passed an act appropriating twenty-five thousand dollars to purchase of Mrs. Madison the remainder of her husband's manuscripts, and because her worthless son was spending all her fortune, James Buchanan, John Y. Mason, and Richard Smith were appointed as trustees to hold twenty thousand of the money for her.

Congress did not make provision for the publication of this last installment of Mr. Madison's writings until the 18th of August, 1856. This was published in four volumes and consisted of the greater part of his letters, and many other valuable papers.

In 1837, Mrs. Madison returned to Washington and went to reside in a house built by Mr. Madison on the south-east corner of H Street and Madison Place, and there she remained until her death, which occurred July 12, 1849. During these twelve years of residence at the Capital she lost none of her hold upon the good opinion of the people.

Nothing could have been more gratifying to her than the kindness in every way displayed towards herself. On two days in the year, New Year's and the 4th of July, she held "receptions," and her house on those occasions competed with the President's, as a source of popular attraction. She never abandoned. her turban, her fondness for dress, and society of the young and the old.

Mr. Madison's estate at the time of his death was worth at least a hundred thousand dollars. He had inherited a considerable property, and had no extravagant habits. He died out of debt. It is frequently found stated that Mrs. Madison died poor, but while this is not strictly true, her want as far it existed was in no way owing to her husband. Besides her son, Payne Todd, whom she and Mr. Madison raised, she also adopted a niece, Anna (or Dolly) Payne. She and her husband were not successful in Payne's education, and he turned out to be a dissipated and riotous character, who gave Mr. Madison a world of trouble, and after his death, controlled his mother, squandered her fortune, did much towards destroying the peace of her last days, and finally died at Washington only regretted by the dissipated wretches who were benefited by his preying upon his mother. Mr. Madison had endured his evil conduct, had paid his debts, made him superintendent of his farm, and in other ways tried to reform him. He had even allowed him to act as one of his secretaries while President, by the side of the excellent Edward Coles, one of his other relatives. Payne's character was well known in Congress, and when Mrs. Madison came to offer the last lot of her husband's papers, that body declined the appropriation unless she would consent to have it put in a condition in which her son could not reach it. The sum of five thousand left unprotected, Todd soon squandered. Mrs. Madison made a will in which she gave one-half of all she was then worth (only about twenty thousand dollars) and her household goods to her son, and the other half to Anna Payne. But at the last hour Todd prevailed upon her to give all she

had to him. The will was contested by friends who well knew Payne's evil influence over his mother, and half of the estate was decreed to Anna according to Mrs. Madison's original desire. Anna married and not long subsequently died.

The following is Mrs. Madison's letter on the taking down of the portrait of Washington and preserving it during the invasion of 1814:

"WASHINGTON, February 11, 1848.

"DEAR SIR,-I did not receive your favor containing the newspapers, and therefore is my impatience to assure you of my gratitude for the interest you take in my defense in the little narrative of the picture rescue.

"You will see by the enclosed what was said at the time. The impression that Mr. Carroll (Daniel J. Carroll) saved Stuart's portrait of Washington is erroneous. The paper which was to accompany your letter has not reached me, but I have heard that his family believed he rescued it. On the contrary, Mr. Carroll had left me to join Mr. Madison, when I directed my servants in what manner to remove it from the wall, remaining with them until it was done. I saw Mr. Barker and yourself (the two gentlemen alluded to) passing, and accepted your offer to aid me, in any way, by inviting you to help me preserve this portrait, which you kindly carried between you to the humble but safe roof which sheltered it awhile. I acted thus because of my respect for General Washington, not that I felt a desire to gain laurels; but, should there be a merit in remaining an hour in danger of life and liberty, to save the likeness of any thing, the merit in this case belongs to me.

"Accept my respect and best wishes.

"D. P. MADISON.

"To R. G. L. DE PEYSTER, Westport, Conn."

Towards the end of her life Mrs. Madison joined the Episcopal Church, and was baptized; but she was never a pious woman, and like her husband, the relig ious side of her character was little exposed to public knowledge.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE FABLE OF JONATHAN AND MARY BULL-THE COALBLACK ARM OF HUMAN SLAVERY-THE HUS

BAND AND WIFE BOTH ORIGINALLY

BEAR THE TAINT.

HE following story or fable, found among Mr.

TH

Madison's papers, was written in 1821, after the settlement of the difficulties relating to the admission of the State of Missouri; and in it may be found his pleasing view of the case in a dress, which he was unused to give to his thoughts. Yet for all that one of the most readable productions from the pen of Mr. Madison is the fable of

JONATHAN BULL AND MARY BULL.

“Jonathan Bull and Mary Bull, who were descendants of old John Bull, the head of the family, had inherited contiguous estates in large tracts of land. As they grew up and became well acquainted, a partiality was mutually felt, and advances on several occasions made towards a matrimonial connection. This was particularly recommended by the advantage of putting their two estates under a common superintendence. Old Bull, however, as guardian of both, and having long been allowed certain valuable privileges within the estates, with which he was not long content, had always found the means of breaking off the match, which he regarded as a fatal obstacle to his secret designs of getting the whole property into his own hands.

"At a moment favorable, as he thought, for the attempt, he brought suit against both, but with a view of carrying it on in a way that would make the process bear on the parties in such dif