President Madison And Wife

home in Virginia, a correspondent of the Philadelphia Press gives the following reruiniscences of Mr. and Mis. Madison: The characteroí' Madisun's wife for social ability, warmth of disposition, and what is called spirit, will probably give her precedence over any mistress ot' the White House. Her husbaud was cold, í-narlish, expert, capable for public business, tractablo to his superiors; but he made no impression on the public. A ponruit of Mis. Madiou reveáis the secret of her strcnjth. She was large, brilliant ejes, with a trace of michief in them ; her arrus are bare and show full health ; tuere is an Oriemal turn to her nose, which utlit'iwis ¦ i rather vulgar; she wears a lace turban, and her hair lalls in ringlets arouud her forehcad. She was a native of North Carolina, and was brought up u stiict Quaker in Philadelphia. íSliu was ohristened plain Dolly Payne. While quite young she married Mr. Todd, a Phiiauclphia lawyr. He kept her rather out of society, but she was known before his death to be strikingly bandsome. He died while she was almostagirl.leaving her with ODe son ; her father was aUo dead, and it is (liu tradition that she and her mother kept a boarding-house io Philadelphia, to which camo sovcral uiembers of (Jongreaa seeking board. Madison was one of tlic riobest His dinl'osition was too cold for uiatrimony, and ho married, no doubt, beeause the Widow Todd upromely ftscioated him, He was at (lie time 43 years oíd. Our constitution bad tben been in existonce about five years, anil Madiwti tu regarded as one of the mo-t useful men under it. At the tiuie he uiarried, Madison already had one of the most distinguished reputationi in the country. She stepped at once out of a plain Quiiktr lauiily itito the control of a great Virginia mani-iou. When the capital was removed to Washington city, which was a mere wilderness til 1 d with brambles and alders, Mrs. Madison at once deiunnMratod lier capacity to tak e hold of society and give t forui. Her huband went regularly to his office, and took very little interest in society doing, but he gave her the íullest freedoru.