he old one, which had been but
tentative at the best. After the expiration of Mr. Madison's second term
of office the pair took up their residence at Montpelier, and there
lived almost in retirement until their deaths. Mrs. Madison survived her
husband thirteen years; but she never survived the love which she gave
him and which shows even more beautiful than their mutual emotion when
we remember that these were middle-aged people when they were married.
Even when they were old, long after their retirement into private life,
we find the wife writing to her husband, during one of his few and brief
absences from her, a letter which begins: "My Beloved, I trust in God
that you are well again, as your letters assure me you are," and ends,
"May angels guard thee, my best friend!"

Before her death, Mrs. Madison finally turned from the frivolities of
society, was baptized and confirmed by the Bishop of Maryland, and
declared that "There is nothing in this world really worth caring for."
She did not include her love for her husband among the "things of this
world"; and doubtless she spoke of the rest from full knowledge and with
true judgment. She had in her nature elements which under stress showed
high and noble; but probably she will be best remembered as the
representative woman of American society during the formative period of
the republic.

There is another name of that day well worthy of being singled out, even
among so many worthy compeers, as representative of American womanhood
in some of its noblest expressions. Though, from reasons born of the
political mutations of that time and of personal relationship, she was
never famous in society, or even in her time, Theodosia Burr was one of
the noblest, as of the most accomplished, women of her brief day. If she
was unfortunate in her parentage, she at least did not think so; for
never was love between parent and child more beautiful than that which
existed between Aaron Burr, the ostracized "traitor," and the lovely
woman who called him father. This is no place for a defence of Burr; but
in glancing at his family life we must lay aside political prejudice and
see him as far as we may through the eyes of his daughter. That daughter
was accomplished and intelligent beyond the scope of most men as well as
women of her day. Her education lacked indeed the Christian element
which is so beautiful in womanhood; but otherwise it might have been
pronounced sufficient by the most