"It was a sweet day of early spring. The patches of snow that were left under the fences and on the rising grounds were melting fast. The road was one continued slough up to the very portico of the house. The dwelling stands on a gentle eminence, and is neat and even handsome in exterior, with a flight of steps leading up to the portico. "A lawn and wood which must be pleasant in the summer stretches behind, and from the front there is a noble object on the horizon,--the mountain chain which traverses the state, and makes it eminent for its scenery. The shifting lights upon these blue mountains were a delightful refreshment to the eye, after so many weeks of city life as we had passed. "We were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Madison, and a niece, a young lady who was on a visit to her." Mr. Madison discussed many subjects of mutual interest with Harriet Martineau during her two days' visit, and she afterwards wrote: "He appeared perfectly well during my visit, and was a wonderful man of eighty-three." Of the second day of her visit she writes: "The whole of this day was spent like the last, except that we went over the house looking at the busts and prints, which gave an English air to the dwelling, which was otherwise wholly Virginian. During all our conversations one or another slave was perpetually coming to Mrs. Madison for the great bunch of keys; two or three more lounged about in the house, leaning against the door-posts or the corner of the sofa; and the attendance of others was no less indefatigable in my own apartments." Harriet Martineau was much interested in slavery, and in discussing the subject with Madison he told her that all the bad she had heard about it was true, and he was "in despair in regard to slavery." As long as he was able he always superintended his own slaves, and had no overseer, and they were always well cared for. Another visitor at Montpellier had been greatly surprised to see the women, neatly dressed in bright calicoes, going to church; and when a shower came, to see the dozen umbrellas that were raised. Madison, in speaking of the appalling increase in their numbers, said that "one-third of his were under five years of age" (he had over one hundred), and that he had recently been obliged to sell part of his best land to support them, and also to sell some of his slaves. It does not seem to have occurred to him to free them, as both Washington and Jefferson had done by will. Montpellier and most of the slaves were afterwards sold to pay the debts of Dolly's dissolute son. Paul Jennings, Madison's faithful servant, bought his freedom from Dolly, and afterwards lived with Daniel Webster. At the time of Dolly's death[64] her negro slaves were valued at two thousand dollars. [Illustration: Dolly Madison in later years. From Water-color by Mary Estelle Cutts. Courtesy of Miss Lucia B. Cutts.]