A Social Queen—“The Most Popular Person in the United States”—“Dolly Madison’s” Reign—The Slow Days of Old—A Young Lady Rides Five Hundred Miles on Horseback—Travelling Under Difficulties—Political Pugnacity—A Peaceful Policy—Formality _versus_ Hospitality—Big Dishes Laughed at—A Foreign Minister Criticises—Advantages of a Good Memory—Funny Adventure of a Rustic Youth—A Strange Pocketful—Putting Him at his Ease—Doleful Visage of a New President—Getting Rid of a Burden—A Brave Lady—She Writes to Her Sister—Waiting in Suspense—Taking Care of Cabinet Papers—“Disaffection Stalks Around Us”—“Col. C.” very Prudently “Skedaddles”—One Hundred “Braves” Skedaddle with Him—“French John” Makes a Proposition—He Desires to “Blow up the British”—John “Doesn’t See It”—Watching and Waiting—Flight—Unscrewing the Picture—After the War—Brilliant Receptions—Mrs. Madison’s Snuff Box—Clay Takes a Pinch—“This is My Polisher!”—“_Tempora Mutantur_”—Two Plain Old Ladies from the West—“If I Jest Kissed you”—They Depart in Peace—Days of Trouble and Care—Manuscripts Purchased by Congress—The “Franking Privilege” Conferred upon Mrs. Madison—Honored by Congress—Last Days of a Good Woman—Mrs. Monroe—A Serene and Aristocratic Woman—“_La Belle Americaine_”—Madame Lafayette in Prison—Fennimore Cooper Expresses an Opinion—Grotesque Anomalies at a Reception—The Crown and the Eagle. President Jefferson showed his personal appreciation as well as his official recognition of Mrs. Madison, both in his letters to his daughters and in the fact that Mrs. Madison, when the wife of the Secretary of State, presided at Jefferson’s table during the absence of his own family. But it was as the wife of the fourth President of the United States that she inaugurated the golden reign of the President’s house. She was the only woman of absolute social genius, who ever presided in this house. Thus the beneficence and brilliancy of her reign was never approached before her time, and has never been equalled since. It is a rare combination of gifts and graces which produces the pre-eminent social queen, in any era or in any sphere. Mrs. Madison seemed to possess them all. During the administration of her husband she was openly declared to be “the most popular person in the United States;” and now, after the lapse of generations, after hosts of women, bright, beautiful and admired, have lived, reigned, died, and are forgotten, “Dolly Madison” seems to abide to-day in Washington, a living and beloved presence. The house in which her old age was spent, and from which she passed to heaven, is every day pointed out to the stranger as her abode. Her face abides with us as the face of a friend, while her words and deeds are constantly recalled as authority, unquestioned and benign.