Dolly Madison's Receptions

1874

Mrs. Madison, after the decease of her husband, returned to Washington, and, for a number of years occupied a house of moderate dimensions near Lafayette square.

She did not go into society, but held weekly receptions, at which her friends and others properly introduced were allowed to attend. She also held a drawing-room on New Year's day; which was generally attended by the principal officers of the Government, the military and naval officers in Washington, and foreign ministers attending in full costume, with the same formality observed at the Presidential Mansion.

On these occasions Mrs. Madison was dressed in a rich and ample robe of black velvet trimmed with point-lace and a magnificent turban crowning her head. She was somewhat above the medium size, moderately tending to corpulency. Her complexion was clear, and her features were still beautiful and expressive of dignity and intelligence.

The tall and slender figure of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, whose husband, as is well known, was first Secretary of the Treasury under General Washington, would be seen standing near Mrs. Madison, dressed in the habiliments of deep mourning which she had assumed forty years before, when her husband, in the full strength of early manhood, had fallen in a duel with Aaron Burr.