Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/49

 of by all. So, when he left the chair and went to his home, the great things he had done for his land were the most in mind. It was known that he did so large and so grand a share of the work by which our Con-sti-tu-tion was made, that he has, to all time, the name of the "Fa-ther of the Con-sti-tu-tion."

A wife whom all could praise, Dol-ly Todd, Mr. Mad-i-son found in 1794. Pres-i-dent and Mrs. Wash-ing-ton were glad for their two friends to wed. For two scores and two years this pair had no cloud in their lives. Mrs. Mad-i-son died in Wash-ing-ton in 1849.

All who came to Mont-pel-ier had high praise for the wife at the head. The old moth-er of Mr. Mad-i-son would say of her, "Dol-ly is my moth-er now, and cares for all my wants."

The time came when James Mad-i-son him-self, as old age crept on him, had need of the bright cheer his sweet wife gave. First he kept to the house, then he took to his chair, and near the end, staid in bed, kind to all who saw him, with just the right words to say and the same clear mind. His calm, good sense was with him, and his trust in God was strong. When the time came for him to go, he was read-y, and passed to his home on high.