Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/285

252 These are charming pictures we have of Aaron Burr waiting about in the government building for the arrival of the post that should bring the letter or diary directed in his daughter's girlish handwriting; and again seated at his desk in the noisy senate chamber writing a reply to his "Dear Little Daughter," in time to catch the return mail to New York.

While she was still a child in years Theodosia Burr assumed charge of her father's house, and the distinguished men who gathered there were charmed with the little hostess, her playful wit, her self-poise and dignity of manner. In those days, when she was mistress of "Richmond Hill" after her mother's death, she was more than ever the object of her father's thought and love. He continued to superintend her education, and no social duties, no business or pleasure of any sort were allowed to interfere with her advancement of learning. At sixteen she was still a schoolgirl, though her companions of the same age had relinquished all study books and were giving their entire attention to gowns, parties and beaux. And in later years, in spite of her beauty and talents and her high position as the daughter of Aaron Burr, she was delightfully simple and unaffected. Such was the result of sensible education and her own sweet nature. She also had many admirers. We have a hint of them in one of the jovial Edward Livingston's puns that have come down to us. He was Mayor of New York when Miss Burr was one of the ruling belles. One day he took the young lady aboard a French frigate lying in the harbor. "You must bring none of your sparks on board," he warned her in merry raillery, "for we have a magazine here and we shall all be blown up." However, Miss Burr's "sparks" were not long allowed to remain in evidence for there came impetuous young Joseph Alston from South Carolina, who straightway routed his rivals and captured her.

Through all the period of wifehood and motherhood, as in those earlier days when she was his little daughter, his pupil and mistress of his home, she remained the dearest thing in the world to her distinguished father. On the night before his duel with Hamilton his last thoughts before going to the field were of his daughter. To her he wrote: "I am indebted to you for a very great portion of the happiness which I have enjoyed in this life. You have completely satisfied all that my heart had hoped."

News of the duel reached his daughter in her far-away home. Its shadow fell on her with awful blackness. Her father was a fugitive from justice with an indictment of murder hanging over him. Her days of gladness were over, and her days of anxiety and sorrow had begun. She did not see her father for almost a year, but when he did come to her, blackened through many miles of travel in an open canoe, ruined in fortune and repute, he was as welcome as ever he had been in days of his prosperity. His disgrace had saddened his daughter. It had not lessened her love for him nor her belief in him. Her love and her belief were yet to undergo their trial. The duel with Hamilton was but the beginning of Burr's downfall. The Mexican scheme soon followed. In it Theodosia and her husband became involved. When Burr was to be King of Mexico, she was to be chief lady of the court and her husband chief minister and her little son, Aaron Burr Alston, was to be heir presumptive to the throne. But while they talked of a visionary dynasty the President issued his proclamation, and Burr was summoned to appear before the tribunal at Richmond to answer to the charge of high treason.