O A MYSTERY OF COLONIAL DAYS BY GEORGE WILSON JENNINGS. NE of our famous authors once said, "there is a profound charm in mystery-every grain of sand is a mystery; so is every one of the flowers in summer, and so is every snowflake in winter. Both upwards and downwards, and all around us, science and speculation pass in mystery at last." In 1768 an event occurred at the home of the writer's maternal great grandparent, Jacob Sheafe of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This event has puzzled the descendants of this once-renowned family for many generations. Whether or no a man is to be classed as peculiar who vanishes without rhyme or reason on his wedding night is a question left to the reader's decision. Mr. James McDonough was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was richly endowed in this world's goods and was the fortunate suitor of Margaret Sheafe, who was the youngest daughter of Jacob Sheafe, a well-known merchant of his day. Mr. Sheafe was a man of affluence and known as one of the richest men in the Colonies. The Sheafe and McDonough families had been. close personal friends and neigh for many years. Margaret Sheafe and James McDonough were playmates in their childhood. This friendship culminated in this young couple's engagement. June first, 1768. On that evening the spacious mansion in State Street, the home of the intended bride, was resplendent in floral decorations and was brilliantly lighted for the nuptials. A host of friends of both the bride and groom elect assembled at this hospitable home to wish the happy couple godspeed and witness the launching of their ship on the "matrimonial sea," (the groom having remarked the evening previous to a friend, "I chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown, for qualities that will wear well.") In one of the upper rooms were displayed the wedding gifts which were rare and very beautiful, many from foreign countries; many were considered priceless. Among them was a mantel mirror having a Parian marble frame combined with silver, this having come from Balboa, Spain. In the lower main hall were stationed the artists who were to render the music on the harp, mandolin and spinet. The banquet table in the great dining room was a delight to look upon with its rich damask linen, the old family silver and imported china, here and there a shaded candelabrum which cast a sheen of great beauty over this important feature of the occasion. The minister in his robe stood in the drawing room near the magnificent carven mantel-piece, book in hand, and waited. Then followed an awkward silence during this interval. A strange quiet fell upon this gay company and soon the laughing groups became more serious; the very air grew tense with expecta tion. In the butler's pantry, Amos Boggs. the butler, in his agitation spilled a bottle of old burgundy over his new cinnamon-colored short clothes. Then a whisper, a whisper suppressed for over half an hour, seemed to pervade the home. "The bridegroom has not come!" James McDonough had wealth and power as well as position. Why had he fled? He was seen on one of the public streets of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the afternoon of his wedding day, and then was never seen again. It was as if he had turned into air. Meanwhile the bewilderment of painful to behold. If James McDonough had been waylaid and killed she could mourn for him. If he had deserted her, she would wrap herself in her pride. But neither course lay open to her, then or afterward. In the King's Chapel Burying Ground, south of the Chapel, Tremont Street, Boston, is the tomb of Jacob Sheafe. On a tablet is found this simple inscription, "Margaret Sheafe, Daughter of Jacob Sheafe of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Died September 1, 1768, Aged 23 years." Mystery hovers over all things here below. What had happened to James the bride-elect was dramatically McDonough? He never came. His disappearance on that night remains a mystery after a lapse of many generations. What had become of James McDonough? The assassination of so notable a person in a community where every strange face was challenged, where every man's antecedents were known, could not have been accomplished without leaving some trace. Not a shadow of foul play was ever discovered. That James McDonough had been murdered or had committed suicide were theories accepted at first by few, and then by no one. On the other hand he was truly in love with his fiancee, the gracious and charming Margaret Sheafe. An outline of this event was published many years ago. The writer, being a descendant of Jacob Sheafe, has in his pos session the details of the account of this event in the year 1768. They The three women who have been elected to the House of Representatives are all of mature age. have reached the calm waters yond the turbulent tide of youth. All have borne children, and thereby experienced the finest of human emotions, mother love. In conversation with them one is impressed with the fact that they have a common desire to work for measures aimed at social betterment, raising the standard of health and morals in the state and the bringing about of certain reforms with as little hardship as possible to all concerned. minded and has some very determined views regarding certain things which she believes should be accomplished in the state and nation. Mrs. Gertrude Moran Caldwell is the youngest of the trio. She is forty years of age and has four children. She is extremely interested Photograph by Leslie's Studio. Of the three women Mrs. Emma L. Bartlett of Raymond is the oldest. She is sixty-four years of age, has four children and seven grandchildren. She is alert, well informed, a rapidfire speaker and her middle name is "Justice." "I just love the people," she says, "and I am keenly interested in all measures which affect their welfare. I do not wish to see any injustice wrought in working out certain measures which are to come before the next session of the legis- Yantis do not claim to strict partisanlature." Mrs. Effie E. Yantis of Manchester is ten years younger than Mrs. Bartlett. She is the wife of a clergyman, and has a married daughter. She is a woman of broad education, is exceptionally talented, is fair MRS. EMMA L. BARTLETT in politics and believes that women can be of great service in this field. She says that service faithfully rendered in the political field is fundamental and imperative in the life of the government. While Mrs. Bartlett and Mrs. ship, Mrs. Caldwell is of the opinion that it is very important that women consider carefully the political parties they may wish to join. "A country the size of America," says Mrs. Caldwell, "must have party government. No large organization can exist without organization, and, of course, the largest business concern in the world to-day is the American government. The best way for the individual woman to make her influence felt is through the medium of a political party and, for this reason, each woman should be absolutely sure to which party she wishes to pledge herself." While the three women do not belong to the same political party (Mrs. Yantis is Republican and the other two were elected on the Democratic ticket), all are in favor of the 48hour law and will work for its passage. On this subject Mrs. Yantis says: "Eight hours is a long enough working day for any woman. There are two reasons for this. First, most employed women are trying to do their own housework, and second, they are nearly all of mother age. "I think," says Mrs. Yantis, "that when we do frame up the 48hour bill we must be careful and not make one mistake that was made in the Massachusetts bill. This bill specifies that women shall not be employed more than eight hours a day or 48 hours a week. Sometimes there is a pressure of work on a rush order and sometimes women would prefer to work nine hours a day and make up for the time in some other part of the week. The bill should provide for not more than nine hours a day for two consecutive days." Mrs. Yantis calls attention to the fact that while nine states have a 48hour law, all but Massachusetts are Western agricultural states. Massachusetts is the only industrial state having such a law. In five states there is no limitation of working hours. A fact-finding commission is favored by Mrs. Yantis in the matter of the 48-hour law, and she believes that nothing was ever lost MRS. EFFIE E. YANTIS lence in any department of our civic life, in the home, in the schools or in our industries. I consider the plan of a fact-finding commission good, as suggested by Mrs. Yantis." Mrs. Caldwell will stand by her party platform, and the 48-hour law will consequently receive her strong support. Mrs. Yantis is strong in her belief that a reform is needed in New Hampshire's marriage laws and will probably introduce a bill in the coming legislature calculated to accomplish this. She says: "I have found. upon looking up data regarding our marriage laws that girls of 13 and boys of 14 can marry with the consent of their parents. I think this should be raised to 16 and 18. Without parents' consent the ages are 16 for girls and 18 for boys. This, I think, should be raised to 19 for girls and 21 for boys. I believe the age of consent should be raised so that girls under 19 and boys under 21 cannot marry without the consent of parents or guardians." Both Mrs. Yantis and Mrs. Bartlett are avowedly against war. The former says: "We (the women voters) are interested in bringing about a permanent peace through such conferences as the Washington peace parley, through reduction of armaments by international agreements and by the establishment of an international court of arbitration." Mrs. Bartlett says on this subject: "There are only two things I am radical about, capital punishment and war. War weakens the moral fibre and we get an aftermath of crime. Capital punishment is legalized crime." "The great subject that is confronting us is war," says Mrs. Bartlett, "and I feel that this country ought to encourage every move toward international good will and mutual aid. These are the only things that will produce permanent peace." Mrs. Yantis claims one real hobby. It is getting rid of tubercular cattle in the state. She thinks there should be a much larger appropriation for this work and that it should be worked out by the area method; that is, clean up one area at one time and work as little financial hardship as possible on the farmer. With this movement Mrs. Bartlett professes entire sympathy. She says: "I have been looking rather carefully into the laws governing the elimination of tuberculous cattle from our state. I find that when the state voluntarily tests and condemns an animal the owner receives one-half its value (previous valuation). When the farmer asks the state to test, if the animal is condemned the total loss is the owner's. It is clear that this law defeats its own successful operation in so far as spontaneous action on the farmer's part is concerned. With laws protecting the owners of cattle from loss, it would be possible, I believe, to enlist the farmers and secure their whole-hearted co-operation in the movement." In matters pertaining to public health all three women will work unitedly. In this regard Mrs. Yantis asserts that New Hampshire needs better laws. She says that the state is among the highest in its death rate and that one-third of the children in the schools throughout the state are suffering from malnutrition. She believes in more physical education in the schools and in more public health clinics. Mrs. Caldwell, in her pre-election campaign, took a decided stand upon the abolition of the five-dollar poll tax for women and will probably introduce the bill in the coming session of the legislature to abolish it. In this she is likely to meet with opposition from at least one member of her sex. Mrs. Bartlett says that in her opinion women, having entered into full citizenship, should pay a poll tax. "It preserves their self respect," she declares. "But five dollars is too much. The tax should be so small that it would not be a hardship for any working woman to pay it." Mrs. Bartlett was born in Deerfield, January 15, 1859, in the old homestead settled by her paternal ancestors. Her parents were Charles Clinton and Hannah (Lake) Tucker. She attended Coe's Academy at Northwood and, in 1878, graduated from the Plymouth Normal school. |