Sadly, he was a battered husband. There just isn’t any other way to describe it. Mary was highly abusive toward her husband, both emotionally and physically.
The Tragic Tale of a Badly Battered Husband
Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 2
The role of first lady is ambiguous. It is not an elected position, and the Constitution is silent on the issue. By custom, the first lady is the official hostess of White […]
How George Washington Turned An Enemy Into a Friend With An Apology
Not many people could boast of having knocked down the Father of the Country, but that wasn’t the primary thing William Payne remembered about his famous tussle with George Washington.
What Can You Expect With a Name Like Millard Fillmore?
Some people seem destined for greatness on the basis of their names, alone. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, for example, may have achieved success as secretary of the interior and associate justice of […]
Was He Brilliant, Lucky, or Bonkers? The Eccentric Life of Lord Timothy Dexter
In the world of eccentrics, Lord Timothy Dexter stands in a class by himself. He made several fortunes through either the keenest business instincts in history or by the wildest strokes of […]
Mark Twain Sheds Light on Being in the Dark
Most of us, if we have a problem with a utility company, are forced to suffer in silence. When the aggrieved individual is Mark Twain, however, anything is fair game.
Taking Comfort by Looking in the Face of Imperfection
In her four years as First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush had plenty of opportunities to contemplate the White House and its priceless artifacts. While some might gravitate toward the […]
A Non-Recommendation Letter of Recommendation from Benjamin Franklin
Have you ever been asked to give a recommendation for a person who had little to recommend about himself? Have you found yourself in a situation where you are called upon to […]
Abraham Lincoln and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Really Bad Blind Date
Even history’s greatest people can be subject to less-than-stellar love lives. It was 1842 when Abraham Lincoln tied the knot with Mary Todd, a woman whose ambition unquestionably helped propel him into […]
A Tortured Critic Responds to a Tortured Saxophone
Is honesty really the best policy? Unquestionably, it is wrong to be untruthful. Just the same, there are times when the better approach might be silence — or at least honesty coupled […]
Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of Disdain
A common word of warning for those who might be inclined to argue with someone who writes or edits a newspaper is, “Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink […]
Does the World Seem Crazy? An Expert Predicted This Would Happen
Have you ever looked around and wondered if insanity is on the rise? Does it seem that the whole world is losing its mind? Are you increasingly convinced that sane people are […]
Did Cleopatra’s Nose Change History?
Could something as seemingly insignificant as the size of a person’s nose change the course of human events? According to Blaise Pascal, the answer is yes. Pascal (1623-1662) was one of the […]
The Power of Ink to Get Rid of Pesky Callers
We all have our techniques for dealing with unwanted conversations and unpleasant people. Some may follow Calvin Coolidge’s example of responding with stony silence. Others may benefit from Abraham Lincoln’s practice of […]
Fabulous Facts From the Father of Fables
There wasn’t much about the little man’s life that would make a good tale for children, but almost every child has heard his stories. He lived a life of depressing slavery, but […]
