Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-05
General Grants Father.

Mrs. Swisshelm has the following in her
new paper, Tie ReeOnstruetiOnist publish
ed at Washington
Returning from the War Department
about to weeks ago, we reached the Sew
enth street junction in time to see a car
leave. Trying not to feel tired, we leaned
against a tree to wait for the next car.
Quite a number of people were waiting as
usual, and after some moments a tall man,
apparently about sixtv-fve years of age,
singled us out, and began asking questions
about the streets and cars. He was slight
ly bowed, and had his rather tall, black
hat drawn well down over his head. His
voice and manner at once recalled his on
whose knees we sat in the long, long time
ago, to hear the wonderful story of that
little pig that always went to market, like
a brave big brother, and the little squealer
who could never find his way home.
The whole manne of this old man WIS
so different from that of so many old men
one meets here, and who always remind us
of a placerd board, with its tattered rem
nants of old and new gaudy announce
ments; for we are aver at a loss to know
whether their uncertain gait, and half i'm
beetle, half impertinent stare is more the
record of a late debauch, or the sin of for
ty years ago. This man, on the contrary,
looked like an old family Bible, with its
well-worn leaves and frightened clasps.
He had never made q sharp bargain
never found out that this world is very
wicked, for his world had been full of
faith and truth r9
In a few moments we had become con-
sfidential; and we were thinking of offer
ing our service as escort to the Navy-yard
where he, a stranger, wished to 60. This
could not well be done without an intro
duction, and we had no card, so handed
him a Prospectus, saying:
II would like you to know me, that is
my name.
Without looking at my name he peered
kindly into u face, and said:
"And I would like you to know me,
My name is Grant. / am the father Of
General Grant.
How sorry we were to own that we had
never seen his son. Wonder if Ulysses is
good and pure and noble enough TO be
wethy to be that mans sonl We have
not in years seen any one who has so i'm
DICS5cu TIC dc buO AODAG6b WIN VI OOAs a
good honest man.
He told III about his dear, old wife at
home, that they were well and strong
had brought up six children, of whom
ULYSSES was the least promising and have
lost two by consumption since the war
began. He thinks it would not be well to
make Ulysses President, for there are a
great many men, any Of whom would
make a better President than he. We
were glad to learn that Ulysses was a duh
boy, who never became bright, because Il
favors a fancy of ours, to-wit: that it is
well for the world hat smart children
never live to grow up. God bless the dear,
good old mani How sublimely great he
is in his si~ngle-minded honesty He must
have spent his life very near to God, and
the power of thinking in straight lines,
SO wonderfully displayed in General
Grants report, is a very natural outgrowth
from the straightforward, moral honesty
Of ~parentage.
While we talked, a gentleman who
knew Mr.. Grant came up, and we left
them together; parting from him as though
we had been friends Ee5e4fsq rs w6a