New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-19
The Misses Greeley.
MISS IDA GREELEY.

| The eldest, whose name is constantly
mentioned as having lost her betrothed upon
the Inflated Missouri, is too absorbed in her
real grief to discover through the press all
the many unpleasant things which associate
her name with that of Mr.. Hampstead.
| She not only was never promised to him in
marriage, but such thought was never en-
| tertained by her, and whatever hopes the
! poor fellow may have entertained and been
unwlse enough to express to his friends Miss
Greeley was wholly ignorant of them until
she saw her engagement mentioned in the
gossip of 4 newspaper.
The writer kao,cs this to be true. Miss
Greeley is not the young lady to desire the
position OF heroine in tragedy. Heaven
knows she has suffered enough in her Young
years already. Since she was fourteen wears
old she has been almost constantly by the
bedside OF a suffering mother, never murmur-
ing, never showing WEAKNESS by her manner,
and, only that her cheeks had a way Of grow
ing very white at times, no one could have
discovered an evidence that she was aware
that her life was not like that of other girls,
The quiet smile never wholly faded out OF her
face, no matter how wildly other young la
dies drew pictures of gay society and the
pleasures belonging to her years and position.
Or the many heroines of whom have read.
and the few whom l have seen, for patient
and continued endurance, and for sweet and
endless endeavor to make the whole, the
broken life OF mother by the sacrifice of her
entire glrlhood, Ida Greeley ranks first and
most glorious. A man or woman may risk
life, and perhaps give it away entirely under
some sudden and compelling inspiration but
1t Is the long days of selfrenunciatiOn, which
come one by one, each requiring the same
amount Of sacrifice, and each one repeating
the last more pitifully, which crowns Ida
Greeley saint. And yet she is unconscious
OF her greatness. Doubtless, she would be
amazed should she find her name written
among heroic women. The truly great are
usually unaware of their moral magnitude.
Miss Ida possesses literary ability, which
is somewhat remarkable when devoted to the
descriptive, and. with opportunity and leisure
for study, doubtless she will develop genius.
Her sterling qualities of selfforgetfulness.
persistent endeayor, quick sympathies, and
sweet womaniness, are qualities which are
rare in degree, and, with quick intellectual
perceptions, will make her a woman of cx-
traordinary power.
= MISS GABRIELLE GREELEY,
during the last year has shared her sisters
ever-lncreaslng duties as nurse in her moth
er's sick room, and the beautiful young girl
cause Of the sensibiities which have dawned
in her heart and bluslied out in her face. A
few evenings before her mothers decease,
and before the coming stroke of death was
felt to be approaching, at a pleasant little
party, heard an elderly gentleman, who rs
certainly believed that Mr.. Greeley would be
elected as he believed in the promises of the
Bible, say to Miss Gabrielle:
= II suppose you anticipate much pleasure
in the White House? ?"
No" said she gravely, 81 have been him
dered from study by mammals long illness,
and the necessity Of travelling with her, and
| am far behind girls of my age in cultivation
Besides, | am weary of seeing strangers, and
in the White House 1 should never escane
them. If it would not disappont papa to
be defeated, 1 had much rather remain in
school,"
Few girls OF fifteen could have said that,
In their mothers death, these young girls
forget the political strife raging about them.
and scarcely knew of the defeat, even when
it came. Their father was so stunned with
sore grief that they did not at first observe a
deeper bruise upon his heart when one more
blow fell upon him, although it turned his
brain and murdered him. The mother was
rarely beautiful woman, with a splendor of
eyes, and marvel Of delicacy in color, while
to the day she died, so dark and luxuriant.
and fine and long was it. Her wit was keen,
herperceptlon incisive and alert, always pene-
trating to the depths of deception, to which
she was merciless. Her love of truth, about
which there was no drapery Of affectations of
alterations of any sort whatever, and her in
slant exposure of DISCUSSES, gave her repu-
tation for severity which was misunderstood
by strangers.
Her friendships were sweet and deep and
true, and her ambitions were far more intense
than her husbands, if such a condition of
mind were possible.
She said to the writer when in a con6den-
tial talk:
''f possessed the health, the youth and
the advantages of my daughters, 1 would
shake the world" and she would. You could
see that she spoke the truth by the flashing
OF her eyes, and that subtle expression Of
power which cannot be explained but which
was always fully understood by those who
looked in her face. 1t was her heroic will that
saved her life through so many wears of ill |
ness. Common women would have died, but
she recognized the demands which the world
and self-imposed duties made upon her hus-
band, and she determined to remain long
enough to see her daughters fully grown, or
mature enough to stand upon their individual |
forces, and she did
lnherltlng snch extraordinary capabilities |
from both father and mother, Mr.. Greeley's |
daughters cannot fail to be an honor to the |
memory of bOth.-Ne,o York Correspondent |
Chicago Times.
"A conservative English paper thus growls |