The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-26
Mrs. Greeley.

Intimately acQuiiltSu WIN MIS-. OtcS-
Low The wife of the perhaps next Pres
ident is now in Europe with her two
douohters. most kind and amiable
vounp ladies. As Mrs. Greeley may yet
he our next Republican Queen, incidents
which would otherwise he sacred from
the journalistic pen, now become the
inheritance of the people, whose SER
wants we journalists are.
The wife of the future President who
is TO receive the nations guests in the
White House is a legitimate subject Of
discussion, and Mrs. Greeley now stands
before the public no more sacred than
Mrs. Grant, or no more sacred than were
Harriet Lane or Mrs. Lincoln. The
Queen and her household are legitimate
themes for the Court Journal.
Mrs. Greeley is older than her hus-
band, who was sixty-One on the Sd Of
last February. She is described as once
having been beautiful. For years she
has been an invalid, with Intermittent
spells of love and Kindness toward her
husband, and then showing long seasons
Of eccentric stoicism, ingratitude, and
even tyranny.
"What has caused this unevCnncss in
her temper?n / asked my lady friend,
who knew Mrs. Greeley intimately.
"Well, she was born in the ordinary
walks of life. Her mind is strong and
without culture. We all consider her
little insane. She was formerly ac-
custOmed to occupation, and even to
hard work, rs mother and head of a
family, but OF late years Mr.. Greeley's
financial position prevents the necessity
of labor on her part, and her mind has
become uneven and her temperament
spasmodic.
',EIow did she use to be ."
''She was much better suited to Mr..
Greeley years ago than now. Then she
entered into all of his cold water and
vegetarian ideas with Zest worthy of a
Roman mother. Mr.. Geeley tells even
now with great pride with what Spartan
stoicism Mrs. Greeley used to preside
before company at their Grahamite
meals when he was running the Morn
ing Post, in 1866
"HOw do you mean -
"Why, Mr.. Greeley lived then in a
cheap way. Neither he nor Mrs. Gree
ley ate meat, or drank tea or coffee.
Their diet, Graham bread, boiled beans
and salt, and cold water Mr.. Greeley
has told me about il Il dozen times"
continued my lady friend; land he has
told me how Mrs. Greeley acted when
SlAC lAsAh lAiGAiNo ~ hiTAt A'NA 44"tA. WV
country
"How was that >"
"Well, she would set her little table
with Graham bread, milk, beans, salt
and water; and WHEN they all sat down
she would never apologize, or even eX-
plain anything, but leave her company
To do the best they could
"SOmctimes,n said Mr.. Greeley, 81
used to suggest 60 my wife that we ought
TO explain matters to our visitors, but
she said, no, no, Horace, What is
good enough for us is good enough for
themr The result was, said Mr.. Gree
ley, laughing, ''that people who came
to stay a week generally stood Mrs.
Greeley's cooking about two days, and
never repeated the visit till compelled
TO. They never came back for pleas
ure"
"How are their relations nowadays ~
| asked.
"Well, Horace lets her alone. He
never frets, and never chides her, even
/ though i'm some of her tantrums she acts
badly enough to drive him crazy"
/ "Once," continued my friend, 81 was
/ invited To spend Sunday at Chappaqua.
Mrs. Greeley was In one Of her disagree
able moods. She made Mr.. Greeley
walk into the farm on foot from the de-
pot to drive two goats; then when We
got halfway there, she inquired of the
driver his price. This she refused to
pay, and we all got out and walked the
rest Of the distance. When she got to
the house, she declared she had lost the
key, and when Mr.. Greeley came up, she
made the poor man crawl through q
side window and unbOlt the door on the
inside, when to the astonishment of us
all, she quietly showed Us the key,
which she had kept in hcrpocket ali the
timen
"NVas not this done rs a joke -
"NO, not at all. 1t was done out o
pure deviltry, just to bother Mr., Gree
"And Mr.. Grceley?"
"Whv he neither smiled nor com
. planned. In fact, in his treatment o
| Mrs. Greeley and her whims, he IS th'
best man ] ever knew. He never Tor
, gets her, but waits on her and takes he
seedlings like young lover Indeed
A., do believe that Mr.. Greeley loves In
wife with all her faults. lie says he hat
, hard work TO ret her, that he marie,
, her for love, aud that he always shal
love her-no matter what she does.
"Don't she ever try to please him :?
oNo. She tries hard To perpleX him
I She used TO believe that Children ough
to b, brought up in q state OF nature
untrammelled by clothing. To carr,
out tbis idea, she used TO have stray
i placed on the parlor floor, have the chill
dreu undressed, and make them run M
, and dawn like Raphael's cherubs, am
tbon laugh with the children at thei
harmless but queer frOllcs.
UOnce | called and found Mrs. Gree
lev thus exercising the children. l sug
rested that it was about time for I'll
!. Greeley to come home, and asked her
E | shouldn't help her dress the children
: I. "sNo, nou exclaimed Mrs. Greeley
IF Horace don't like my theories he ca
=, stayawa IdOn't doanything to pleas
= any fool of a man.
y HHow long will Mrs. Greeley RENAL
: In Furope ~ / asked.
: "She will probably remain in EuroI
I with her two daughters until after III
; election. unless she takes it into he
y head To come home. Ii she does take
II fraak To come back neither Horace nC
ten men can stop her. If she should r,
turn She would certainly do somethin
l. IN ieonarIize his election. She don
II know what the word policy mean
Is She would as like as not do and 81
; ridiculous things, just to bother h'
"a husband.n
re "WouId she 90 to the White House
m "She most certainly would if she too
-d notion. No one has any control over IN
id but her devoted daughters. They hay
really shown something of the angel
i'm their care for their mother. The
ii have worn themselves out waiting {
4 her"
- maid servant. lately fro
n Virginia, recently came u0Wh TO