Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-02-11


came up that night. and looked down
over the quiet New England town, as
though she, too, knew all about it, and
was glad, and the bells of Woburn. COM
ing softly through the distance, told the
same story TO another tune.
III wanted to thank you then, so far as
words could" said. III have wanted
to thank you all these years and the time
has only come to night"
The general laughed quiet. halt de-
precatory laugh "Oh," he replied,
"whatever | may have done it is likely
some other man would have done all
inst as well. Somebody is always raised
up for the necessary work, you know.
"But who would have done yours.
General ?"
Thomas, or Sherman. or Sheridan,
perhaps"
The manner, even more than the
words struck me. There was such an
evident desire to appropriate no large
honor or glory to himself. 1t was sim.
ply, Somebody else might have done IL
as well.n II seemed to me that there
WAS something morally sublime in that
answer; but | am sure Grant himself
never thought so.
Indeed the modesly. the total lack Of
anything like self-assertIon in the man
impressed me during our whole talk. |
had heard him described as cold and reti-
cent. ! found him quite the reverse,
willie he listened with his shrewd, courtc.
Gus attention, he was always ready and
able to sustain his full share in the con-
yersation.
lie has not, OF course, an imaginative
or ideal temperament; his genius is OF
the practical, organizing kind. He has
wonderful memory for facts and de-
tails, and if yours is of slip.shod order,
he will be likely, in his quiet, straight
forward way, TO put you right in any
small matter OF dates or names where
yeu may be at fault.
We are accustomed to think of Grant
as a man OF iron nerve, and almost super
human physical power, with about AZ
much practical knowledge OF pain and
WEAKNESS as the old heroes and demi.
gods OF mythology. | learned during
the course of the talk. that he had. all
his lie. been the victim Of more OF less
frequent and distressing forms of head.
ache. To those who arc his fellow sui
ferers, that TACT will seem great deal,
establishing kind of bond OF sympathy
between him and them. He stated, how
ever, ms curious fact, that The wal
seemed 10 have cured that malady. lie
had but one attack during the campaign
At last other company came in, and
, Mrs. Grant made a place for me by hel
, side
There is one question which a woman
always asks about President, and which
, while it seems OF vital importance to her
is the last that occurs 10 n man, and ihi'
question is "lYhat kind of Il wife has hc''
- 1t is not u question of mere idle curiosity
The woman who is the wife of our Presi
dent, is TO be for one or two "politica
Olympiads' the lady Of the nation, th'
representative OF American womanhOod
: Can il be to us, for a moment, mattel
OF indifference what manner Of woman
, the wife OF our President is
We DO not ask hat she be beautiful o.
I graceful, or highly accomplished. Manl
f women are all this, who are no honor L
their sex; but we do desire that the wil'
, OF our President shall be u woman WI
. shall not blush for; woman of dignity
d. of character and tenderness OF heart, pos
= sessed, too, of quiet good sense and tact
g and representing, in the high place wher'
, she stands, all that is true and lovely al,
OF good report in American womanhood
With this feeling, | took my place b1
Z Ms. Grants side that evening, goo,
:. deal prejudiced, must confess, by som'
4 antecedent circumstances in her favor.-
, In few moments we were talking mucl
rs though we had known each other al
! our lives. There is quiet. unaffected
simplicity about MIS-. Grant which strike.
a one on first interview. She has pleas
ant voice, with little feminine lisp along
, the sybillants. She impressed inc IS q
genuine warm. hearted true woman. Will
quick sympathies and enthusiasm. There
was something almost touching in hel
evident devotion TO her husband, in hcI
, absolute faith in him. IL was sufficiently
apparent that he filed the wife's heart
and bounded her horizon. whether she
called him, half unconsciously, "Ulyss'
and wondered whether that was the
? name with which, long ago, he had WOO
cd the m.hearted western grl-or
"Mr. Grant" or occasionally, 1.-The Gen
I eral"
She talked about her girlhood, and hei
! life during the war, and her home a
| Washington, and listened to the pleas
ant voice. with its little twinkling lisI
along the sybillanls, and the soft laughter
of the waves on the beach below ripping
among her words, and | said TO myself
I Here is woman TO whom little child
might 90 with its sobbing grief, and be
. sure OF soothing and pity"