The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-07-24
ar,. sprsrue's Ambition.

Mrs. EpPaEue's Ambition.
rCorresuoudencc OF the Louisville Courier-Jouruai
saw yesterday correspondents de
scription of Mrs. Kate Chase Spragne
house ut Narragansett, the fashionable
seaside resort in Rhode Island. 1t con
tains eighty rooms and is magnihcentiy
furnished, and is of course filled viii
chocc works of art. Mrs. Sprague ha'
all which ought to make life desirable
wealth, beauty, grace and accomplish
ments-yet doubt not the May morn
;no ON which her father was found un
conscious in bis room, with no hope O
bis recovery possible, has darkened her
life forever, and though time may aiie
viate her grief at the loss OF her fathel
of whom she was 50 proud and to who"
she was so devoted, yet nothing car
ever cure pain from the mortal wouno
her ambition has received. Mrs. Sprague
is thoroughly ambitious. 1t has not been
because Of moro personal VANITY ina
she has perfected herself as woman o.
the world and queen OF society; II
was not the desire to inuinate and de
lisht merely for the sake OF the homage
n brousht her that induced her to steady
every graceful pose, and school herself
in couriIy Ian gnage and brilliant repair
tee. She for years prepared herself, US
ing all advantages wealth gave her e
cultivate her really remarkable talents
for social ruler, in the fond expectatiol
of being one day the presiding lady al
the White House. Mr.. Chase was cred
tied with an overwhelming desire to b
the chief magistrate, yet | believe thu
this was less due to his own ambition
than to his elder daughters. A gentlc
man who acted as one of Mr.. Chases
chief agents during tho campaign prioi
TO the nomination OF Seymour In 1000
has told me how throughout Mrs
Sprarue vas taken into consultation
how high we're her hopes, and how con
stantly her father spoke to her in con
nection with his success or failure. When
he thought success certain, as be DID un
til the very day Seymour received inc
nomination, he rejoiced most OF all fol
the Joy it would give Mrs: Sprague, ana,
when the certainty of failure was maze
known to him, his first words were
"Does Mrs. Sprague knowl" Whom
told she did, "And how does she bear
iti" he inquired. Ho seems moro re-
Iieyed that the bad news did not over
whelm her. When Mrs. Sprague was
told she manifested wonderful seif-con'
troll, but evcidently the blow was severe.
She said little, but that little, albeit 1t
was calmly spoken, showed the violence
of the shock she had received.
With her father, Mrs. Sprague,s am
bition to be the lady of tho White House
must necessarily have died. She cannot
hone to have her husband placed
there. Not even her powerful personal
influence and talent for diplomacy, add
ed to her unboundcd wealth, can procure
the presidency for Senator Sprague:: l
doubt if Mrs. Spraguc passes much time
in Washington hereafter. For nearly
three years after the disappointment
wrought by Seymour's nomination she
was there but seldom, and even when
her DAYS of mourning for her fathers
death are ovcr, it is scarcely probable
,bc will care to resume her old life in
tho city where she had hoped to be the
ch,of lady. She is a wonderful woman.
There are few women of whom history
tells rs who, united with SO much beau.
tv and grace, have had 50 powerful
q mind and SO much genius for ruling.