The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-21
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Car! Schurz and his Brave and
Loving Wife.
A Noble Couple and q Model
Home.
Especial Correspondence Of the Bulletin.


himself in Washington, and now that his house
hold is all gone, now that the beautiful things
which made those rooms so charming are al
5cattored or packed away, now that tho broad
blue sea rolls between us and that sweet lady,
Carl's wife, / may tell you Of = long chat will
her which had during the sad days Of break
ing up.
She came to see me, with her warm, cordial
erecting in response to my own deiiShte"
salute and, of course, we drifted at once into
the topic which filed her Lcart Some para
1raphs Of mine in regard to the Senator mad
met her eye, and with her pretty accent she
said: 81 wanted to thank you. The things
you say of my husband are true. ! have so
great pride in him, and no one can know him
80 well as do. We have been SO happy here
IN Washington, and l did dread coming so
much at the. first; but every one has been
Kind; for this going away am sorry" and
fhen looking down, while her great brown
eyes grew dim with gathering tears. and sadly
shaking her head, she added :"I don't know
as can tell you in the English; cannot use
it so we'll as my husband but it seems SO to
mo that l do strike my roots in some new
place too often, and when do begin TO live
60 find what does come to mo there, the poor
roots must DO torn up all the while-aN Tue
nhHe!"
How wish could give you the unsteady
fnournfnl tone and the charmincly broken
words exactly ~ l heard them, but if you
have ever listened to some cultivated German
Indy who tried to soy in our roundabout
phrases. tho simply direct thoughts Of her
earnest heart, you will imagine what my pen
cannot reproduce.
"Will you 60 to st. Louis?" I asked.
"Ah, no. and she smiled. cab,
no it is TO me so strange that tho people
10 think my home to bavo been in
ST. Louis. l was not ever there, but
once for four weeks. have lived in so many
olaces II is that have lived everywhere al
most. We did 60 out to Wisconsin and live
III q little house on the prairie. We were not
rich then and Carl was studying the English.
lie was always studying, and he did love the
american idea the republic idea SO much, he
lid wish to learn it thoroughly. did work
tilen. ! did many things that would make
Washington ladies open their eyes; but We
were SO happy. Then, after while, my Lus-
bind, there was never any mention Of that
husband" without thrill of pride III the
u,terance--" husband went TO Detroit and
you know his career till no was sent to Spain
% be Minister there"
/ didn't know it, and her telling was SO
sweet was glad Of the ignorance which made
her repeat the story: but you arc better in
formed, and my recital cannot be like hcrs in
chat, SO Ill pass it over and give you her ac-
count of the way in which his Spanish mis-
sion terminated.
'sWhen my husband was to GO to Spain,
said l will 60 home now to Germany, for
had been very homesick here in America; it
was all SO strange then aud I did not learn
tLe English SO quickly as my husband. Well.
Z went to Hamburg, and did mean 10 stay
good whilc;-but-the the rsar did begin,
and Carl, he was away in Madrid, and he
WAS SO anxious al the time! He would write
and write to me, and he would say, MY wife.
must 60 back to America; cannot stay
see, and also Mr.. Lincoln he did write him,
saying, Mr.. Schurz you must stay in Spain;
We have swords enough Mt home; we do need
men like you to take care of affairs abroad! T."
She stopped a minute, then turning toward
ne exclaimed with most urgent emphasis,
" Ny Carl could not bear IL He was just like
10 4 Gagged lion; and he wrote me such letters
till saw how truly american he had grown,
aud then l did join him and we came back
30 Washington. Mr.. Lincoln loved my hus-
band; he was not willing he should 60 into
the field, and I-oh! could not bear Il; but
one day, after the dofeat ut Bull Run, my
husband saw the soldiers marching away, and
[ saw must gire him up, 1t was very hard;
my children were then SO SMALL but lie went
with the army, and would go to him where
ever it was a possible place for me to be !"
O! this is SO unsatisfactory! The memory
of her words and looks is all SO real to me, SO
wildly impressed on my recOllection; but
after all am only giving you the dimest idea
Of what this wife and mother has always
been to this brilliant man. The romantic
worship her girlish heart gave to him in Ham,
burg only grew into the steadier. purer light
Of 4 most unseltish devotion, and while she
% simply told me Of her life l could not
enough admire its brave tenderness or her
beautiful faith in the man whose genius won
Tor him the praise of the nation adopting
him.
She spoke Of his career in the Senate; Of
The trials and petty prosecutions OF those OPP
posing him: Of the misunderstanding which
often caused him to be blamed for his best in
tentions: Of the discourteous unkindness
sometimes shown when no valid arguments
could assail his positions, and Of his proud
integrity Of purpose, with much Of enthusi-
assn.
| asked where she was when Congress nd
journed and told her Of the wonderful scene
when Mr. Blaine made his closing speech!
"Yes," she answered, Il was in the House |
watching everything till it was almost l2
o'clock. My heart was SO sore, and yet Iii l
want to hear Mr.. Blaine, but as the hands
-crept round felt | must be with my hus-
band, so l hurried across. 1t was very quiet
in the Senate; my husband, he sat at his desk
gathering up his papers. knew how he was