The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-06-20
GheQptsuiia
THE PRESIDENTS WIFE

\ III ~ = VS. {! I'll
Tie Lie OF mrs. Hayes nS PreSen:
ted by Miss Frances =. willard
"A woman Oh SOlld NOr'h'
Coz Of our Union -s .-. -.
Pf9bablS there 4 no woman in tlle
United States 80 earnestly prayed for and
so much beloved this day as Mrs. Ruther.
lord y. Hayes: Or. Webb, the father OF
Mrs. Hayes, died when she was an infant,
but any account OF her which makes no
reference to her mother is like the play
otHHamler With ,HamletIett out When
her daughter was about ten years oyd,
Mrs. Webb determined that abe would
remove to Delaware, Ohio, with her two
sons and her littld girl, the youngest OF
the family. The Ohio Wesleyan Univer.
Sity had been recently established there,
and was the magnet which attracted the
sagacious mother. Subsequently she
took rooms in the college and here dor
two years Lucy recited with her brothers.
Mrs. Webb was Of the beat blood in the
land, for she was Of Puritan, New Eng.
land ancestry. Her convictions OF right
and her loyalty TO duty had the threetold
intensity OF inheritance, education, and
personal experience, The Bible was with
her, judge, jury, anRad VOcater on all ques-
tions concerning practical every day lille.
Three letters lie before me from those
who were personally acquainted with
Mrs. Webb. This is their testimony !:
"She wa1 woman OF solid worth. rare
common sense, and symmetrical Chris-
tian charRGler. am sure, il the course
ofMrs. Hayes is such az 10 command the
respect ofthe true-harted people Of our
land, she inheriIs the ability TO max 1t so
largely as a legacy from her mother"
Another letter, from an altogether DIFF
ferent q1arter, employs precisely the
same phrase as the first:
"The mother Of Mrs. Hayes was lady
Of rare common sense, 10 which the
daughter strongly resembles her.
A third was this: ~
There is one trait in the character Of
Mrs. Hayes which should like to en-
phasize for The sake Of any who may read
your sketch. She ahsolulely ,pW not talk
gossip Even in the intimate confidence
Of daily intercourse she ia as guarded as
in the presence OF u multitude. The
Executive Mansion has for its Mistress
one who is all eXemplilication Of Christ's
Golden Rule. Except 10 vary rare in.
stances, when some act Of oppression to
Tue poor or the deienceless outrages her
sense Of right, she is always thoroughly
kind in expression. think this trait Of
Clreiulness for the feelings OF others n
gift from her mother, who had nature
exceedingly genial and kind. It's indeed
ablessed thing Tor onr country that such
woman had the training Of our Prest'
dents Wife" ..y,.
Two years at the Ohio Wesleyan Uni.
Versity were followed by several years OF
study in the Cincinnati Wesleyan Female
College, OF which Rev. Mr.. and Mrs. P.
B.Wllbur had themanagemept- OtMrs.
Hayes abilities one OF her classmates at
school writes as follows:
"LucyWebb was frst-class student
in botany and other studies, and have
reason 10 RECALL my feeling oi1nihsled:ap.
EGyFnce and admiration % our teacher,
ISIS Do Forrest, would turn from US OIL
der girls to Miss Webb, who sat at the
head Of the class, and get from her clear
analysis oil The flower under discussion,
or the correct tranSposition oil come in.
VOlVed linept poetry. Somewhat OF this
accuracy was doubtless due to the fact
thnShe had been trained in the severe
drill Of the o. w. University. She re.
NAMED in the Ladies' College Of Cincin-
natl until sshe completed its course OF
study, -.
While yetin her teens she met Ruther.
lord u. Hayes, who, after his graduation
Ut Gambler, Ohio, had ppenod law office
in Cincinnati. He writes Of her: "My
friend Joneahas introduced meto uany
Of our city bellies, hut DO not see any
who make me forget, the natural gayety
and aItractiveuess Of, Miss Lucy.
oae of her friends gives these interest.
ing ftemsi at was my good. fortune to
be guest the small and unpretentious
wedding Of lucy Webb in 1852. The
only attendant oi the young pair was a
beautiful child Of eight years, the Iiaugh,
tsr>oi thes oridegrO0p1s only sister. 4
few days ago this same child, now the
wife Of a dislingnished.citizen OF ColUm'
busEa Ohio, nat. beside Her amt, Mrs
Haze. actihg once more rs her attendant
and looking down from the gallery on
the subliWely, simple ceremonies ~ The
z A. -. Va