Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-30
Ladies Of the White House.

The New York Z ibune has som
pleasant gossip about the lady occu
pants Of the White House, past al
present:
The present is an era of kindl.
sentiment and, as one token of it, W.
are happy to observe III more t an
one journal, pleasant notices Of tn.
lady of the White House. Mrs.
Grant seems to retire from a posi-
ton of considerable responsibility
with the best wishes of all who
knew her. Undoubtedly she is not
sorry to 80. As good housewife
she has not probably found the
Executive Mansion a very conven
lent place OF abode. All reports
concur i'll representing that renown-
ed ediiice to be in condition some
what dilapidated, and actually verg
ing upon the shabby. In fact, tor
eight years Mrs. Grant has had no
house Of her own, and has really
been at the head OF large Office
maintained for the use and benefit oi
of the American people. The mod
est little structure which she left at
Galena WAS doubtless far pleasanter
and in a great deal better re, air.
We are inclined to believe that Mrs.
Hayes will also think with regret oi
her snug, elegant and conmod;ou>
Ohio home, as the auction
advertisements say, with all
modern improvements" We know
at least from her correspondence
that such Was the homesick feeling
OF Mrs. John Adams, who was al
ways longing for the old-iashiouej
residence, half villa and hall farm
house, which she had left III M.s>;,.
cflusetts.
Both the ex-Presideu, and the
President are married men.
Several OF our Chief Magistrates
hay" not been SO fortunate. NJ. Bu.
cilal,a,I, !or Instance, / blcncior ..
the Oldest kind, would have found
his domestic arrangements sorel i.
II. ing, hut Tor the ta i, grace and el
eglnce of his niece. jefferson
when he b came President, was sill
mourning for Ills beautiful wife, tou
early lost; indeed, he never re:.se,1
t. mourn for her. The charming
manners and personal elegance ri
Mrs. Madison are matters of history
When Mrs. Jackson, in the quiet o
the Hermitage, heaId Of her nus
bands election To the Presidency
she said, simply: "Well, for til,
Generals sake, | am glad; tor my
own part, never wished It," Sh,
was dead soon after; she went to d
narrower home than the White
House, and it is told that the Gen
eral was never the same man after
ward,-one of his friends said tina,
he grew twenty years older on tn.
night Of her death. Mrs. Tyler
came by the accident of death te
the White House, and she died there
leaving its domestic arrangement,
somewhat at hap.hazard for the resi-
of the official term of her husband
Mrs. Pierce arrived at Washington
under the shadow of a great and re
cent bereavement, her only child, ,
fine lad of thirteen years, having
been killed by railway accident tn.
preceding January. Mrs. Fillmore
it vii be remembered, died just af,el
her husband went out OF office, and
| political disappointment and domes
tic gri.t clouded his last official days
We have not mentioned the stately
lady, of the true aristocratic Virgin
ian blood, who was the wife Of
Washington, and who will always be
remembered with him. She was
never lady of the White House.
We think it creditable to the char
acter of American women, and an
evidence Of their tact and ability
gracefully to adapt themselves to
circumstances, that no Presidents
wife has shown any particular inca
pacity for the position, through
want of good breeding and dignitied
manners. Usually all the ladies OF
the Presidents house have been re-
spec,fully t.eated by the press and
the public, aud there has been little
scandalou. ti,tlc-tattle about any OF
them. Two or three of them have
been remarkable for Il deeply reliy
ious character. We are sure that
the best wishes of the nation attend
the coming of the new mistress OF
the White House, and that i'll her
hands its traiitional dignity aud '!e'
corun of life will be preserved.