Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-24
GARFIELD AND HIS WIFE.

The sweetheart of his boyhood-t the
girl-pupil whom her tutor loved-was
for Garfield the star of his hearts hori-
zon till the last moment Of his life. In
a passage leading from the parlor to the
dining-room in his house at Mentor
hangs picture of nun about to enter
the confessional in a cathedral. The
resemblance of this sweet face to that of
Mrs. Garfield is very striking, one of
those accidental likenesses one sometimes
observes in picture, and which seems
all the more strange and interesting be-
cause it was evolved from the painters
fancy without any knowledge of the dear
model it SO greatly resembles. So mark
ed was the likeness between the angelic
upturned face of the heaven-communing
nun and that of Mrs. Garfield, that l
stopped before it as General Garfield
was taking me in to dinner. "How
like Mrs. Garfield p exclaimed. She
was directly behind me, walking with
General Swain. The married lovers
exchanged fond glance, and Mrs. Gar
field said, with joyous smile, 1.-The
general calls that his pretty girl" This
was his pet name for herself, by which
he always spoke of the accidental por-
trait. | never saw two people talk so
much with their eyes as these two did.
1t was evident that they consulted each
other upon every circumstance of life as
it arose, and that the action he took
thereon was the one which the mutual
judgment settled upon as best.
[ saw him in the senate chamber 60
through the imposing ceremonial by
which he was transformed from pri-
vate citizen, one of the mass, to a ruler
whose powers, while they last, are more
autocratic than any kings. The agita-
ton of the solemn moment had blanched
the glowing cheek, stilled the smile on
the now pale lips; but ever and anon he
lifted his eyes to her. as she sat in the
gallery above and in front of him. and
her calm, unruf1ed face seemed to give
him the response he needed-the only
one he could listen to, OF sought. Any
observer versed in physiogimy could see
that her eyes spoke aloud to him across
the space which separated them, saying,
"All is we'll. You are doing nobly. l
am proud of you" Behind the unim-
passioned mask of her delicate features,
held in bondage by the power of her
will and fortitude, there glowed the fire
of an enthusiastic love of him. to which
no cold description in written words can
do justice.
No one who saw President Garfield
after his installation in the White House
can fail to have observed the great
change which his accession to power had
occasioned in him. Only at intervals
did his bright joyousness shine out
again, as at the pleasant home in Men
tor. The very day after he became
president, the struggle for the spoils o.
Office began with fierceness hitherto
unparalleled in all the strife of thai
kind which has been seen at Washing
ton. He was half-maddened by his de
sire to do justice to all the contending
factions 1t was this feeling which
made him slow to give irrevocable de
cisions. | was at the White House ont
morning, and he referred to his anxiety
not to take step in haste which ht
might repent in leisure. The humor o
his own cautious slowness brought bacl
the twinkle in his eye. the smile on th'
rosy lip. 81 don't know when l shal
get around to that" he said. "Yol
know there's no telling when the Miss
lssipp1 river will reach given point.
The sluggish movement of the great Fa
ther of Waters was hit off to the life b,
this impromptu epigram. The day
called at the White House to say good
bye-I did not think it would be for
ever-.I was shown into the famil
drawing-room npstairs-an apartment t
which the public is not allowed to per
citrate.
Mrs. Garfield came in with her daugh
ter Mollie, a splendid, large-limbe
maiden of fourteen, her fathers self i
feature and in FORM A noble girl Bt
side this heiress of her fathers gran
F.. proportions, Mrs. Garfield looks almos
t smaller than her daughter; yet she cal
/. not be called a little woman. Swee
voiced, ladylike: her apparel agai
e most fitting, most simple, most becou
ing.
The president enters. clad in gra
morning suit, his hands in the jacket
f side pockets. Only moment! Such
: rush of people clamoring to see him
? But during this moment husband an
f wife continue to glance affectiOnately-
o their old glance-their glance of Mel
e tor, of the senate hall. at each othe
j. Eyes constantly look love to eyes tn;
). speak again. He complains of the lO
4 of sleep which the pressure of presidel
Il tial duties entails. 81 only slept fol-
: hours last night" be says. But he hop'