Smyrna times., 1881-07-27
A Typical American Family.

Though the hope is encouraging that
President Garfield will survive the assas-
sims blow, July, 1881, will have place in
American history beside April, 1865, when
Lincoln lost his life and the country Il
great ruler by assassination. OF the |
twenty Presidents who have filled the |
chair of the Chief Magistrate of the Uni
ted States, Washington, jefferson, Jack
son, Lincoln and Garfield have exhibited |
qualities and lived amidst scenes calcula- |
ted to insure for them lasting places in
popular remembrance: Washington as the
pure patriot and father of his country,
Jefferson as the tower of its republicanism,
jackson for political aggressivencss, Lin
coin for genial humor and the stirring
events of his administration, and Garfield
for patient endurance when life and death
hung on the balance. Some Of the Incl
dents of Mr.. Garfeld's suffering can never
be forgotten. His manly and encouraging
words to those around him, "YOu keep
heart, l have not lost mine," will go
down beside the heroic words of Law
renee, Don't give up the ship"
But there is one aspect i'll which the
trial of Gen. Garfield has been an exam
pie, not for his countrymen alone, but
for the world-and that is as the head of n
typical American family. After all that
has been done and said in contempt of the
! ;Ixr ho Of
dent of the United States has become a
rallying centre for human tenderness all
the world over. In contemplation of it
we are brought back much nearer to a
just appreciation of that solid foundation
of civilized sOciety-the family-than any
thing which has occurred in this genera
ton, if we except the beautiful assOcia-
tions clustering around the memory Of the
prince consort and the name of the royal
mother and family of England. In our
case a family is involved, not noble from
rank or birth, but self-ennobled by the
practice of domestic virtues and the eXhi-
calamity, of purity of character, fOrtitude,
self-cOntrol and affection worthy of the
highest admiration. 1t is creditable to
human nature that these qualities are 50
generally recognized; but as Americans
we may be pardoned the indulgence OF
some pride as we point to the family of a
ruler, elevated from the humblest walks
of life to the highest, as typical Ameri-
| in fial f,f OFth
ness-intelligent, simple, honest, brave
and noble i'll the truest sense of the word
Who in America has not read with tender
sympathy of the loving department o.
this family under the weight of a great
afiliction? On the first recovery of its
head from the shock of the assassin's shot
his earliest thought was a message of love
dictated in pain, to reassure the wife, an(
I impart to her some of the fOrtitude which
had enabled him to say, when informed
by the physicians that he had one chance
in thousand to recover, "Then we will
take that chance" How touching too
for straightforward simplicity and hopeful
trust, was the behavior of the wife ant
young daughter at the fathers bedsid
y after an agonizing journey to the capital
And the aged mother, shielded by tn
affection of daughters in their Ohio HON
from abrupt knowledge of the danger t
her son, while the telegraph wires of tn
world were trembling with the news c
the momentOus event, and every heart wa
palpitating with prayerful interest for hi
recovery, how true and sincere was tn
expression of her simple faith in Goo
when she came at last to know his state
that her good son would be spared to fu
fill his high duties so newly begun. An
finally, in later stage of the develoI
ment of public sympathy, when it too
the practical shape of provision for th
future of this family, what more refine
delicacy could have been shown than thf
of the wife of the President, neither ~
cepting nor refusing the mOney-Oflerini
. but simply saying, "there was so muc
y that was touching and beautiful in tf
sympathy of the people of the who
country that she did not dare to trust he
SCH W lllAlil& Vi lJs ~ hulo bCCh NlAtiihO'
with some chance of realization, that Gu
, teau, in firing the assassin's shot, has pI
the country a long step on the way
civil service reform. Along with wish,
"a for such u result and the entire restoratiC
NJ. of the President will go to the world i
j. creased respect for the domestic tie,
fundamental Importance in society, and
'-tf knowledge abroad of the quality of
typical American family, -Balt, SIN,
Coed Words from Druggists. IA
malt Bittors are tho best bitters."
They promote sleep and allay NERVOUSNESS"
. " Best Liver and Kidney medicine we self"
AZ .rhey knock the Chills every time"
"Consumptlve people gain flesh on them.
Malt Bitters have no rivals In this town.
III Best thing for nursing mothers we have"
eve like 10 recommend Malt Bitters."