Morris tribune., 1881-11-03
GARFIELD AND HIS WIFE.
An Accidental Portrait-Eyes that Spoke
TO Each Other.

IAN <ACCAucuttl tOrtfalt-EyeS that Smoke
TO Each Other.
Whitehall Review.
The sweetheart of his boyhood- the girl
pupil whom her tutor loved-was for Gar
field the star of his hearts horizon till the
last moment of his life. In passage lead
ing from the parlor to the dining room in
his house at Mentor hangs the picture of a
nun about to enter the confessional In cath
edral. The resemblance of this sweet face
to that of Mrs. Garfield is very striking one
of those accidental ikenesses one some
time sobserves in q picture and which seems
all the more strange and interesting because
it was eloved from the painters fan with
out any knowledge of the dear model it so
greatly resembles. So market was the like
ness between the sweet, upturned face of
the heaven communipg nun and that of
Mrs Garfield, that stopped before it as
General Garfield was taking me in to din
ner. How like Mrs. Garfield" I ex-
claimed. She was directly behind me-,
walking with General S vain. The married
lovers exchanged fond glance, and Mrs.
Garfield said with a joyous smile. The
general calls that his pretty girlw This
was his pet name for herself, by which he
always spoke of the accidental portrait I
never saw two people talk so much with
their eyes as those two did 1t was evident
that they consulted each other upon every
circumstance of life as it rose, and the &C
ton he took thereon was the one which the
mutual Judgment settled upon as best.
I saw him in the senate chamber 90
through the imposing ceremonial by which
he was transformed from private citizen,
one of the mass, to ruler whose powers,
while they last, are more autocratic than
any kings. The agitation of the solemn
moment had blanched the glowing cheek,
shlled the smile on the now pale ips but
ever and anon he lifted his eyes to her. as
she sat in the gallery above ana in front of
him, and her calm, unruff1ed face seemed
to give him the response he needed-the
only one he could listen to or sought. ANY
observer versed in physiognomy could see
that her eyes spoke aloud to him across the
space which separated them, saying. ''All
is we'll You are doing nobly. Il am
proud of you." Behind the unimpassioned
mask of her delicate features, held in bon
dage by the power of her will and fortitude,
there glo"ed the fire of an enthusiastic
love for 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 JOY
BUSINESS shine out again, as at the pleasant
home at Mentor. The very day after he
became President the struggle for the
spoils of Office began with ferceness
hitherto unparalleled in all the strife of that
kind which has been seen at WASHINGTON
He was half maddened by mis- desire to do
justice to all the contending factions. 1t
was this feeling which made him slow to
give irrevocable decisions. l was at the
White House one morning, and he referred
to his anxiety not to take a step in hast
which he might repent at leisure. The
humor of his own cautious slowness brought
back the twinkle in his eye. the smile on
his rosy lip. Il don't know when I shall
get around to that" he said. aYou know,
there's no telling when the Mississippi
river will reach given point. The slug
gish movements Of the great Father of
Waters was hit off to the life by this i'm
promptu epigram. The day called at the
White House to say good-by-I did not
into the family drawing room upstairs-an
lowed to penetrate.
Mrs. Garfield came in with her daughter
Mollie maiden of IA, her fathers self in
4SoIu1S a4u 4OIu. n uOUIS gill. D6SlQS
this heiress of her fathers grand proper
tons. Mrs. Garfield looks smaller than her
daughter, yet she cannot be called little
woman. Sweet voiced, ladylike, her ap-
parel again most fitting, most simple, most
becoming.
The president enters clad in gray morn
ing suit, his hands in his jackets side
pockets. Only moment Such rush of
people clamoring to see him! But during
this moment husband and wife continually
glance atfectionately-their old glance
their glance of Mentor, of the Senate Hall,
at each other. Eyes constantly look love to
eyes that speak again. He complains of the
loss of sleep which the pressure of presi-
denitial duties entail. II only slept four
hours last night he says. But he hopes
everything is doing well now. Life Is to be
joyous in the future. There is always
some trouble getting to rights when we
move house, is there not? So. goodbye
and God bless you! And he is gone.