The Portland daily press., 1881-03-31
Five Boys and Girls.
Harry, James, Mollie, Irwin and Abram
Garfield.

The Washington Chronicle says President
Garfield has five children. The two eldest are
boys, splendid specimens of Western youth, as
strong and sturdy as young bucks The first
is Harry, the second James, aged, respectively,
Is and 16 years. They are as bright and intel
ligent mentally as strong physically. The boys
have to study hard and do not have much time
to run around, even if they desired to enter in
to the youthful dissipation of the age The
third child, as regards age, is Miss Mollie Gar
field, bright, blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked girl.
She is about IA years of age, and the picture
of health and happiness. She attends school,
and is said to be a promising pupil. Music is
one of her accomplishments, and grand pi.
ano at the White House is frequently walked
into melody by her nimble fingers. The sweet
sounds often penetrate the lobby, haunted by
the solemn Senators and hungry office-seekers
and cause pleasant change in their grave and
anxious faces. Miss Mollie delights in lively
music and is at her best in bright, spirited
piano recital. She is fast budding into a
young lady, and promises soon to be a valua
BILE addition to Washington society. Irwin
Garfield is the fourth child. He is II years of
age, and regular boy and no mistake. There
is nothing wrong with him. He is the soul of
mischief and the life of the house. His fathers
exalted station does not seem to trouble him
much. So far he has been able to do as he
pleased around the house, and he has fully i'm
proved the opportunity in his own peculiar
way. He rides bicycle like professional,
and is also an expert on roller skates. The
vestibule is his chosen field of practice, and he
dashes over the floor on his iron steed, with
reckless abandon that strikes terror to the souls
of nervous callers who are compelled to run the
gauntlet past this bold equestrian or forego all
chance of seeing the President. Young Irwin
manages his bicycle with skill, but sometimes
pie who are constantly passing through his
playground. Several corners have been
knocked away, but that is a matter of no con-
Germ to Master Irwin, who seems bent on crash
ing through the glass doors along the rear YES
tibule. Those who have watched his intricate
maneuvres on the bicycle and skates have
made wagerS on the result. The youngster oc-
casionally varies his amusement by upsetting
the ink and smearing the mucilage over the
fastidious to fault. These little freaks cause
general CONSERVATION. Master Abram Garfield
aged years, is the youngest member of the
household, and also the most delicate, though
by no means sickly, and more inclined to liter
ary and artistic attainmentS than any of the
others. He is the exact antithesis of his
brother Irwin, being of mild, quiet and re-
firing disposition. Consequently he has come
less before the public notice than Irwin, and
there is also less to be said of him. He is
good, studious boy, and his mothers pet
Neither he nor Irwin attend school just now,
but have both received sound and thorough
instruction from their parents. Their future
course in this regard will be determined in a
short time.