St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-10-28
Garfield and His Wife.

The sweetheart of his boyhood-the
girl-pupil whom her tutor lOyed-was
for Garfield the star of his hearts hOr-
iZOn till the last moment of his life.
In passage leading from the parlor to
the dining-rOOm in his house at Men
tor, hangs a 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 a picture, and
which seems all the more strange and
interesting because it was evolved
from the painters fancy without any
knowledge of the dear model it so
greatly resembles. So marked was the
likeness between the angelic upturned
face of the eaven-cOmmuning nun and
that of Mrs. Garfield, that / stopped
before it as General Garfield was TAX
ing me in to dinner. "HOw like Mrs.
Garfield ~ | exclaimed. She was
directly behind me, walking with Gen.
Swain. The married lovers exchanged
fond glance, and Mrs. Garfield said,
with a joyous smile, "The General
calls that his pretty girlm This was
his pet name for herself, by which he
always spoke of the accidental portrait.
| 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.
l saw him in the Senate Chamber go
through the imposing ceremonial by
which he was transformed from pri-
vate 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, 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, 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
well. You are doing nObly. l am
proud of you" Behind the unimpas-
stoned 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, joy
in him, support from her for him, to
which no cold description i'll 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 iOyousness
shine out again, as at the pleasant
home at Mentor. The very day after
he became President, the struggle fol
the spOils of Office began with fierce
ness hitherto unparalleled in all the
strife of that kind which has been seen
at Washington. He was half-madden-
ed by his desire to do justice to all the
cOntending factions. 1t was this feel
ing which made him slow to give
irrevocable decisions. | was at the
White House one morning, and he
referred to his anxiety not to take {
step i'll haste which he might repent al
leisure. The humOr of his own eau
tiOus slOwness brought back tn,
twinkle in his eye, the smile on the
rosy lip. 81 don't know when | shal
get around to that" he said. "YOl
know, there's no telling when the Miss
issippi River will reach given point
The sluggish movement of the grea
Father of Waters was hit off to tn,
life by this impromptu epigram. TIL,
day | called at the White House to say
good BY did not think it would b,
forever was shown into the famil,
drawing room upstairs-an apartment
to which the public is not allowed t.
J penetrate.
, Mrs. Garfield came in with her daugh
! ter MOllie, a splendid, large-limbed mai
den of fourteen, her fathers self in fea
ture and in form. A noble girl Besid,
, this beiress of her fathers grand pro
portions, Mrs. Garfield looks almos
smaller than her daughter; yet she
cannot be called a little woman
Sweet-vOiced, ladylike; her appare
again most fitting, most simple, mos
becoming.
The President enters, clad in a gray
morning suit, his hands in the jacket
side pockets. Only moment Sucl
a rush of people clamoring to see him
But during this moment husband anC
: wife continually glance affectionately-
their old glance-their glance of Men
4 tor, of the Senate Hall, at each other
5 Eyes constantly look love to eyes tina
! speak again. He complains of the los
of sleep which the pressure of Paesi
e Dental duties entails. al only slep
] four hours last night" he says. Bu
he hopes everything is doing well now
t Life is to be joyous in the future
is .alx Tim
5 to rights when we move house, is ther