The Osceola times., 1881-11-05
Garfield and His Wife.

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Garfield and His Wife.
Whitehall Review.
The sweetheart of his boyhood-the
girl pup pill whom her tutor loved-was
for Garfield the star Of his hearts horizon
till the last moment Of his life. In
passage leading from the parlor to the
dinning room in his house at Mentor
hangs a picture Of nun about to enter
the confessional in a cathedral. The re-
sembance Of this sweet face to that Of
Mrs. Garfield is very striking, one Of
ILLNESSES one sometimes observes in
picture, and which seems all the more
strange and interesting because il was
evolved from the painters fancy without
any knowledge OF the dear model il so
greatly resembles. So marked was the
likeness between the angelic upturned
face Of the heaven communicating nun
and that Of Mrs. Garfield. that | stopped
before it as Cen Garfield was taking me
in to dinner. How like Mrs. Garfield"
! exclaimed She was directly behind
me, walking with Gen. Swain. The
married lovers exchange a fond glance,
and Mrs Garfield said, with joyous
smile: "rhe General calls that his pretty
grip This was his pet name for herself
by which he always spoke Of the acci-
dental portrait. | never saw two people
talk 50 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 go
thorough the imposing ceremonial by
which he was transformed from private
citizen, one of the mass, to a ruler whose
powers, while they last, are more auto
cratic than any kings. The agitation Of
the solemn moment had blauched the
glowing cheek. etilled the smile on the
now pale lips; but ever and anon he lit
ed his eyes 10 her, as she sat in the gal
lery above and in front Of him, and her
calm. uuruflled face seemed TO give the
response he needed-tbe only one he
could listen to, or sought Any observer
versed in physiognomy could see that
her eyes smoke aloud to him across the
space which separated them, saying
"All is well. You are doing noble. !
am proud of you" Behind the unim-
FASHIONED mask OF her delicate features,
held in bondage by the power Of her
will and fortitude there glowed the fire
of an enthusiastic love for him, joy in
him. support from her for him, 10 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 at Mentor. The
very day after he became President, the
struggle for the spoils OF office began with
a fierceness hitherto unparalleled in all
the strife of that kind which has been
seen at Washington. He was halfmad.
dened by his desire 10 90 Justice to all
the contending factions. 1t was this
feeling which made him slow to give
irreyocahle decisions. ! was at the
White House one morning, and he re-
ferred TO his anxiety not to take a step
in haste which he might repent at les-
ure. The humor of his own cautious
slowness brought back that twinkle in
his eve, the smile on his rosy lip. Il
don't know when I shall get around to
that" he sid "Nou know, there's no
telling when the Mississippi river will
reach pi an point" The sluggish
movement Of the great Father Of Waters
was hit Otto the life by this impromptu
euigram. The dav | called at the White
House to say g1od-hy-I did not think il
would be forever was shown into the
family drawing room upstairs-an apart
ment TO which the public is not allowed
to penetrate.
Mrs Garfield came in with her daugh-
ter Mollie. a splendid, large limbed
maiden of fourteen, her fathers self in
feature and form. A noble girl Beside
this heiress of her fathers grand pro-
portions. Mrs. Garfield looks almost
smaller than her daughter; yet she can
not be called a little woman. Sweet
voiced, lady like; her apparel again most
fitting. most simple, most becoming.
The President enters, clad in gray
morning suit, his hands in the jackets
side pockets. Only a moment such a
rush of people clam0ring to see him
But during this moment husband and
wife continually glance ailcctionately-
their old glance-their glance o! 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 Presidential duties
entails. u only slept four hours during
last night, he says. But he hopes every
thing IS doing well now. Life is 10 be
Joyous in the future. There is Away
some trouble getting to rights when we
move house. is there not? So, good-by,
and God bless you. And he is gone.