Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-18
MRS. GARFIELD.
A Woman Who Loves Her Husband and
Her Home.
Philadelphia Press.]

philadelphia Press.
-Guiteau's dastardly and nearly fatal
attack upon Mr.. Garfield has served not
only to bring the President nearer than
ever to the hearts of the people, but to
show in strong relief the beautiful char
acter of his noble wife. There perhaps
has never been more happy union than
that of Lucretia Rudolph and James
Abram Garfield The one has proved to
be much nearer the complement of the
other than usually occur in this life. Mrs.
Garfield is not what would be called a
pretty woman, but she is tall, fine look
ing, has kind, good face, and the gen.
tlest of manners. She has slight, but
well-knit form, small features, with a
somewhat prominent forehead, and hair
originally black, now somewhat tinged
with gray. A pair Of black eyes and
mouth about which there plays sweetly
bewitching smile are the most attractive
features of thoroughly expressive face
She is quick observer, an intelligent
listener, but undemonstrative in the ex-
IRENE. She is thoroughly domestic
woman, who loves her home and her hus-
band Mary Clemner pays her the fol-
lowing tribute:
"Much of the time that other women
give to distributing visiting cards, in the
frantic effort to make themselves lead
ers of society" Mrs. Garfield spends in
the alcove of the Congressional library,
searching out books to carry home to
study while she nurses the children. You
may be sure of one thIng-the woman
who reads and studies while she rocks
her babies will not be left far behind by
her husband in the march of actual
growth. have seen many women come
to the surface of capitolian life out of OBJ
security and go back into obscurity again;
have seen hundreds of so-called leaders
of society shrivel and 60 out in the
scorching flame of fashion; while have
followed with tender heart this woman,
the wife of famous mana woman
whom nobody called a leader She,
meanwhile, has not been lifted off her
feet, as many women are, by
her husbands rising fortunes; no
spreading forth in styles of dress
or living; no airs And in Washing
ton, in official life, that means everything
indicative of character. She has moved
on in the tranquil tenor of her unobtru-
s1ve way, in a life of absolute devotion to
her duty, never forgetting the demands
Of her position or neglecting her friends,
yet making ii her first charge to bless
her home, to teach her children, to fit
her boys for college, to be the equal friend
as well as the honored wife of her hus-
band. Gentle, patient, unobtrusive al
most to timidity, keenly intelligent, lib
orally educated, consclentiously devoted
to everything good-this is the woman
who will perpetuate the loving consecrat-
ed life that to-day abides in the White
house, if, as its mistress, she enters it'
Gen. Garfield is credited in one of his
biographies with the following words of
praise for her unusually sound discretion.
" have been wonderfully blessed in
the discretion of my wife. She IS one of
the coolest and best balanced women /
ever saw. She is unstampedable. There
has not been one solitary instance of my
public career where l suffered in the
smallest degree for any remark she ever
made. 1t would have been perfectly
natural for woman often to say some
thing that could be misinterpreted; but
without any design and with the intelll-
gence and GOODNESS of her character, she
has never made the slightest mistake that
ever heard of. With the competition
that has been against me, many times,
such discretion has been real blessing
She has borne her husband six children,
one of whom, daughter, died in infan-
cy. One of the most touching incidents
in the life of the stricken President was
his coming home from the front soon af-
ter he had dOnned the star of a major
general to bury dead son. He to ok the
dead baby in his arms and sat for its pho
tograph, the only one the family ever
had of its little dead member. In speakin g
of the circumstance to his friend, Presi-
dent Hinsdale, he said: GAS I sat with
that dead child in my arms my eyes rest
ed upon my bright blue uniform, so re-
Gently bestowed upon me, and l thought
how small are the honors of this life
how Insignificant are all its struggles and
triumphs! 1 am grieved and broken in
spirit at the great loss which has been
inflicted upon me, but can endure al
most anything so long as this brave little
woman is left me"
This closing sentence comes with spe-
cal significance just at this time, when
everything is at stake with the great
man, and when, if ever in this life, he
needs the full strength and support of
his noble helpmate. 1t was most touch
ing and proper that they should have
been left alone at their first meeting after
the catastrophe. Her judgment and
wisdom are entirely sufficient for any
crisis that can come in the life of her
great husband, and if anything in this
world can rally him back to life
from the sombre brink of the grave, her
presence aud care can do it. When, a
few weeks ago, her own condition was
considered critical, their best friends
feared the effect her loss would have upon
the President, and had she died there
would now be little hope of the Generals
rallying. With her constant presence
and cheering support the country may
have hope for the best.