Connecticut western news., 1881-09-28
THE LATE PRESIDENT GARFIELD.
 His Home and His Family Life,

The first years of General Gar6eld's married life were passed in Hiram, Ohio, boarding with families of friends, and it was not until he went to the war that he saved money enough to buy home. In 1862 he purchased 8 small frame cot tage facing on the college green, paying for it $8OO About $l, ,0OO more was spent in enlarging it by wing and fitting it up. The rooms were small and the ceilings low, as was the fashion in village houses of moderate preten- sions, but the young housewife soon made the place cosey and home like. This was the only home of the amily for many years. While in Wash ington they lived in apartments. The lack of a settled home at the capital,
 where the children could grow up amid wholesome influences, was seriously felt early in General Garfeld's Congress sional career, but it was not until he had been three times elected that he began to regard that career as likely to continue for an indefinite period, and sought the means of escaping from the disagreeable features of hotel and boarding house life. He bought 8 lot on the corner of Thirteenth and streets, facing Franklin square, and with money loaned him by an old army friend put up 8 plain, square, substantial brick house, big enough to hold his family and two or three guests.
 As the koys grew older. however, and needed more range for their activities than a city house could afford, the de- sire to own farm which he had always felt increased upon him. When he had paid off the mortgage on his house and had little money ahead, he thought he could gratify his desire, and after a good deal of thought about localities, decided to settle in the vicinity of the Lake Shore Railroad on one of the handsome productive ridges that run parallel with Lake Erie. A farm of 16O acres was bought in the town of Mentor, Lake County, mile from railway and telegraph station, and half a mile from 8 post office. The buildings consisted of tumble-down barn and an ancient farmhouse, story and half high; but the land was fertile, the summer climate, tempered by breezes from the neighboring lake, was delightful, and the people in the vicinity were of the best class of farmers to be found in Ohio. Here the General revived all the farming skill of his boyhood days, holding the blow or loading the hay wagon or driving the OK team. Drain age, fencing and other Improvements absorbed all the money the place brought in, and the time spent upon it was highly enjoyed by all the members of the household, and every winter they looked forward to the adjournment of Congress and their release from Wash ington with pleasant anticipations.
 General Garfield has had seven chll- dren and five are living. The oldest, Mary, died when he was in the army, and the youngest, Edward, died in Washington about four years ago. Of the surviving children, the oldest, Harry, is fifteen after him come James, Molly, Irwin (named after General McDowelD and Abram. Harry and James are pre- pairing for college at St. Paul's School, in Concord, N. H. Harry is the musician of the family and plays the piano we'll. James, who more resembles his father, is the mathematician. Molly, hand some girl of thirteen, is ruddy, sweet tempered, vivacious and blessed with perfect health. The younger boys are still in the period of boisterous animal life. All the children have quick brains and are strongly individualized. All learned to read young except Abe. who hearing that his father had years ago said in lecture on education, that no child of his should be forced to read until he was seven years old, took refuge behind the parental theory and declined to learn his letters until he had reached that age.
 The manner of life in the Garfield household, whether in Washington or on the Mentor farm, was simple and quiet. The long table was bountifully supplied with plainly. cooked food, and there was always room for any guest who might drop in at meal-time. No alcoholic drinks were used. There was no effort at following fashions in furniture or table service. No carriage was kept in Washington, but on the farm there were vehicles of various sorts and two teams of stout horses. Con- fort, neatness and order prevailed, with out the least attempt at keeping up with styles of dress and living, or any desire to sacrifice the healthful regularity of household customs adopted before the General won fame and position, to the artificial usages of what is called good