The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-01
At the White House.

TIesluenC seaC Is midway the length o.
tho table on its west side, and Mrs. Gar
field sits opposite, with Harry, her eldes
q decided "mother-boy," as near her as
the presence of almost constant guests
will permit, while Jimmie sits cores
pondingly near his father, where also
"Grandma" Garfield has an honored
place. She Is always waited on first
| whoever else may be present. Mollic
sits Mt the north end of tho tablo, and
the two younger boys are disposed lit.
tic promiscuously, according to tho exi.
gencies Of tho case. Harry is 19, tall
and graceful, with the regular features
of his mother.
The down of manhood appears on his
cheeks. Jimmie, 16 years old, is nearly
or quite rs tall as his brother and
broader shouldercd, with the Saxon hair
and large features of his father, whom
he bids fair to resemble strongly in per-
| son md intellect. Mollic, aged ii, has
tho dark brown hair of her mother and
tho lineaments of her father not unhand-
somely reproduced. When womanhood
has softened the charms of her face she
will be very fine looking. Since the
trouble calno L notice that the news
paper writer's speak of her caressingly as
s'littlo' Mollie, but she is already rs
large rs her mother and Of the "bounc-
ing" typo of girl. She is n great pet
with her father. Irwin, aged II, and
Abram, aged 8, you already know
through descriptions, especially the for
NOR, who is the eccentric one, possibly
tho genius of them all.
He is named for General Mcdowell.
and insists that his name must be always
written, not Irwin NJ, but Irwin McD.
Meal timo j" almost the only time the
President has lately had with his chill
dron, md he devotes himself in great
part to them ut that time after asking
questions on some interesting point Of
Harry or James OF Mollie, to draw them
out, and then explaining it at considera-
bio length, instruoting by the Socratic
method, as it were. This is pleasant
relic Of his schoolmaster days, Of which
also gleam appeared, you will remem-
Der, on the very evening Of the tragedy,
when he asked messenger if many tel
egrams had been received ga great
many, sir, expressing sympathy for you, /"
was tho reply. ''Sympathy with, not
for, you should say" replied the Presf-
dent, pleasantly. "You must be care
ful of your grammar" 81
The food on the White House table is
scrupulously we'll prepared and we'll
served, Mrs. Garfield insisting moro
strongly on this than did Mrs. Hayes,
who was tolerably punctilious, but did
not make so much fine art consecra-
ton, of the table rites as does Mrs. Gar
field. An Alderney COW, from the Men
tor home, furnishes delicious milk and
cream; the tea and coffee are triumph
antly good; there is abundant fruit ut
breakfast and dinner, and there is deli
clous soup always at lunch, followed by
choice cold meats--bcef, fowl and other
game. This is q refinement on tho
''codfish aud prunes" of tho Hayes
lunches, which, however, were perhaps
maligned. Flowers from the ample con-
servatories adorn the table at every meal
When guests are formally present there
is little need of change in the menu,
there is simply substitution of larger
and finor set of dinner service. Steward
William Crump, who was Col Hayes's
orderly, and came in with him to the
White House, remains in that capacity
still, and is now the Presidents special
nurse, lifting him in his stout arms rs
no other can. There was change of
cooks when Mrs. Garfield came in. The
rosy health and strength of her husband
and family is duo no doubt in great
measure to this lady's thorough belief in
tho gospel of good food. Conscientious,
loving supervision of these matters in the
past Is one of the ways in which her
strong though quiet nature has expressed
itself to them: In time of health she
sits cheerful, but silent, rather than
otherwise, at table, listener to her hus-
band and her boys. She dresses neatly,
but worry plainly, at breakfast and lunch,
but makes more elaborate toilet for
dinnor, usually in rich black silk.
The after dinner hour the President
has adopted for recreation, going down
stairs to tho billiard-room usually for a
game with his boys OF his friends. 1t is
q favorito game with him; Colonel Rock
we'll or General Swain, who ore more
than frequent guests Mt his tablo, often Join
him Mt this diversion. Mrs Hayes whose
devotion to flowers was speciality, con,
verted the billiard-room of the Grant
regime, which adjoined the state dining.
room, into m additional conservatory
there wero only eleven prcviously-malS.
ing q fine artistic effect with the foliage
through the long windows.
When President Garfield came in he
rc-cstablishcd billiard room. for which
his predecessor had no occasion, bu
placed it in the basement, in tho room
that Fannie and Scott Hayes and the
two or three little companions who
shared their studies had for school
room, thoir governness being m accom-
plished young Virginia lady. It was (
subject Of frequent query why, with tha
largo house at their disposal, Mr.. ant
Mrs. Hayes, who so delighted in theil
children and in tho sunny side Of life
should have fitted up abasement school
room. Gon. Garfield, believing devout
ly in plcnty of light and Dir, promptly
transferred tho shrine Of the scholastic
deities in his new homo to the cheerful
northeast chamber in the business par
of the mansion, where the morning SUI
could shine upon tho bright young head
of his sturdy boys.
Don Rockwell, the son of Col, Rock
| woll stu1ic1 with hia own aons fFhai