Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-15
THE PRESIDENT BETTER.

INTERESTING SCENES IN WASHINGTON
WHAT THE PRESIDENT sAYs---THE
BRAVERY OF MRS. GARFIELD--WHAT
JEFFERSON DAVIS sAYs-HOw THE AS
sAssIN aUIrEAU LIVES IN JAIL.
&C. &C., &C.
The steady recovery of President Gar
field which has not met check warrants
the statement that he is almost if not
quite out of danger. He is so we'll that
Vice President Arthur has returned to
New York, his presence not being deemed
by the Cabinet longer necessary. We give
below some interesting extracts from
Washington letters and our exchanges.
THE PRESIDENT AS PATIENT.
AS usual the President found Mrs. Gar
field AT his bedside when he awOkc. He
had spent the most comfortable night
since The shooting. 1t was she to whom
he had said good night just before falling
asleep a little before II last night.
"You seem never to be away from me-"
he said cheerily, as his eyes fell upon her
this morning. She made a smiling re-
Spouse and spoke of his improved appear
ance.
..Y.s, am all right" he said, ''but
hungry us IL bear," adding gOod-naturedly,
IL think shall have to protest against be-
ing starved out"
DR.. Reyburn presently entered the room.
The President boldly suggested a beef
steak, provoking laughter among the at
PENDANTS, in which even the President
Joined heartily. The boys came in for a
pleasant greeting shortly afterwards, and
in little while Miss M0llie arrived with
Mrs. Rockwell Then Mrs. Blaine, who
had remained at the White House all
night. went home and the President was
turned over to the professional attendants.
When Mrs. Garfield left the sick chamber
She went into one of the front rooms,
where already some of the ladies had ar
rived The ladies heard her story Of how
the night had been passed and communl-
Gated it to the members of the Cabinet
who were in the library. A large party
had by this time gathered in the outer
room. to which the cheering news soon
found its way. 1t was not long after this
when the morning bulletin appeared show
ing a decline of the pulse to SO and cor
responding Improvement in temperature
and respiration, both of which had become
nearly normal.
IN A DEsPONDENT MOOD.
Mrs. DR.. Edison, in talking about the
Presidents condition Monday morning,
said that, although the President had been
hopeful all along, he became respondent
for while yesterday for the first time
He was restless, and more than ever con-
sciOus of the struggle he was making for
life. Speaking to Mrs. Garfield, he said:
Il wonder if all this fight against death is
worth the little pinch of life Will get any
way?' Mrs. Garfield answered: "Of
course it is worth while. Don't talk that
way!'' The noise produced by putting up
the cooling apparatus annoyed him so
much at one time yesterday that the phys
icians ordered the workmen to stop.
Later in the day after the doctors had
spray and removed the pus, which is now
freely discharging, the President turned
again to Colonel Rockwell and said:
lis it true that the Catholic church has
offered masses for me ?'
EYES," was the reply.
"WaS it spontaneous or ordered p
"Both, as hear" was the reply.
Il shall have to recognize it in some way
when get WE'LL" the President SAID, and
would have gone on to express himself
further had he not been ordered to keep
quiet. When these orders are given the
patient does not act at all rebelliously, but
with simple, ''Oh, l forgot" relapses in
to silence. Once during the day he turned
the tables on his watchers. When at one
time some remark led Colonel Rockwell to
say that the heat of the nation is center
ed in this room, and very sore heart it is
too,'' the President quickly said: "Then
for the sake of t.e heart Of be nation give
me drink of water" The cooling appa-
ratus by the use of the sudden liberation
of condensed air was not put in use. as the
condenser did not arrive, but the ice and
blanket method was kept up, while the
cool weather makes it pleasant in any part
of the city. The President is sharing the
good feeling of those about him and be-
gins to speak of places he would like to
visit and engagements he would like to
ill during the summer.
NOBLE ACT-A DONATION OF A MILLION
FOR MRS GARFIELD.
Postmaster-Ge General James has received
a telegram from George Wilson, Secreta
ry of the New York Chamber of Com
merce, in which the latter requests the
Postmaster General to say to Mrs. Garfield
that the members of the New York Cham
her of Commerce have subscribed $3.50. 600.
TO be presented to her both as taken of
their sincere esteem and sympathy and rs
means of relieving the mind of the Pres
lu6uU CuGiT6iy lIUu duAlcGy Will lCSolu
to the future of his family.
To this telegram, Postmaster
James replied as follows:
sYour dispatch has been delivered to
Mrs. Garfield. On receipt of it she re-
marked that there was so much that was
touching and beautiful in the sympathy
of people of the whole country that she
did not dare to trust herself to think of
it,n
MRS. GARFIELD'S BRAVERY.
The Washington correspondent of the
New Y Cork "Herald" recently interviewed
Mrs. DR.. susan Edison, who is the Presi-
dent g nurse, and amongst other questions
asked this lady was the following:
do you not fear that the constant at
tendance of Mrs. Garfield will prove too
much for her?"
''The wife OF the President is the bra
vest woman in the universe. l feared
greatly that she would lose her self-con-
troll on her first meeting with the Presi-
dent on Saturday evening. When we saw
her entering the room, supported by her
son and Gen. Swain, we all left, 80 as not
to be witnesses of the sacred scene, but
she bore up wonderfully and cheered the
President and all around by her self-pos-
session. The President himself feared the
meeting, and said that he would rather
die than that she should suffer a relapse.
The Presidents determined will is appar-
ent in his children. Even Mollie Garfield,
with all child's horror. when she met
me, gasped out. Doctor, will pa dep and
answered, I fear SO, dear, yet kept back
her tears, and when admitted to her faith
er's room, bending down low to his face
whispered. as she kissed him, Papa, we
are so glad to get home and be with YOU
The President saw an1 felt the struggle
the child Yas making, and with genuine
burst of feeling said, You are my brave,
darling daughter So much has been told
her about the necessity of controlling her
feelings, even for her mothers sake. that
she retained her fear and sorrow until she
reached her room where we encouraged