Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-04
A wOMAN,s LETTER FROM WASH.
1NGTON.
ny Mary CIemnier,

iBht. Within, the Capitol was never so ri
tractive. The lilies Of the corridors are clea
ana cool. The doors Of the I.egjsla,iy
Chambers stand open wide. Within, coolly
matted floors ard coolly- atlired men tell 1
ADVANCE OF the tranquil legislation on ben
sions and tariff that is slowly going on, Il
lens', in the Senate Chamber. Personally.
had staid away from his Chamber lon,
enough TO perceive, when | came back. IN,
touches that Time hid laid here and there o,
,he faces OF Its members. In faces, at least
now much had become new Time baf
gwen TO the old Chamber touch of novelty
Slue ny side, as Of Old, sat the two Father,
Of the Senate, Senators Morrill, and Anthony
Inc resemblance of Senator Morrill, to Sepa
tor Sumner has been often observed. and i,
increases as the years increase. No human
Dclng could grow cd more gracefully while
MS equable temperament and gentle temper
give promise Of many added honorable years
on The earth, Raging passions will never
hurry TINS poac .ful spirit into eternity while
itlly employed but not overtaxed faculties
give promise of unceasing usefulness to the
end. The white LIARS OF Senator Anthony
lend look OF equal serenity to his face. Re.
spected and beloved by all who know him.
he has served In the Senate Of the United
states for twenty-ihrce consecutive wears
and has reached tic extreme honors of a
sixth election.
The air is full of farewcls to the diving, "
Tn Sunday 10 Waslnngt II came telegram
from Senator Edmupds Of Vermont, bearing
these words:
Julia passed away yesterday"
nus death has broken one of the smallest
anu cholc ST family circles of the Capital. 1t
fann IA. AZ Iii.
tected upon the outer world of the tender
Inn homc-li' e in which the city abounds the
world knows nothing. Within its limits.
there is no family muic intelligent, refined
anu closely bound tost therb sympathetic Ties
ihan that of Senator Edmunds. Ii consisted
only OF himself, wife and two young daugh-
'ers. Both were young women of great
promise; but now the youngest, graceful as
fawn, happy in the h0pc of long. beautiful
human life, standing at its threshold, has van
'shed into the life incorrup'hlr leaving a
gi1cf OF loss 10 the he arts that love her that
can never be assIagcd Our heart, 90 ont to
the strong father, TO the rar, mother, to the
berctt sister, yet, with all cur sympathy, no
less they must tread their Gc,hscmaue ulone.
DAY after day we think what she is doing
. In those bright realms OF air;
Year after year, her tender steps pursuing
beuolh her grown more fair
Thus TO we walk with her aad Keep unbroknn
- Tue bond which Nature gv...
thinking that our remembrance, I hourh unsnps ken
May reach her where she lives"
The death OF Mis-. Abraham Lincoln recalls
much TO those who knew her ia her life in
Washington. The publ has cheerful way
Of regarding the wiz of United States
Presidents as pieces OF National property,
Just as church societies cons der their min
lsters' wives piece of church ropeity, to
the extent, at least, OF attending assiduously
TO her personal character ard affairs. Weigh
ed in the public's in, xorable balance. Door
Mrs Lincoln was found wanting. She en-.
tered the White House in the prime of life
u woman whose lite had ten wholly person.
al and provincial Not icaulilul, she had
yet points of great beauty, which newspa-
pers and fia'terers t. ok up and published at
once. Despite the war and the enmty of
the South, she mad her share of following, of
ilattery from women OF fashion, from gay
thcvaler5 of the weird. To IA degree never
dreamed OF before. Being human, it was
but natural that it should imioAicate her for
a time. Few are great en- 1ugh to be able to
carry power with humility. But she evadcd
but Tor little VIII lr the cicr, al fiat of human
sorrow. Her lc iutlful boy. willie" died
in the White lIous., and the mansion Of hon
or WAS never again what il was at first to the
beIeaved mother. The mental malidv which
followed her To her grave develop
cd itself in its incpicu, stages in
the White House THIS is the one
charitable explanation Of the strange things
which she said and did. Petlaps at this
time no one but her husband knew it, The
people did not, and judged her accordingly
There was no difference il fact between the
many boxes she took from the White House
, ;,I ,ll
iinery, that she tugged about Chicago. Her
lns inity took on the mid form of passion
for clothes which she could MT wear and
terror OF poverty which She cOu'd never incur.
She had lovab,e, she had in some respects
brilliant faculties. She WAS keen witty
anu sarcastic, with sharp sense Of the
ridiculous but through her whole life she was
subject at intervas To Uutbursts of passion
ate, uugoyernet temper. which In their
quality vergcd on INSANITY. One closely al
lied to her by family lies told me. hut a few
years ago, that, even when these RACES were
expended on himself President Lincoln never
showed the least irritation or anger toward
his wife. No matter low Unreasonable she
might be, he always treated her with the
gentleness and tenderness that he would have
bestowed On AN aling child, soothing her
back to quietness. No wonder she was
never comforicd for the loss of
her great con.ol,r, lover and friend
In those days par i,nn prejudice was
at white heat. Til that day Washing
ton had been wholly southern city, and
then the whole Southern element in il was in
state of rampant revolt against all North.
ern Scum" in the White H. use or anywhere
else. The intelligence # Mrs LincolL
by the country at large ha, always been
greatly moderated Physically and mental
ly she was strong woman, though her men
tai forces had probably never been thorough.
ly developed and in la'cr life became deeply
warped. 1t has been greatly the habit of
people to speak of Mrs Lincoln as an litter
ate woman. This was AS unjust as other
misjudgments. No woman who has since
presided over the White House excepting
Mrs. Garfield. has been able to write per-
sonal note that could compare in elegance
with those written habitually BY Mrs. Lin
coin. Her early education had been entrus,-
ed to French lady She wrote tluently in
Frerch andthe missivcs which came from her
hands were in all respects the communications
of an accomplished and and intelligent woman
She had very keen perceptions, and, when
her fancies did not interfere with them, she
read human nature accurately, rs she gave
ample proof in her judgment Of Abraham
Lincoln, who, when others deemed him of
small account, she always declared would
live to prove himself to be a great man. An
other trait strongly developed in her, we will
not call feminine" as she shared it with
Napoleon the Great-she could not bear a
rival and was never known to invite as a
continuous guest at the White House any
woman younger or fairer than herself. Her
powers of mimicry would have made her for
tune on the stage, aud it was pastime not
unknown to the White House 10 her time,
the exact reproduction IN the chamber above,
by the mistress of the mansion, Of the airs
and graccs, the tricks of speech, of move
ment, and Of manner { the guests who have
just marched before her, paying their obei-
sance to the first LAZY OF the land in the Red
Parlor below. Her sun 5 in Abraham Lin
coins grave and never rose again.