The National tribune., 1882-08-12
PRESIDENT ARrHuR AT HOME

correspondent of the st. Louis Globe Demo-
crat speaks of the President and his surround
ings in his New York home and also at tbs
White House in the following pleasant strain: :
President Arthur is an admirer and some
thing of judge of art work, and at his Lex
ington avenue house in New York he has many
fine paintingsand valuable engravings With all
the baroness of the White House walls staring
him daily in the face, he refuses to despoil his
home of single treasure or change the least
one of its arrangements; a delicate sentiment
constraining him to wish everything there to
remain untOuched-a constant reminder of his
wife, to whose taste that habitation owes its
charm. He brought with him from New York
the miniature portrait of Mrs. Arthur, set in
finely wrought bronze frame This picture,
standing on a table in his bedroom constitutes
the household shrine, and is lighted in the
evening hours by the shaded light of an an
tique bronze lamp. The private staircase from
the first floor leads up to the Presidents pri-
vate retreat, and it is shut of from the rest of
the corridor by heavy portiere of raw silk
tapestry, shot with gold and silver thread. A
portiere of Turkish cloth on one side conceals
the door of the pink and blue PompadOur
apartment occupied by President Garfield, and
similar drapery hangs at the entrance to
President Arthurs pale azure chamber. The
arched window at the end is filled with bloom
ing plants; the floor is covered with part of
the rich Turkey carpet sent some years ago as
a present to this Government frem the Sultan,
the prevailing tint of which is soft, rich
orange, and the furniture is covered with dark
gray green plush. A writing-desk at one side
of this sitting-room has its racks filled with
dainty, cream-tinted note-paper, and the CEN
ter-table is strewn with the latest books and
magazines. Several copies of the North Amsri-
can Rerie0 occupy conspicuous place, and a
rich Venetian lamp, with duted, tulip shaped
globe of opal glass, stands on this table.
Big shaker rocking-c chairs, fans, and the
daily papers of Washington and New York
offer comfort and company for the idle sum-
mer hours, and through the curtained door,
WAYS there comes the steady south wind. Bier
stadts fine pictures are hung on the walls of
this informal apartment; the largest, which
represents dark and gloomy mountain-side
canyon of the Rocky Mountains, occupying the
wall just above the stairway. On one side of
it hangs smaller canvas, showing the great
Fan Geyser of the Yellowstone Park in full
play; and on the other side view of the Vel
stone Fall, with the amber waters pouring
straight over the precipice and dashing down
the canyon toward one. On the opposite wall
is the somewhat celebrated painting of Win
ter Morning Scene in the Yosemite" the giant
rocks and valley walls powdered with soft lines
of snow, and the trees bent and whitened with
the accumulated flakes. The fifth picture
shows calm, green-bordered lake, with lone
fisherman floating over it in a boat and drop
ping his line medit&tively into its waters All
of them are worthy efforts of the great artists
brush, and on hot day the gaze rests envi-
ously on the cool waters and the snow banks
of the western wonderlands.