Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1882-03-10
Washington Letter.

IL has been matter OF some surprise
that, out of the multitude of episcopal
churches with which Washington
abounds, the president should have
chosen the very Oldest and shabbiest of
them all as his regular place for wor-
ship. Every Sunday morning he may
be seen walking, unattended, like the
humblest citizen, across the evergreen
Lafayette Square with its brown gener-
al in the middle, which lies between
the White House and the mossgrOwn
sanctuary, wherein he quietly takes
his place in the old pew that Madison
occupied nearly seventy years ago.
Several of the early presidents attended
this church, but for more than quar-
ter of a century it has been entirely out
of date, and quite neglected by modern
greatness. For President Arthur this
ancient sanctuary has more sacred as
sOciatiOns than those merely historic,
and, like LOngfellew's "Village Black.
smith," in the music of the choir, he
hears dream voice singing in Para
disc" Many years ago the lady whom
he married, Miss Z. Herndon, daughter
of naval officer, then stationed at the
national observatory was member
of st. Johns choir, and it is said that
her sweet soprano voice, filling the
mOuldy old place with melody, first at
tracted the attention of an unassuming
young lawyer, who happened to be
spending Sunday at the capital, and
idly strayed into st. JOhn's-Mr Ches-
ter A. Arthur by name. DepOnent said
he did not become acquainted with the
lady of his love at that time, however
not until scme years latter, when her
father lay at the bottom of the sea, and
her widowed mother and herself had
sought home elsewhere. The gallant
Capt. Herndon, who, before his duties
in the observatory here had served in
the Mexican war and commanded
United States expedition to ex-
plOle the valley of the ANA
zon, was subsequently commander
of the steamship Central America,
which in 1857 went down between
Havana and New York, with over four
hundred passengers, and more than
two millions in gold aboard. About
One-third of the passengers were saved,
including all the women and children.
But the faithful captain stood heroic
ally at his post to the last, and went
down to the unknown depths with his
ship. 1t was when her young life was
shadowed by this great sorrow that
Ella Herndon met her future husband
in New \ Ork, whittier the broken
family had gone to establish new
home. Theirs was a genuine love-
match, with which many romantic in.
cidents are connected. That the presi-
dent is faithful to her memory is prov
en- by the fresh flowers which his own
hand every day wreathes around her
portrait that hangs in the white house
chamber at the foot of his bed, where
his eyes can look upon her the last
thing at night and the first on awaken
ing. She is said to have been lady
Of lovely character and rare intelli-
gence, with tall and graceful figure,
and many claims to personal beauty.
She was fond of society, had much of
that charming tact that stands wO.
man in better stead than genius, and
would have graced her husbands on
erOus position. A lOnelier man, or one
more at loss for the feminine ele-
ments which the social exigencies of the
executive mansion demand, never lived
in that cheerless abode. With his chill
dren in New York, his wife in her
grave, his household made up of clerks,
messengers and servants, his home life
must be blank.