, 1884-07-16
TIL "WIZARD'S" WIFE.
Olive Harper's Visit to the Home of
Thomas A Edison.
Mrs. Edison's Interesting story OF
Ia Courtship and Marriage
Edison as n Husband
and Father.


All dDONb u lHb puIeoL ptaCGr AT
sympathy, and the utmos domestic har-
m0ny is the home OF Mr.. Thomas
A. Edison, he who Is commonly
known as the wizard OF Menlo park, y and
whose city residence is at No. % Gramercy
park. The house is rather old-fashioned and
without distinct Individuality as to exterior,
like almost all New York houses, but the in
side has in every part a brightness and airy
plensnntness of its own. The ball is paved
with marble and furnished with Turkish rugs
and crimson embossed velvet chairs and sofa,
and has a large hat-rack near the door,
whereon hung a coat that bore the impress
OF the wizard himself. Three handsome par
lors are en- suite, all thrown wide opsn, and
with large windows in front, giving a pleas
mt outlook on the trees in the park, and
with other equally large windows at tho
back, letting in a flood OF sunshine, and Civ
ing Il view OF a fine garden in the rear. The
front parlor is carpeted with Persian rugs,
and the rest with Administer carpets,
aud the walls are covered with pictures
and fine engraviDgs, while every available
spot and corner is made to ho,d a statuette,
a vase, or some other article of decoration.
The pretty upright piano near the window
holds three statuettes of exceeding merit, and
Is covered with embroidered cloth of peculiar
and effective design. Numberless bits OF
painting and porcelain hang here and there,
many done by the busy fingers of Mrs. Ed
ison. The other two parlors are furnished
much the same, with pale-blue satin furniture
in carved ebony wood, and with easy chairs
OF every design, and nearly all decorated
with fancy l~ace-work, all light, bright,
cheerful, and pleasant to see. Mr.. Ellison
had just Como out, and so l had a long and
delightful chat with Mis-. Edison, who had a
particular grievance to complain of, and
that is that the newspapers all over the
country had published such ridiculous stories
OF her and Mr.. Edison's courtship and mur-
riage, and sho averred that they had made
her quite unhappy.
AIN the first place." she said, IL never
worked in any factory, nor for Mr. Edison,
nor anybody else. in any capacity, and there
fore TIE story about his passing along where
l was at work Monday evening, and propos-
ing to me, and setting the wedding for Tues.
day morning, hasn't n word of truth in it.
"Ths fact is just this. 1 was going home
from school one afternoon with two of my
companions, when it began TO rain furiously,
md none OF US had an umbrella, and 80 we
stepped into the hallway OF what proved to
be Mr.. Edisou's factory, where he was then
making the stock recorders. A gentleman
We knew came out and invited Us inside, and
we went in to be out of the rain. / was
about l5L years old, and was tall for my
Rge. hr. Edison was at work on one of his
machines, and this gentleman, whom we
knew, showed US around, aud / noticed Mr..
Edison particularly for TWO reasons. First,
l thought be had very handsome eyes, and
next, because he WINS SO dirty, all covered
with machine oil, etc. and l spoke to him
about the little instrument he was at work
on. We talkei n few Moments, and as
the rain kept up and even grew worse we
concluded it was best to 60 home. The gen.
tlemHn brought his umbrella and took my
two schooi-inates, and Mr.. Edison got his
and started to accompany me, first pulling on
an overcoat that hid his dirty clothes. When
we got to the house l saw that he was de-
terinined to go in, and / had to invite him,
and when my mother came down she asked
me who that was. L told her, and said that
he had brought me home, and she went in. |
was in mortal terror lest she should ask him
tostay, but she lid, and then he got up and
took of his oyercoat and staid till 8 o'clock,
and then when he went away he asked per-
mission of my mother and myself to call
again. When he got it he awaited himself of
it to come almost every evening, and at last,
after five months OF constant visiting, he
made bis pr posal this way, which l tell you,
bccnuse 1t is so perfectly his way OF doing
everything.
1--WE had been out walking and were COM
ing home when no said:
"'Have you ever thought you would like to
be married, Mnmief
"'Why, no. l replied, not yet, anyhow
"'Well, l have, and l would like TO, and l
would like you for my wife,
"'Oh, | couldn't | answered.
"'Well, and why notl Don't you like me
well enoughl Think. now, and try and not
make a mistake l stammered out some.
thing about the suddsnness of it, and TINT |
couldn't marry so young, but he said: IT you
..--.Il R.
your father tomorrow night, and if he says
yes We'll be married Tuesday This was
Saturday. Sunday he talked with father and
mother, and wanted to be married at once,
but father said that he would give him an
answer in a week. Mr.. Edison took my fathers
hand and said: 4 love your daughter. 1
am honest, and | am good, and / know how
to trent a woman. I'll come next Sunday
night He did, and father had il the mean
time satisfied himself and he need have no
fear, and so we were married, and | have
been very happy with him, and 1 expect TO
be as long as | live, for he is & oil and true,
and so tender to me and the children. We
have three, Dottie, my daughter. and
Tommie, my big boy, and Willie, my baby.
Dottie looks a little like me, but Tommie is
like his father, with the same shaped head
and same eyes, Yes, I'm a little IN love with
my husbands eyes-yes, in fact, a good deal.
"Th is his picture. You see how he looks.
He is tall, and weighs about 2O0 Iounds NOW"
And l saw n strong, honest, fearless face,
with intentness of purpose and a strength Of
character most unusual, and with close-set
lips and n deep line between the brows-not
II handsome face according to the rules OF
beauty, but one to like and trust.
Mrs. Edison herself is a very handsome
woman Of about rs, fair complexion, ad-
miIably proportional, tall, and probably
weighing about 100 pounds. She dresses in
exquisite taste, although now in mourning,
and it is her husbands delight to see her 50
dressed, and nothing is too good for her, he
thinks. Mrs. Edison has been called
the most extravagant woman in New
it is a mistake, or worse, on the
part OF those who say it. Mrs, Edison
declares she never feels neglected when her
husband shuts himself up at Menlo park for
tho pui pose of making experiments, or for
invention, II she just waits until he has
emerged from his seclusioD, only taking
pains TO see that he has his meals properly,
for he forgets SELF entirely, though he never
forgets her. She watches over hims nd cares
for him like a mother, and has even learned
to like his smoking, which came hard at first,
and she understands lis bushes. and plana
and invents as well as be d4es, an thus
proves the most valuable heil meet. Us in
Come One. Come All.
The new machines sold by Beckstead,
$40 Seventeenth street, are going off like
hot cakes. New Home or New Howe
fnr each mr. aosy, mOntbb. noxr,nontS