The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-03

cess at the bar has enabled him to enjoy
the comforts and luxuries of life and to
live in style BETTING his high position,
but by voluntarily denying himself of
these the closing years of the life of the
mother he so loved and adored Ito whom
he alluded with such touching pathos in
his letter to Mr.. Henry Ward Beecher)
were crowned with abundance and the
most tender and loving care; and the chill
dren younger than himself enjoyed the
advantages of the test institutions of
learning; and as they have married and
settled in life, he has stood to them finan>
cially in the place of a generous father.
His Oldest sister, the wife of the Rev
Eurotas P Hastings, D. D., sailed for
India with her husband the June preced>
ing her fathers death, where they have
since labored as honored missionaries of
the American board of commissioners for
| foreign missions.
Though so far away, she has never been
forgotten by this brother. The mission
airy stipend has often been supplemented
from his generous and ever open purse.
When four of their children, two sons and
two daughters, came to this country he
most naturally and cheerfully assumed
| for them the same ANXIOUS solicitude and
generous care he had so long bestowed
upon his own brothers and sisters.
| The mother of Grover Cleveland was a
native of Maryland. She possessed, in an
eminent degree, the gentleness and the
repose OF manner so marked in the high
est type of southern born natives. In the
home so generously provided for her, her
serene Old age was happy aud bright.
Here she welcomed her children and
grandchildren, and to those from India
she extended a generous and long CON
tinued hospitality. From that home she
was borne to her grave but a short time
before her son was elected governor
OF New York
Since the death of his father in 1858.
| his benefacLions to his mother and all
! these her descendants have swellgd to
| thousands of dollars. The Presbyterian
church makes generous provisions for
her disabled ministers and the widows
and orphans of deceased ministers For
this purpose more than 1921 900 was
collected during the past year. Though
often urged, The sensitive spirit of Mrs.
Cleveland shrunk from receiving this aid.
Her son, Grover, warmly sympathizing
with her, urged her to decline it, and
neither mother nor children have ever
received n dollar from this fund.
Only recently | knelt in prayer at the
dying bed OF warm, personal friend, a
clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal
church, but few hours before lie passed
away He told me then, as he had often
told me before of his great sorrow in
leaving his wife and children without any
adequate support. Could he, and the
thousands of other clegymen who have
died oppressed with similar burden, have
known that they would have a son with
the noble impulses and generous heart o!
Grover Cleveland, their closing hours
world have been less sad.
Through my travels in the service OF
the American Bible Society, the American
Tract Society, and my extended journey
ings rs an invalid in search of health my
acquaintance with the families Of clergy
Men during the last forty years in the
north, sOuth, east and west, from ocean
TO ocean, has been exceptionally large
but if in these United States any minister
of the gospel has ever left son who.
through so long a series of years, with
such personal sacrifice and self denial and
so anxious care, freely gave so large d
part of the results of his labOrious toll fol
the maintenance and comfort of "a cherish
ed mother and for the sTstenance, cduca
ton aud happiness of her children and
! grandchildren, have yet to learn the fact
Naturally diffident, silent, secretive, ant
instinctiyely shrinking from revelation
of himself to others can well understand
how greatly he will be startled by The
statement Of facts so little known outside
the family circle. But it is due the Amer
can people after the campaign unparall
; eled fer SANDER and falsehood that they
e should know what have thus revealed
5 My first vote was cast in my native tow
p in western New York for the Hon. vii
liam H. Seward. As long as the Viii,
party existed | voted with them, and the
l transferred my warmest sympathics anC
c votes to the republican party. From 1873
=, to 1884 | never scratched but two
, names, and those for county officers, m
- warm, personal friends. But Nov. 4
Il with conscious pleasure | never exper
e fenced before in exercising the right o
{ suffrage, deposited my ballot for Grove
- Cleveland.