, 1884-06-15
S~AN1AANNA'S WIDOW.
A Visit to the Widow of the Cele-
brated General.
At Her New Residence In Mexico
CIty-Thc Glory That Has De-
pnrted-The DIc.ator,a
Portrait.


l called with a small party OF Americans
upon Mrs Santa Anna pronounced here
SAINT Anna'D, widow of the celebrated gen.
eral who died eight years ago, after a life of
extraordinary vicissitudes. The visitors
were received with great urbanity in her
new residence in the center OF the city, by
Mrs Santa Anna, who declared that she
liked Americans, md was always glad to
see them, and in'hbsral Spanish fashion in
formed them that her new house was theirs,
70 dispose of as they saw fit 1t was no sorry
gift-an immense three-story building OF
cream -colored trachite, built around q court;
twenty-five or thirty rooms, IshouId think,
in all, including the stable. Tho court, or
patio, is Of course open to the sky, and brill
lantly Illuminated with orange and cactus
blooms and n profusion Of tropical flowers.
Not half of the rooms are yet furnishedt but
it would't be e bad house to take.
Mrs. Santa Anna was found up the stone
steps in the parlor on the upper floor, where
most of the Mexicans live who can afford it.
She is slightly bowed, and has the personal
appearance of a woman who had seen grief.
She is Of smnllish stature, and was in a plain
lark grey gown. Sho speaks English pretty
we'll, and h third Of her conversation was in
that familiar tongue. She owns u "s1mmer
residence in Tacnbaya, a healthful village
full of gardens ont beyond Chnpultepec, but
as it is Away summer hore she occupies one
place or the other according to her prefer
sncc. She is accompanied by an intelligent
young lady, Miss Bristol, a daughter OF q
merchant OF Niles, Mich, who Is assisting
her to recover her English, rusted from years
of disuse.
Pa Mrs. Santa Anna is only As, but / am
bound TO say that she looks ten years older,
In spite of the fact hat only a few wbits
threads appear in her dark thatch of hair. 1t
is a wonder she does not look a hundred.
Santa Anna was president of Mexico three
years before she was born. She was plightel
to him in her cradle aud married to him
when she was l3. He was then "A military
dictator, sleeping on his sword, beset by con-
slant peril. In six months he had lost his
leg and got into a Texas prison. For twenty
years her life was spent in q camp, sur
rounded by a whirl of warfare. Her hus-
band was five times president Of Mexico,
four times military dictator in absolute
power. He was banished, recalled, banished
again, aud finally died when his wife was in
exile as a traitor. She has seen much "gloryp
.aud has received unlimited adulation, but
she hardly ever enjoyed one Thoroughly peace-
full month in her life. 1t Is a wonder she
does not look as old as Methuselah. for she
has suffered more worry and trouble than a
hundred ordinary women.
A cloud came over her face, as she said:
IL am glad to hear you speak kindly Of my
poor husband. The people of Mexico will
not understand him. They call him hard
names, but God knows he sought their well
fare. He suffered md sacrificed everything
for them. only to be discarded by them at
last. l think the Americans who knew him
mainly as a foe understood him better than
his own countrymen."
There is the best picture we have of the
general said Mrs. Santa Anna, turning in
her chair and indicating Il portrait In a
frame hat sat on the floor and leaned
against the partition. She spoke in n sweet
voice and smiled admiringly. 1t repre-
sentel the chief.ain in the attitude with
which he was most familiar-on horseback.
The face, painted in oils, was saii to DO an
admirable likeness. The rest of the picture
was in rich and elaborate embroidery
heaps Of siliscn thread, carefully and lovingly
woven through and through. 1t was O
spirited representation.
Hanging on the wall was a portrait Of her
self, taken many years ago, surrounded with
court luxury and looking like a young prin-
cess in the midst of her triumphs. She had
evidently not yet discovered that her dolls
wore stuffed with sawdust.
"The generals picture ought to have been
hung long ngo," said the widow, "but l have
only just succeeded in getting into this
house. 1t was built by Mexicans, and they
are S slowi They promised TO finish it in
four mon,hs, and they have been exactly
four years about it. 1t was always Mananal
mammal" So it is, indeed. 1t is very diff
cult to get anything done promptly In this
country. They keep putting ono off with
their everlasting "Mauana"-to- morrow
Mrs. Santa Anna has no children, and
never had. She is attended by six servants,
none of whom wear livery. She lives and
dresses with conspicuous plaiuness. and 1t is
only when sho speaks Of her late husband
that her wan face' lights up with much
viyacity. AS we passed down the heavy
stairway, u sleek team of mules hitched to a.
handsome landau stood in the patio waiting
to bear their mistress out to her rural resi-
dence at Tacabaya. Shnte Anna never, |
believe, acquired a large fortune. a testi-
moninl 70 his personal honesty which does
not attach to Che names OF many OF his sue
ceksurs.