The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-10

lionaire society leaders as the occu-
pants of English servants halls are of
talking about tine lord" and 'sme
lady" Then, too, this affords good
field for the imaginative reporter or
correspondent If he announces that
Mrs. Stewart is coming back into So
ciety he makes an interesting item, OF
even long article about it, which he is
sure of having published and getting
paid for; and Mrs. Stewart will never
take the trouble to contradict it.
OF course, the announcement to which
have referred is utterly devoid of
foundation in truth.
Certainly there seems to be no good
eason why the widow of Ale ander
TuIney Stewart shotld ever fe.enter
that hete ogeneous hotch potch of silk
aad sho dv and gold and lrsss, din
r,onds and paste dubbed american, :"
Or T. tner, New York society," She is
now more than threescore and ten
years old, think, an age at which So
cial conquests have little charm. She Is
rich beyond all desire, and all the world
knows it, so she need not parade her
wealth in public. She is refined and
cultured, but hers is the culture OF q
past generation, and would be sadly out
of harmony with the bizarre Anglicisms
Of to-day. She cast in her lot many
years ago with poor man and aided
him to work his way upward in honest
trade until he reached height of mer-
camille and financial splendor compared
with which the position even of Wander
bilt looks mean and petty. Why should
she court the companionship OF those
who-while far her interiors in intellect
and refined graces affect to scorn all
who have not. like themselves, inherited
wealth from the "old man"
No; Mrs. Stewart will never again be
seen in New York society. She will
spend the remainder of her life in
memories of the past, in cherishing the
fame of her husband, in doing deeds of
transformations, charity, and in enjoying
the companionship OF select circle OF
lifelong friends.
For she doesn't live like hermit.
Oh, no.
She spends her summers at Saratoga,
living there in imperial splendor. She
drives out, she walks, she attends the
superb garden concerts. Indeed, she
seems to enjoy life there as fully as dc
any of the gayer ard younger guests.
In winter she lives in her Fifth avenue
mansion. But not alone. She is never
without pleasant companionship. And
though the lights from the huge crysta
chandeliers scarcely show a glimmcl
through the heavy white satin curtains
every evening her parlors are the scenC
of pleasant social life. all in a little
world of its own.
If any one thinks Mrs. Stewart lives
like hermit in tomb he is badly mis-
taken.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Stewart had {
taste for books and works OF art, ant
when they moved to their old Fifth
avenue mansion they began gratifying
their taste pretty freely They bou@l'
thousands of volumes-not indiscrimin
ately, but wi. h careful selection Paint
ings by the ablest masters found place
on the walls of their home, and mar
bic statues almost worth their weight il
gold found also Judgment there.
When they decided to build q new
home at Fifth avenue and Thirty-thirt
street, tkey determined to make it VIVA
it is and is likely to remain, unap
proachably the finest residence in thu
city. 1t stands Just on the brow o
Murray Hill, its impos n front lookin-
s4uarely dowl the splendid avenue. l
is pile Of white marble. believe NJ
other material is visible outside say,
the glas % The windows and the slate,
Of the roof Its architecture is rich il
the extreme. but never meretricioUs
There is nothing of ginger bread abou
it. There is nothing incon2rGous /
IS one of those perfect bits of arch ect
ure that, like some Of the old Greek tenn
pies, appear to have grown under ma
ture hand, like flowers or fruit.
Within, the same RUE prevails. Al
able Italian painter and his ASS slant
spent two years frescoing the walls ant
ceilings The carpet of each room wa
woven to order in single piece. Th
furniture of each room was made TO or
der, with special intent TO harmonic
, with the carpet, frescoes, lights ant
, shadows, and uses OF the room. Ever
convenience and luxury that geniu
could devise or money purchase wa
obtained. Each window in the build
ing consists of single sheet of plate
glass, those on the ii st floor being 6xl,
feet in size. These, IS well a. the mir
rors that adorn the rooms, were mad
expressly for the house in factor
specially constructed for the purpose
and special looms were built for weav
ing the carpets and curtains
The hand of time has touched theS
things lightly, and to-day the house i
furnished throughout exactly as it wa
when its owner and builder died.
Those who knew the Stewards we'll
knew well that while the quiet, almo.
grim. little old man was cold as ice an.
hard as flint in his business relations
and while to the world he showed fey
sympathetic traits, toward his wife h.
manner was always chivalrous, devoted
tender. Two days in every year til
anniversaries of their engagement an
of their marriage-they never to the en-
of then welded life failed to remembe
and commemorate with tender low
tokens To the day of his death he It
garded her as the loveliest of women
and to this day she thinks of him onl
az the truest and MODEST Of men, who's
like she shall not see again.
The death of her husband was a Eel
rible blow to Mrs Stewart. Having n
children, and but few kindred even G
remote degree, she felt herself alone i
the world. She gave up the remainde
, of her life to two objects: To cherish HI
memory and tc complete the work tina
h. had left unfinished N T. Con
/ P,A'sjurQh DSPatcb.
+ About ten years and eight months az
; John Garrett, a colored resident of Foes
? hontas County West VIRGINIA lost h.