The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-17
ROSE Il. CLEVELAND,

| IHe Hlost prominent ngure To-Day IN tEf
! field of literature is Miss Rose E Cleveland
the mistress of the White House. No book Of
recent times has created such widespread inter.
est and comment as her maiden effort as an au.
thoress. While this is true partly becarse Of
| her position as the "frst lady of the land, "
there is, nevertheless, due to her the credit OF
being remarkably bright oman, gifted with
lively Imagination and originality Of thought
and expression rarely encountered in the pro-
ductions offemale authors.
Miss Cleveland, of the long line of ladies
who have presided over the Presidents Man
sion is the first to enjoy the additional distinc-
ton Of becoming lady OF letters. Although
the inference may be drawn that Miss Cleve-
land stands alone among her twenty predeces-
sors as possessing Fsufficient ability to write
creditable work, the correct conclusion is prob
ably the fact that her past life has been devot.
ed to teaching and lecturing upon educational
subjects. In fact, the work she has now given
to the public is really the product of several
years labor in her professional sphere, revised
and enlarged for publication.
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland was the youngest
of nine children born to Richard and Anna
Cleveland. Her native home was Fayetteville,
Y, from whence her parents removed to
Clinton when she was little girl and
later to Holland Patent, q little hamlet near
Utica, where her father took charge of the
Presbyterian church in 1858. Her father died
in that year leaving little Rose an orphan at the
age of seven. The parsonage had to be given
up and the education of Rose became the
mothers life thought and labor. In later years
she was sent to Houghton Seminary, where
she proved brilliant pupil, graduating with
the highest hOnors. "Origna People" was
the theme of her graduating essay, her audience
prononncing it . most happy effort. Miss
Rose then became a teacher in the Houghton
Seminary, when, after remaining in that posi-
ton two years she went to Lafayette, Indiana,
as principal OF the Collegiate Institute In that
She afterwards taught in Pennsylvania at a
private school for short time, and then con-
celyed the idea of lectnring before classes, and
proposed to the Principal of Houghton Semi
nary to make the beginning ut her Alma
Mater.
The latter entering heartily into the arrange
ment, Miss Cleveland wrote course of histori- |
cal lectures which she delivered that season. |
AS she devoted herself to her aged mother, she |
was unable to leave Holland Patent to pursue |
her work continuously until after her mothers |
death in the summer of 1882.
After this sad event her brothers and sisters
expected lnas Snc would make her |
home with one of them, but being of an lnde-
pendent nature and self reliant, she preferred to
remain in the old home, where she continued to
i've when not away lecturing until she assumed
,he exalted position as mistress of the White
House.
Miss Cleveland will remain in the White
House as long as her brother remains bachel-
'r, but by her own efforts she has created for
herself position among celebrities in literature
hat will be more enduring than the honor and
anne dependent upon the political fortunes of
Ter distinguished brother. II "a Mrs Grover
Cleveland should appear at the threshold of the
Presidents Mansion Miss Rose will quietly
eopen the door of the homestead at Holland
Patent (Which she has purchased out Of the
arnings of her own labor, and resume the
work which she reluctantly abandoned for her
'rothers sake.
Miss Cleveland is an earnest and industrious
goman, and never contemplated life of lux
ny, much less one OF conspicuous position be-
ore the country. She is as unique in her way
s her brother is in his, though they are ap-
arently not at ali alike in general character.
1or does she physically resemble him. The
ortrait at the head Of this article presents the |
eader with the features of Miss Cleveland, and
hough a wood engraving for the columns of
ewspaper precludes the possibility of doing
ne fair subject accurate justice, our portrayal
evertheless reveals the conspicuous traits of |
iay endowed with superior talents, cultivated
I'd r'hhe1 n"d withal a most pleasing counte-
ance.