The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-22

THE PRESIDENTS SISTER IN THE ROLE OF AN
AUTHoRESs-HER BOOK, GEORGE ELLIorT's
ESSAYS AND OTHER STUDIES"
The most prominent figure to-day in the
field of literature is Miss Rose Z. Cleveland,
the mistress OF the White House No book
of recent times has created such widespread
interest and comment as her maiden effort as
an authoress. While this is true partly be-
cause of her position as the ''first lady of the
land" there is, nevertheless, due to her the
credit of being a remarkably bright woman,
gifted with lively Imagination and original
ity of thought and expression rarely en-
countered in the productions of female au-
thors.
Miss Cleveland, of the long line of ladies
who have presided over the Presidents man.
sion, is the first one to enjoy the additional
distinction of becoming a lady of letters.
Although the inference may be drawn that
Miss Cleveland stands alone among her
twenty predecessors as possessing sufficient
ability to write creditable work, the correct
conclusion is probably the fact that her past
life has been devoted to teaching and lectur-
ing 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. The ablest critics of the
day pronounce ii an extraordinary volume,
and reasonably hope that it is only precur-
sor of other equally brilliant productions
from her pen.
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland was the youngest
of nine children born to Richard and Anna
Cleveland. Her native home was Fayette-
vile, \. y, from whence her parents re-
moved to Clinton when she was little girl,
and later to Holland Patent, little hamlet
near Utica, where her father took charge of
the Presbyterian Church in 1853. Her father
died in that year leaving little Rose an or
phan 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 Hough-
ton Seminary where she proved brilliant
pupil, graduating with the highest honorS
Original People was the theme of her
graduating essay, her audience pronouncing
ii most happy effort. Miss Rose then be-
came teacher in the Houghton Seminary,
when, after remaining in that position two
years, she went to Lafayette Ind, as princi-
pal of the Collegiate Institute in that town.
She afterward taught in Pennsylvania at a
private school for a short time, and then
conceived the idea of lecturing before classes
and proposed to the Principal of HoughtOn
Seminary to make the beginning at her
Alma Mater.
The latter entering heartily into the
arrangement, Miss Cleveland wrote course
of historical lectures which she delivered
that season. As she devoted herself to her
aged mother she was unable to leave Hol-
land Patent to- pursue her work continu-
ously until after her mothers death in the
summer of 1882.
After this sad event her brothers and sis
tiers naturally expected that she would
make her home with one of them, but being
of an independent nature and self-reliant
she preferred to remain in the old home
where she continued to live when not away
lecturing until she assumed the exalted posi-
ton as mistress of the White House.
Miss Cleveland will remain in the White
House as long as her brother remains a
bachelor, but by her own efforts she has
created for herself a position among celebri-
ties in literature that will be more enduring
than the honor and fame dependent upon
the political fortunes of her distinguished
brother. If Mrs. Grover Cleveland should
appear at the threshold of the Presidents
Mansion, Miss Rose will quietly reopen the
door of the homestead at Holland Patent
(Which she has purchased out of the earnings
of her own labor and resume the work
which she reluctantly abandoned for her
brothers sake.
Miss Cleveland is an earnest and industri-
Gus woman, and never contemplated life of
luxury. much less one of conspicuous posi-
ton before the country. She is as unique in
her way as her brother is in his, though they
are apparently not at all alike in general
character. Nor does she physically resemble
him. The portrait at the head of this article
presents the reader with the features of Miss
Cleveland, and, though a wood engraving for
a newspaper precludes the possibility of do
ing the fair subject accurate justice, our por-
trial, nevertheless reveals the conspicuous
traits of lady endowed with superior tai
ents, cultivated and refined, and withal a
most pleasing countenance.