Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-30
AFTER MANY YEARS.

Whatever were James Buchanan's
faults, and that they were many all Will
admit, Mr.. Curtis himself admitting
some, his care and anxiety for the educa-
ton and welfare of his niece were things
in his character worthy of emulation by
all who care for the family tie and for the
relation it creates.
James Buchanan when he took the
oath of Office as Chief Magistrate and
thereby became the leader of fashion, in
troduced into the White House as chief
lady of the land, this niece of whom he
had been so tender, he being a bachelor.
Mr.. Cleveland has introduced as chief
lady his sister, of whom less is known
than we know of Harriet Lane. Miss
Cleveland is said to be a lady worthy to
occupy the high station she now fills.
Doubtless this is SO, and if she prove so
charming a hostess as Miss Lane the ma
ton will have reason to congratulate itself.
1t is an odd coincidence that these two
Democratic Presidents should both be
bachelors and introduce unmarried ladies,
niece and sister, as mistresses of the EX-
ecutive Mansion.
Miss Lane stands out in fine contrast
as an American woman of the finest
type in comparison with that more mod
ern and famous type, Daisey Miller. Miss
Lane was true woman and perfect lady F;
Daisey Miller was genuine girl, without
guile and without discretion. Daisey
Miller is not disgrace to Americans; /;
she is merely regret. Miss Lane was
a Priscilla, educated and acquainted with
the refnements of modern life; Daisey
Miller was a single species from too
large genus; she was the plant which
sprung up from ground of riches. Miss
Lane was the finest of cultivated flowers,
but hardy with all. In the future the
Daisey Millers will be fewer, and Miss
Lanes not so rare; in the future as in the
past, the cultivated will replace the I'M
cultivated; the civilized viii supplant the
barbarous.
The superiority of Miss Lane was
largely due to the efforts OF her uncle,
but these efforts without her ardent de-
sire to second them would have been
futile. But the uncle was no more care
full of the niece's education than of her
future happiness, and that she should not
make an alliance which, might be harmful
to her whole life. In writing to her from
Washington, under date of Janunry 8,
1884, he said to her:
81 wish now to give you a caution.
Never allow your affections to become in
terested or engage yourself to any person
without my previous advice. You ought
never to marry any man to whom you
are not attached; but you ought never to
marry. any person WHO is not able to
afford you decent and immediate sup
port. In my experience, have witnessed
the long years of patient misery and de-
pendence which fine women have endured
from rushing precipitately into matri-
monial connections without sufficient re-
Election. Look ahead, and consider the
future, and act wisely in this particular 4"
The advice was worthy a Roman father
to Roman daughter, and the adopted
daughter proved true to the advice. But
too few are the daughters who heed such
advice; and perhaps too few are the
fathers who give it.
1t is such things as this which show a
mans better nature, and shed light over
life which closed in darkness and in
doubt.