Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-01-08
NUMBER As.
Webster and His vic.

Mrs. Webster. whose maiden name
was Caroline Leroy, belonged to one
of the old New York families, and was
in many respects remarkable woman,
although like the wives of many men
of great attainments she was neyxr not
ed for any literary talents. She was
tall and fine looking, very erect in fig
ure and had complexion which
Philadelphia belle might be proud of.
She was very particular about her dress
and disliked anything not in the pre-
vailing style, not wishing TO adhere to
by-gone fashions, as so many old ladies
do. though her inherent good taste was
always seen in a desire to have suitable
toilets for every occasion.
When she told her numerous and
simple experiences of life, we always
We're interested in listening to the
things that pleased her most-how Mr..
Webster used to call her the Lady
Caroline of their evening walks, and,
indeed, many of her "reminiscences
were very entertaining, were they less
frequently or more coherently carried
out.
Mrs. Webster always read the news
papers, and though it is doubtful if she
ever fully realized that she was almost
alone in her generation, some names
took her back over lapse of years, and
she recalled persons wildly. At the
time Caleb Gushing was appointed
Minister to Spain she remarked: ..He
was very agreeable man; knew him
WE'LL She also said: II wonder why
he never married." The old lady was
always a great advocate of matrimony
We once asked her what she thought of
Henry Clay
..Oh," she replied, sMr. Clay was
the thinnest man l ever saw. He was
great man and magnificent speaker
not equal to my husband, of course"
One day in reading Sir III. Hollands
letters we saw an account of dinner
given to Daniel Webster and his wife
when in England. We mentioned this
to Mrs. Webster, and she was very anx-
ious to see the book. A chord in her
memory was touched, and long dor
mant memories seemed to awake. She
related various little incidents of her
travels abroad, but, though they were
then so feted and made much of, there
was no assumption of dignity on her
part; she merely took the attention
paid her as her due, being the wife of
great man, the Secretary of great
Nation. She mentioned driving out in
barouche with the Queen and driving
with her merely as she would had she
done the same with an acquaintance in
her own rank of life. She smilingly
said: Queen Victoria is very plain
looking person, but an excellent wo-
man and very sensible. / have seldom
met an American lady at a dinner
party dressed as plainly and with as
little taste.
The Hon. Alexander Stephens once
said of Daniel Webster: II think Web
ster was the worst slandered man / ev-
er knew. 1t is the general impression
in the country to-day that Webster was
great drunkard. You hear it spoken
of even now whenever his name is men,
toned, but it is an outrageous SANDER.
] will tell you what know myself For
six years while we were both in Con-
gress / lived next door TO him. His
house was as familiar to me as my own
garden. | was in these a great deal
and he was as often in mine, and in all
the time of my acquaintance with him
l never saw Webster when he was in
the least affected by liquor or under the
influence of it in any way. | have
dined with him at his house and mine.
l have met him at dinners and affairs
outside and l never saw him in the
least inebriated. never heard of his
being intoxicated but twice, and on one
of these occasions-a dinner-he made
a speech that was grandly eloquent"
philadelphia Times.