The sun., 1886-06-03
Mrs. Cleveland.

lu6 pElue VI Iuo IIcolutuL COLueS ueui "
the hearts Of the people because she Is thor.
oughly American In her heredity, and repre-
sentative OF great type Of American woman.
hood. Her life, too, has been passed amid
surroundings and under influences which are
peculiar to our republican society, and can
be comprehended and appreciated in all
their bearings only by her OWL countrymen,
who do not find it difficult to picture to
themselves the woman whose character and
disposition have been 80 moulded.
Like so great a part Of those who have
risen to honor and wealth in this republic,
Mrs. CLEVELAND is descended from the till
ers Of the soil-from what is known in Eng
land as the yeoman class. The FOLSOM
family were among the earliest settlers in
Massachusetts,, and In time, after the Ameri-
can habit. its different branches wore dis
tributed over different States, 80 that at the
beginning OF this century her great-grand-
father came from Vermont to Wyoming
county, In New York, to take advantage Of
the fertility OF that rich agricultural region.
Her grandfather started life with hard
struggle, but ho mastered the difficulties and
earned handsome competence for his old
age Her father passed his youth on the pa
ternal farm. which he left to enter Roches-
ter University, where he WAS graduated in
1859, and prepared for tho study of the law,
whose practice he pursued in Buffalo with
more than average success.
On the maternal side also Mrs. CLEVELAND
comes from sturdy farmer stock from pious,
Industrious. prudent, and thrifty people,
who helped to make the Genesee Valley tho
garden it Is Her mother is tho daughter OF
o family whose name is we'll known in
western New York for continuous and sue
cessful pursuit Of agriculture and for its
deep religious convictions. Mrs. CLEVELAND
herself was born In Buffalo in 1864, while her
father was yet struggling for the position he
won at the bar Her youth was passed In q
home OF modest pretcnsions, but OF every
comfort, and the greatest care was given to
her education. She was trained to n relig-
ious sense Of duty. and life was put before
her as altogether serious and demanding
earnest application to work and conscien-
tlous regard FOR obligation. After the death
OF her father, when she was eleven years
old, she was sent to high school at the
village home OF her maternal grandmother,
such as thousands Of country girls arc to-
day attending. Later she was In public
school at Buffalo, and from 1t she went to
Wells College, or female seminary, from
which she was graduated ono year ago this
month.
Mrs. CLEVELAND therefore has passed
through an average American experience.
and has come from n domestic atmosphere
which Is familiar to most girls who have
been bred in comfortable circumstances,
especially in the country. She has been
carefully instructed. and has been taught by
example and by precept that hor depend
once must be on herself. and that nothing
worth having In life is obtainable except by
conscientious devotion to duty. self-sacri-
dee, self-denial, and humble obedience to the
commands Of GOD.
Sho Is thus q simple and representative
American woman, to whom the ways of
snobbsh society are unknown. and who has
no sympathy with tho false standards and
unrepublican distinctions that are too often
set up. They arc far apart from her, and
belong to land OF which she has no under
standing and In which she would have no
citizenship.
All hail. then, to the bride OF tho White
House, the simple and true-hearted Ameri-
can girl! May peace and happiness ever
attend her! May her gentle faith In COP
and man be rewarded with tho richest gifts
and choicest blessings life can bestow! That
Is the prayer Of every man and every woman
In the republic to-day, and the invocation
comes straight from their hearts.