Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-11-04
Mrs. Cleveland at Church.

Mrs. Cleveland sets her husband some
good examples when she goes to church,
writes correspondent of The Memphis
Avaianche. Our readers may reinem-
Der that Mr.. Cleveland, as seen at
church, did not bow his head when
prayer was offered; did not join in the
hymn or open the hymn book; fidgeted
through the sermon. and was evidently
glad when it was over, and took no
particular part In the services. except
to drop crisp new bill in the basket
when It came around.
Mrs. Cleveland does all these things
differently. Like too many of her sex.
she appears to have to attend to the
praying for the family. When she
goes 10 church. rs soon as she enters
the pew and takes seat she drops her
pretty head upon her daintily gloved
hand and dcvotes u moment to silent
prayer. Then she settles herself for II
quiet attention upon the service, nod
ding pleasantly to Mrs. Sunderland.
the wife of the pastor, whose pew is
just alongside that of the president
She knows. OF course. that she is the
target Of every eye in the church, and,
though she tries TO conceal her embar-
rassment, she is not able to do SO en-
tirely. When the pastor gives out the
hymn she is glad to turn her attention
to the hymn-book and forget the un-
comfortable feeling which is the natur-
al result of being stared at When the
congregation rises she rises also follow
ing the hymn through from beginning
to end sometimes, though not often
joining in the singing. When the
minister leads in prayer her head is
bowed. and il drops little lower when
he prays for 1.-THE chief magistrate OF
the nation" with a petition for 'those
that are dear to him
The announcements of the church
meetings which follow the prayer are
listened to with womanly interest; and
when the sermon begins, after the
second hymn has been sung. she is all
attention. She does not fidget about
and lean up in the corner and rest her
head upon her hand as Grover does, but
sits straight and quiet, listening 10 the
sermon from beginning to end. Oh
course, she fans herself constantly. for
OhC WON'o NV NC ~ "Othah ~ ohS
not She seems occasionally 10 re-
member that she is being stared at. and
bites her lips nervouslv. wiping them
with her dainty handkerchief, which
she holds in the same hand which
carries a jcweled smelling-bottle. a
wedding gift from one of the cabinet
officers. When the basket goes around
she drops her contribution modestly
into it. and when the closing hymn is
given out, finds not only the hymn, but
the doxology corresponding in meter
with it, and follows them closely to
the end.
When the services end, then comes
the most trying time for Mrs. Clevc-
land. All eyes are upon her. Oi
course, she has attracted more attcn-
ton than the preacher. even during the
sermon, but she only divided attention
with him then; now. however. she is
the central and only figure Of The
moment All Q es arc upon her as she
moves down the aisle, and every neck
is craned to get look ut her face and
figure. She tries to appear uncon-
cerned, bows to tho people near her
whom she knows, talks n little to those
nearest her. and is evidently relieved
when the carriage door bangs and she
Is hidden from the view of the crowd
that has gathered on the sidewalk Ia
see her pass from the church door to
the carriage.
Throughout. her conduct is full OF
dignity and gentle grace. She dresses
for church with excellent taste, but alb.
soluto plainness, usually a dark gray OF
black, small pin at her throat. bu,
nothing else In the way of ornament,
with high black straw hat. tastefully
but quietly trimmed, and black gloves
of undressed kid.