Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-11-13

a
as follows:
Alone in her marble palace lives the
widow Of A. T.. Stewart. His remains.
which are supposed to be resting beneath
the magnificent mausoleum Of Garden
City, are scarcely more secluded than is
the personality Of Mrs. Stewart. The
greater part Of the Stewart mansion is
closed, dust gathers upon its paintings
and furniture, its blinds OF white and
gold shut cut the exterior view, and
save a small suite Of rooms on the wss-
tern corner the mansion is practically
deserted. There is something touching
in her splendid isolation, within call of
the fashion. care, elegance and bustling
activity of a restless social world. A la
dy with silvery gray hair, whose features
are still clearly cut and bear evidence
refinement, is Mrs. Stewart. Her ev--
are yet undimmed. She stoops sEghI
She is of kindly presence, although b
features bear the trace Of much suite
ing, and a habitual sternness Of EXPIRE
sion settles upon her features VIXEN
repOse. Her face when lit up with tn
interest Of a passing topic affords IL
observer a fair idea Of what Mrs. Stew
art was in her prime. With the aid
"a silver crutch- handled cane she can ge
about fairly. But there are times when
the service Of her personal attendant are
! are much in request. Mrs. Stewart is a
/ woman of method. When able, she rises
/ at 10 o'clock and breakfasts usually
! alone. Her tasks are few and modest
/ and her rich but simple breakfast equi-
! page contains the Old-fashiOned meal of
| tea, dry toast, and some light, easily di-
/ gestei food, as chicken or fish. Wines
! she rarely touches, save toward evening,
| preparatory to retirement, between 8 and
| 10 o'clock, when a glass Of port acts as a
| gentle stimulent to a night Of peaceful
! repOse. But, despite her long years
/ Of mourning, life has certain duties
to be performed, and a business
/ tact, inherited probably from
! her husband, Is still characteristic of
/ Mrs. Stewards domestic habits. There
are certain pensioners to be looked after,
accounts Of personal expenditures to be
investigated, letters to be answered, and
/ old friends to be received. Besides all
these, her signature has to be obtained
to sundry business fOrmalities that are
Indispensable. All this takes more time
than would at first appear. One Of her
favOEite pastimes, peculiar to many old
/ people, is to indulge in the luxury OF
having her hair brushed. Her silver
brsids are long and fine aud though In
/ creasing years may have It'd upon her
strength, time has added to, rather than
deracted from, the glory Of her hair.
This operation usually lasts for an hour
or more, while her ompsniOn-some-
times it is a relative-reads from the
newspaper or a religious book, as her
fancy may incline. Her moods are vari-
GUS and capriciOus. Ever changing
fancies are continually occurring to her
mind One day she may be bright,
sanguine, and exceeding pleasant; the
next she may be plunged into utter de-
spOadency, and viii refuse comfort from
her most intimate friends. When labor
ing under these morbid reflections she
has been known to lie for hours upon
her couch utterly alone. Her husbands
/ portrait hangs IN her bedroom, protected
by q small curtain. She VIII look at It
for an hour at q time, and then again
the curtain VIII remain tightly drawn
for days. Under some conditions her VI
taity is surprising, and her health upon
the whole, Is good, cOnldeEing the men
tai suffering she has undergone. H,E
7 palace is watched night and day, and to
get to see MIS-. Stewart is one OF the I'M
possibilities to those Who are not num-
bersd among her Warmest friends.