The Washington critic., 1886-08-02
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, AUGUST 2, 1886.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

ut the mead OF his ped summons MS
valet, who gives him his medicine,
which he takes as regularly as he does
his food. Afterward he lies still un-
til about 8 o'clock, seemingly dozlng,
though when his valet, thinking him
asleep, approaches the bed, he finds
his bright eyes open and watching
him. If he feels well he Is assisted
down to o 0 o'clock breakfast, which
usually consists of milk and some rich
broth. Owing to an attack Of paralysis
Mr.. Tilden Is unable to close his lips,
and his mouth Is constantly open. His
right hand, from the same cause, Is en-
tirely useless, trembling all the time.
lie has not even the power to raise 1t
to his mouth. His left hand is but
slightly affected by the Stroke of
paralysis, and he has the partial
use OF 1t. In eating, he uses his left
hand to hold up his lower jaw. His
faithful companion, Miss Anna Gould,
who is the sister OF the wife of Mr..
Henry Tilden, places to his mouth
every particle Of food that he eats. She
generally puts II in his mouth with q
spoon, and he is enabled to swallow 1t
by raising his lower jaw with his left
hand and putting his head back. While
at breakfast the morning papers are
read to him, and notes made by his
secretaries at his direction of any i'm
portant point or move in the political
world. After breakfast he usually
goes into his Office on the right side of
the hall, where he sees the different
employees of the place, and hears their
respective reports concerning the wei.
fare of his stock and farm. When
in his office Mr.. Tildcn usually reclines
In an immense bamboo armchair which
is lined with the softcst cushions. He
is usually dressed in soft dressing.
gown, dark trousers and slippers
While he cannot speak above whisper
and that not without great effort and
only few words at time, he gives
directions concerning everything that
is done, either on the place or on the
farm. He has two secretaries, " 10
are kept busy all the time. After he is
through with the farm hands, Mr..
George w. Smith, who Is his business
manager and confidential secretary,
usually comes up from New York,
where he lives, to see him and make
his report. At 12 o clock, If the sun is
out and the weather not too damp,
Edward Riley (who has been Mr.
Tilden's coachman for thirty years.,
dressed In his blue top coat, immacu.
late white tic aud high silk hat, drives
up to the front door, under the portico
He sits ON the front seat of an old
fashioned Tcart, drawn by n dark
blood bay thoroughbred. Mr.. Tilden,
dressed in overcoat and soft felt hat,
and leaning on the arm of his valet and
Miss Gould, comes out at the front
door, His walk is slow and very
feeble. His right leg, which has been
paralyzed, moves with stiff, uncer-
tain motion. AS he comes slowly
down the steps, one cannot fail to see the
physical change that has come over the
wcll-known figure that was SO often
seen on horseback in the streets Of AL
bany when he was Governor. His face
is very thin and furrowed. His hands
are shriveled until one can almost see
the bones. He stoops little and leans
heavily on the strong arm of his valet.
But to look at his eyes one forgets the
change that has come over the states
man. They are just the same bright,
kindly, ruth.telling eyes that made so
many friends for him. They look at n
stranger with glance as if they would
read his innermost thoughts.
%*Y
Says Cath in recent letter to the
Philadelphia Times: Meeting Colonel
Oliver Payne, the wealthy son Of SEN
ator Payne of Ohio, at the Oriental
Hotel on Coney Island, l inquired if
Captain Frank Mason of Cleveland,
his friend, had really written the short
novel called "The Bread Winners" +"
lie said: eyes, that is the fact. 1t was
written by Frank Mason and Jenny,
his wife, jointly When Captain
Mason came to this country two years
ago, he had the manuscript with him
and remained here some time getting it
into the proper form for serial publica-
tion. He came out to Cleveland also
to finish some observations pertaining
to the book" Said /: Il thought
Colonel John Hay might have written
that book, as he was apparently stick
ing up for it whenever / repeated a
criticism as to its merits" eve
thought Colonel Hay wrote the book," h"
said Colonel Payne. "buI he finally de-
MED having any authorship in it. He
may have designed to cover Colonel
Mason, who was his friend"
a*x
"Nearly all the dudes In town" says
Towle of the Boston 7rdUeller in his
Washington letter of July 27, "are
crazy over a new discovery. 1t isn't
anything in the line Of dress, because
all the discoveries of that nature are
made in London and not in Washing
ton, but II is in the chorus of a comic
opera company which is giving sum,
mcr performances at one of the local
theatres here. A week or so ago some
of the tender young things who suck
their canes in the front row discovered
remarkably pretty girl with most ey
quisite figure in the chorus. The
whole of "dudedom" was bit, and Bit
hard. There was only one thing in
the way, and that was that the charmer
couldn't be persuaded to take the slight
est notice of any of them. This was a
truly distressing state of affairs,
for even notes, flowers, and al
the usual means of scraping an
acquaintance were found to be utterly
useless. A few days ago one of the
young chaps ascertained that the
young lady's true name Is Miss Bessie
Cleveland. and that she is the daugh
ter of II cousin of the Presidents. This
was of itself enough to stamp her with
the mark of royalty, but II didn't holp
the dudes any, although it has fairly SCI
them on fire. At last accounts the
cane brigade was still in position, bu,
the reports agree that the President
pretty relative has the true Cleveland
will and cannot be persuaded tC
change her mind, Any dude in town
will eunn cut off hls hnnms for lhn nriN.