The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-10-30

FIRST LADIES OF THE LAND,
What the Wives of Former Presidents
Say of White House Life.
"REMINISCENCES OF WASHINGTON.
The Wives Of Tyler, Polk, Grant, Garfield and
Hayes.
HOW THEY LOOK, DRESS AND LIVE.
Glimpses Into the Affairs of Former
Administrations.
"REMINISCENCES OF WASHINGTON.
HOW THEY LOOK, DRESS AND LIVE.
Glimpses Into the Affairs of Former
Administrations.

ting lOflncf mlSlIcSScS oil llle w llluc llOuSc
for the New IorlS World, and a very en-
tertHining article She has written.
There are now living, besides Mrs.
Cleveland. seven women who have held
sway in the White House us the first
ladies of the land She visited them at
their homes in the various parts of the
country and listened TO their narratives
rs they frankly told her little bits of their
personal history which have never before
been written.
These representative American women
would, without exception, grace the
throne of any monarchy, and their history
should not be allowed TO fade out of
mind. They are Mrs. Tyler. the widow
of President John Tyler, whom she saw
in Richmond. Va: Mrs Polk. the widow
Of President james Knox Polk, now liv-
ing ut an advanced age at the historic
Polk Place" Nashville. Tenn. Mrs
Harriet Lane Johnston. the niece of
President James Buchanan. and u resi-
dent of Baltimore. Md. Mrs Grant,
the widow of President Ulysses Simpson
Grant: Mrs. Hayes wife of President
Rutherford Orchard Hayes. living at
Fremont. Ohio: Mrs. Garfield. the widow
OF President james Abram Garfield, re-
siding at Mentor. Ohio, and Mrs. John
>. McElrov, the sister of President Ohcs-
Ter Alan Arthur. living now at Albany
N. Y.
Mrs John Tyler.
Mrs. Tyler was found at the Exchange
Hotel in Richmond. Mrs. Tyler readily
consented to see Miss BLY,, who says:
She was tall. and walked with easy
grace. She was well-formed, and dressed
in long black travelling gown. Her
heavy black hair, bcsprinlIled with few
gray lines, was parted in the middle,
and the thick braids covered the back
OF the head while one rested on the ton
Ike crown. IL was an odd fashion,
but very becoming. | was struck with
her complexion, which was clear, and
the checks were so pink that sixteen
ycar-old girl might envy the tint. Above
ell were her wondrous gray eyes.
Mrs. Tyler was born on Gardeners
Island near New. VOC, Her name was
Gardiner. On finishing her schooling
she was taken TO Europe On her re
turn, she was taken by her father to
Washington, Her narrative of Presi-
dent Tylcr's courtship is full of poetry
and sweetness. She remarked: " We
met the President and became great
friends but | never thought of loving
him then l was not yet twenty and
he was easily thirty-fve years older than
was very gay and frivolous and of course
was flattered by his friendship"
How did he propose TO your"
" You will think me very foolish
when | tell you about it." Mrs Tyler
said, her gray eyes beaming at the re
frivolous L was then. There was q
grand reception held in the White House
on Washington's Birthday. All people
of note were there and it WIS very bril-
liant. I had been dancing with young
man. who was not pleased with the at.
tention the President had been paying
me. We had just stopped and were
walking about. when the President came
up, and drawing my arm through his
said to the young man. L must claim
Miss Gardeners company for awhile
The young man drew off and looked as
impudent,' but he didn't. / walked
around with the President and he pro
posed then. / had never thought Of
love, so | said: No, no. no. and shool
my head with each word, which fiune
the tasscl of my Greek cap into his face
ut every move. IT. was undignified, hui
it amused me very much to see his OK
preston as he tried to make love to m,
and the tasSel brushed his face. l die
not tell my father. was his pet, ye
i feared that he would blame me fo
allowing the President to reach the pro
boo'iS Poiitg op l. ulN llOu SItctlh VI III u
any one.
" How were you dressed the night til,
President proposedp"
HER FATHERS TRAGIC DEATH.
L" l wore white carleton. 1t was yer,
pretty and very becoming. On my heat
j wore crimson Greek cap. was yer,
gay and young or 1 never would hav
dared to toss the tassel in n President
hn .Nc
modore Stockton gave party on the Pc
tomac. Everybody was there, and W
had lovely time. | told nv fatbc
when we started that he must keep wit
me all the time, but j did non tell him tina
~ was to keep the President away. | WA
with my father, and the young man who
told you was jealous of the President
when gentleman came to me and SAID
Miss Gardiner, the President wishes /
take you in to the collation. which /
Just served L suppose L will have (
obey orders replied with laugh, and
asking my father to follow me, / starte
down. just then the wind caught m
veil and blew it up. Father caught
with his cane and brought it down, say
ing, Take care of your strcamer The
were almost the last words / ever hear
him speak"
While they were seated in the cabi
the terrible explosion of the gun too
place which sent five prominent me
60 their graves. Mrs. Tyler thus des
Cribes the memorable scene:
just then we heard the shot an
the smoke began to come down the con
panion way. Something must he wrong
said TO the young man, and he startc
up TO see. lie got TO the door, and II
turned around and gave me such a loo
of horror that | shall never forget i
That moment heard some one say 'Th
Secretary of State is deadl' / wa
frightened, and l tried TO get upstair
Something has happened. Let me go
my father | said, but they kept me buol
Some one told me that there had bee
an accident, the gun had exploded, bl
that there was such crowd that
would do no good for me TO try to u
there. | cried that my father was thel
and ] must learn his fate. | was toll
then that he was wounded That droy
me frantic. / begged them to let N
go to help him. that he loved me and |
would want me near him. One lady, seeiT
my agony, said My dear child, you ca
do no good. Your father Is in heaven
After / lost my father / felt dilfe
entity towards the President. lie SCENE
TO fill the place and to be more agrccab
In every way than any younger man cv,
was or could be, lie composed vei
pretty song about me then-'Swcct Lad
Awake AT last he proposed again an
! wrote him / was willing this time,
my mother would consent. She tol
hil0 that she would never consent to N
marriage, but If l was determined 81
would not object
HER MARRIAGE.
1 was in deep mourning So II
PR sidant told OnlV one nnnbnr oF I,