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


| plantation, Sherwood Forest, on the
james Rivcrn Mrs. Tyler described
prophetic dream which she had negS
the close of her husbands life which
drove her to his side and which was
the cnusc of her being with him when
he brcathcd his last. Mrs. Tyler passes
| her life i'm visiting her children. The old
| home on the James River was nearly
ruined during the war and she has never
| kept IL up since then. Her son Gardiner,
however, lives there. lie was one OF
! the Presidential electors and is now
working for the Democratic ticket.
Julia, her third child, was married 20 w.
is dead. Lachlan Tyler her fourth
child, is successful and honorcd ply
stefan in this city. Lyon Gardiner, her
| fifth, is president of William and Mary
| College. Mrs Tyler will probably spend
the winter in Washington where she will
Introduce into society her Grand
raised from early girlhood.
Mrs James TX. Polk
If one can imagine home Of q CEN
tury ago set down in the heart of an en-
! tcrprising and live city, with modern
! buildings and improvements of all kinds
surrounding, yet itself untouched; with
| electric light tliclcring down on n 81
lent old mansion which fifty years have
found unchanged then one clh picture
the Polk place at Nashville, Tenn.
The Polk mansion stands on I'm Gle
vation, and the surrounding garden is at
least 900 feet square. One might al
most say il has four fronts, It's IL faces
| Polk avenue, Vine street, Union street
and Spruce street. 1t is all inclosed with
II little iron fence, but the gates stand
open rs If inviting visitors TO enter
Mrs. Polk is so feCblc-shc is eighty
/ INrn- al, sspl,Iptt,
no one of any note goes to Nashville with
out calling TO pay their respects to her.
Luckily Miss BY called on II day when
she was feeling stronger than usual. Tho
correspondent was ushcred into parlor
and after II short interval Mrs Polk APP
pcared lcening on her cane and supported
| by n companion. AS she greeted the young
| correspondent she said:
| cannot see many now" in clear,
distinct voice which gave no evidence
OF age, much as | would like to, for |
am growing very old" -
But you grow old so gracefully, Mrs
Polk, that we hardly notice it, said II
priest who was present gallnntly,
" do not repine, sir she said, with
a bright smile. The evening of my life
is very happy and peaceful, and l feel
very much the kindness of the people to
me. | am very grateful for it. / do
not know what / have ever done to
deserve all the kindness they show me,
but it makes me very happy.
As you see me dressed to-day | have
dressed ever since the death of my hus-
band, almost forty years ago." said
Mrs. Polk, and she laughed as she added,
" have not followed the fashions close
ly."
Somehow her dress did not look out
of fashion. 1t was made of black cash
mere in such way that it sweeps the
floor just n little at the back. y very
fine embroidered shawl was wrapped
about her shoulders and she wore a
very becoming hcaddress of white tulle
and black lace. Her slender hands,
which toycd with the gold-headed cane
she carries, were covered with black
kid gloves Her brown eyes sparkle
and her laugh is musical indeed. Mrs.
Polk was eighty-five years on the 4th
of September last, and the gray-not
across her forehead, is her own, as are
her white teeth, only two of which are
missing.
LIFE IN WASHINGTON.
al am very happy, and have been
blessed all my life" said Mrs Polk.
went to Washington with my husband
when was but girl. and / saw him rise
from one position to another until he
reached the highest. lie filled every
position for his State but one. lie never
was in the Senate. l still have the Bible
upon which nv husband was sworn as
President of the United States. During
his administration the Mexican war oc
CURED. and California. the Pacific coast
New Mexico and the State of Texas arc
living monuments to my husbands ad.
ministrntion. He worked too hard. He
was completely run down. and when his
term expired and we came here he lived
only three months"
1t was the custom before the war fol
Southern gentlemen to be buried in theil
own grounds, so they tell me. and so Mr.
Polk asked his widow to bury him in the
garden. where he rests to-day. They
say that jackson set the fashion. and il
was followed bv Calhoun and Polk.
Mrs. Polk, who was Miss Sarah Child
ress, was born near Murfreesboro, Tenn
She met Mr. Polk when he had his law
office in Columbia. They loved and mar
Rcd and moved to Washington, where
she spent the best eighteen years of her
life. According TO report she was MOI
only beautiful woman, but one of the
brightest conversationalists and best en-
: tertaincrs the White House ever had
she was witty and eloquent and is yet.
} IL Is only her expressed wish that keep
me from reproducing her entire converse
ton. Her life, since her husband'
death, has been spent in waiting u sum
mons to Join HIM. For forty wears sh
, has lived at Polk Place, and in all tina
time she has not accepted an invitation
10 visit aTSwhcre She has never beer
back to Washington since she was in til,
: White House.
5 She has had no wish to return, for
rs she says, she had accomplished al
there was to accomplish, and She wantc,
nothing more. Besides, if she returned
G it would be proper that she should cal
I on the present mistress of the Whit
/ House. Now everybody calls on her. MI
o and Mrs. Hayes have called to see her
$ and Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland. No one o
any distinction ever visits Nashville
without calling on Mrs. Polk and feeling
K, honored to see her In every entertain
0 ment that is held there she is rcmem
; bercd and n complimentary delegation j
0 always sent to her. The only place t.
I which Mrs. Polk ever goes is to the FRS
4 Presbyterian Church. She has ATTENDED
this church for sixty years, she tells me
= and she never misses a communion.
All the people of her time are dea
except Simon Cameron and Historian
Il Bancroft,
had delightful visit from Mr.. Can
n erOn several days ago" She suid I" an
x two years ago. Mr. Bancroft, the elder
u the only remaining member of my huS
: hands Cabinet, came all tho way her
to see me. l considered it quite an honor
q We had lovely time recalling old days.
+, Harriet Lane Johnston,
4 All are familiar with the history c
@ Harriet Lane whose life was so closet
* Identified with that of her uncle, jaime
B. Buchanan. She came of Pcnnsylvani
C ancestry on her mothers side and of ari
S tocratic Virginia blood on her father
H..