The Press., 1888-05-24
STANLEY BROWNS ROMANCE.

TOT SOLue IiIDe UeSu hHOWu UT huhDegteu tp the friends of both. If the sharp eyes of watchful women are trustworthy it is the culmination of a long attachment on the part of Mir. Brown.
 When Stanley Brown and General Gar field were first brought together Brown was young stenographer, with whose ex- pertness General Garfield was delighted. He was quiet, rather too modest young fellow of nineteen. General Garfield thought he had found a treasure in the young man, for his experience with some committee clerks had been somewhat un- pleasant. He found Brown punctual, quick, quiet, steady, and possessed of one qualification that especially pleased Gar. field. He minded his own busiuess. Gar. field appointed him clerk of his committee, and in that capacity Brown was thrown very much with the Garfield family. They were then living in Garfields much mort gagged house, where General Garfield did q great deal of work.
 After his election to the presidency Garfield was urged to appoint one of sev- eral young men as his private secretary. One of these was disposed to be politician on his own hook another was a bright but extremely voluble young man, and still another prided himself, somewhat to Garfield's amusement, on his resemblahce to the general.
 Garfield, however, said that he wanted as his private secretary in the White House no politician who knew more than he did,
 and no amateur statesmen. He wanted
 simply faithful young man who would
 attend to the duties of the executive office,
 who had a close mouth and knew how to
 mind his own business, and he had just
 such person in mInd Nobody knew who
 it,was, and when after his inauguration as
 president it proved to be young Stanley
 Brown, there was good deal of surprise
 among the politicians.
 Brown was then only twenty one years
 old. He was wholly ignorant of politics,
 and knew very little of politicians, except
 what he had learned as Garfield's secre.
 tary. As his taste did not run to politics
 he paid little heed to political matters, amt
 this was exactly what Garfield wanted in n
 presidents private secretary. Brown was
 then tall, slender young man. His hair
 was very light and curly his eyes blue, his
 complexion rosy, and there was just a
 struggling hint of a mustache growing.
 He seemed so youthful immature and un-
 accustomed to the ways of the world, and
 especially such an innocent boy to put in
 front of subtle politicians who daily ire
 quent the secretary's office in the White
 House, that some of Garfeld's friends lCuICu uS lldN lludt ullbluhts 1O LnGHf
 Garfield always replied that he knew the
 boy, and that if he was immature he was
 discreet Garfield treated Brown more
 like a relative than like an employee, and
 with the rest of the family he was looked upon as one of them.
 When General Garfield went into the White House Mollie was a schoolgirl of
 fourteen. She was a charming miss then. She gave promise, not of great beauty, but
 of utmost attractiveness of face and form,
 and in disposition was called by all her
 associates one of the sweetest of girls.
 Her fathers place as president never af.
 fected her simplicity of manner or her cor.
 dality with the humblest of her mates
 She used to go tripping up Fifteenth street
 to school with lot of schoolmates, dressed more plainly than almost any one of them.
 She was merry girl, possessed of some of
 her fathers playfulness and love of fun, ? and even at that time thought Stanley Brown the most manly young fellow whom she knew. At least so she told her mates It was simply the admiration and liking of a school girl, too young to have ever had thought of serious affection for anyone beyond the family circle.
 Miss Mollie's most attractive features were remarkably expressive and beautiful eyes and a most charming smile. Those
 WAO WSAO uSbusbOlhSu bo bSt htl III tll moods said there were times when she looked very like her father. and the resem- blance to Grandmother Garfield was re- garded by old family friends as very great Even at that schoolgirl period Brown 3 found great pleasure in Miss Mollie's com pany and though he was usually the most 5 diffident of men in womens society he was wholly at ease with Miss Molie. He was fond of her, and the wise matrons of
 Washington, who see everything with q womanly watch makers eye, whispered
 quilted the White House, there would be a match made between his daughter and
 his secretary.
 There was a good deal of love making reported as going on in the White House 3 at the time. General Garted's eldest son 5 was quite attentive to his cousin, Miss
 Rockwell, the daughter of Colonel Rock well, and the society papers announced their engagement, though it was reported l. afterward that this announcement was premature. Mir. Brown took part in the social pleasures of the young people when he had opportunity, and if there were :; partners for games or walks he was very ! apt to be found with Miss Mollie. I By General Garfeld's family Brown was ] regarded almost as one of them. MrR. @ Garfield was especially fond of him. She Q thought him a most exemplary young man, l. and often said that his influence was for e good. After General Garfield was shot :, Browns relations with the family became 1 very intimate, and by his most assiduous | devotion to Garfield, which cIused him t many sleepless nights and great labor, be- t sides carrying much of the burden of T the executive office, he gained the esteem s of Mrs. Garfield so greatly that she said after Garfields death that the young man t had come to seem to her almost like a son. o He practically became one of the family at s that time, and during all Garlields sick '- ness, and afterwards at the funeral, his @ care for Miss Mollie was delicate aud con. l. stapt.
 tt There was no doubt then that the young y girl had already won Browns affection,
 though of course she was not then aware a of it. And it was the opinion of many who u were in position to see them that he would, It when she became of proper age, ask her tC l. be his wife.
 @ There was a brief separation after the e family had settled in Cleveland. Brown e had been intrusted by Mrs. Garfield witt B much of the business of settling the es l. tate, and while that was being done h, l. was a member of her family. Miss Molli, }, returned to her school books and Browr 't went to Washington, where he became [ n