Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-01-04
MRS. JOHN TYLER.
SHE TELLS THE ROMANTIC STORY
OF HER MARRIAGE.

0t1e Ie160 Ute uOMNtNtlN oIOnY
OF HER MARRIAGE.
Her First Acquaintance with President
Tyler--A Rejected Proposal-Her Faith
er's Tragic Death-A Terrible Blow-A
Quiet Wedding.
won't you tell me how you met President
Tylers"
well, to begin at the first. Twas born on
GARDENERS island, three miles from land. l
was descendant Of the first white child born
of British parents in the state of New York,
and the child of the first white child born in
Connecticut. My name, as you know, was
Julia Gardiner-with an j." she added.
"Gardiner without an / is like Thompson
without p. There I grew up until my
schooling was finished and then my father
took my sister and me to Europe. for the
finishing touches, as it were. While we
were in Paris we heard Of the death of Presi-
dent Harrison, and we American girls all
wore Grape around our wrists in mourning
for long time. President Tyler we knew
was the successor, and had little canary
which brought back with me, that named
'Jonny Ty,' in honor of the president, John
Tyler"
"Did you not know him thenr'
mo But on our return my father took
my sister and me to Washington that we
might have the benefit Of the society there.
We met the president and became great
friends, but never thought of loving him
then. was not yet 20 and he was easily
85 years older than I, but thought him
very nice and was very gay and frivolous
md Of Qn%k L.
ship"
"How did he propose to youY"
"You will think me very foolish when I
tell you about it," Mrs. Tyler said, her gray
beaming at the recollection 81 often think
now how frivolous was then. There was q
grand reception held in the White House on
Washingtons birthday. All people of note
were there and it was very brilliant I had
been dancing with young man who was not
pleased with the attentions 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: 4 must claim Miss Gardi-
ner's company for awhile.' The young man
drew off and looked as if he would like to
say, well, you are impudent,' but he didn't.
walked around with the president and he
proposed then. had never thought of love,
so said: No, no, no. and shook my head
with each word, which flung the tassel of my
Greek cape into his face at every move. It
was undigni6ed, but it amused me very
much to see his expression as he tried to
make love to me and the tassel brushed his
face. did not tell my father. was his
pet, yet feared he would blame me for al
lowing the president to reach the proposing
point, so did not speak of it to any one.
"How were you dressed the night the
president proposed?"
HER FATHERS TRAGIC DEATH.
II wore white tarleton It was very
pretty and very becoming. On my head I
wore crimson Greek cap. was very gay
and young or I never would have dared to
toss the tassel in presidents face On the
2Sth of February Commodore Stockton gave
party on the Potomac. Everybody was
there and we had a lovely time told my
father when we started that he must keep
with me all the time, but did not tell him
that 1t was to keep the president away. I
was with my father and the young man who
told you was jealous Of the president, when
gentleman came to me and said, Miss Gar
diner, the president wishes to take you in to
the collation. which is just served 4 sup
pose I will have to obey ORDERS replied
with laugh, and, asking my father to fol-
low me, i started down. Just then the wind
caught my veil and blew it up Father
caught it with his cane and brought it down,
saying, Take care Of your streamer' They
were almost the last words ever heard him
speak,"
"When we got down the the president
seated me at the head of the table with him
and he handed me glass of champagne
Father was standing just back Of my chair,
so handed the glass over my shoulder, say
ing, Here, pa He did not take it, but he
said: My time will soon come He meant
his time to be served, but the words have al
| ways seemed prophetic to me- That mo-
| ment some one called down for the president
to come and see the last shot fired, but he said
he would not go, as he was better engaged.
My father started with some other gentle
men, and turned to the young man who had
followed me down. He whispered to me and
asked me to marry him, and when I said
more noes to him than had to the president
he said he feared that was ambitious. just
then we heard the shot and the smoke began
to come down the companionway. Some
thing must be wrong said to the young
man, and he started up to see He got to the
door, and he turned around and gave me such
look Of horror that shall never forget it
That moment heard some one say The sec
retary of state is deadl' was frightened,
and Iltried to get up stairs. Something has
happened. Let me go to my fatherp cried,
but they kept me back. Some one told me
that there had been an accident, the gun had
exploded, but that there was such crowd
that it would do no good for me to try to get
there l cried that my father was there and
Unjust learn his fate. was told then that
he was wounded That drove me frantic. I
begged them to let me go to help him; that
he loved me and he would want me to be
near him. One lady, seeing my agony, said:
NY dear child, you can do no good. Your
father is in heaven
HOW PRESIDENT TYLER PROPOSED.
Yes, Mrs Tyler continued, che had been
killed. There were five killed, among whom
were the secretaries Of the navy and state, I
tainted and did not revive until some one
was carrying me of the boat, and then I
struggled SO that almost knocked us both