The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-15
MRS. JOHN A. LOGAN IN PARIS.
Her Untiring Devotion and Assistance to
Her Late Husband.
Dar;a n q sr Nray yoxr yfy,r1J

Her Untiring Devotion and Assistance to
Her Late Husband.
Paris Letter in New York World.
Mrs. John A.. Logan has spent the last
two weeks in Paris at the Hotel Meurice, a
botel now ~mOnOpOlized by Americans.
daughters Mrs. Logan has visited every OBJ
ject of interest in Paris. and cOnfesses her.
self disappointed with Europe in all re-
spects.
she, when 1 called on her a few days ago.
II looked forward with great pleasure to
Rome, to the Forum, to the Palace of the
Caesars. What did / find? A corner de-
voted to antiquities. the rest robbed of its
historical associations by the hand of the
restOrer. Europe is too Americanized, too
improved, and / regret, exceedingly regret.
the changes that nave come in the past
twenty years.
During the lifetime of my husband my
only thought was for him and my country.
but now that my days are to be spent in
thinking of the past, In making no plans
for the future, l wish to divert my atten-
ton from my own sorrows by studying the
countries about which l have read and of
which / have formed most erroneous Opin-
ions. AS ] said before, Rome was my
objective point, but it seems that since
1870 there has been built a new, Rome. a
modern city, with none of the character
istics of the ancient one. There is an
Italian proverb that says: What the bar
barians failed in destroying was destroyed
by the Barberini.' and [ could %paraphrase
that by saying What Papal Rome did not
destroy was crushed by the heel of the
House of Savoy
at may be very sensible in the Italians
to improve their capital. They must be
streets. their well-built houses, water at
every floor, street-cars, etc. but for atravel-
er in my position Rome is no longer Rome.
Street cars in the Eternal. City! Does not
that sound like sacrilegef"
As Mrs. Logan talked / watched carefully
her face, and especially noticed the tears
that would come to her eyes in spite of her
efforts to repress them. Her hair is snow
white, a veritable crown of glory, but the
silvery tints are due more to sorrow than
have l seen Mrs. Logan. For a number OF
weeks j lived not tar from her beautiful
home on Calumet avenue, Chicago, and
then / met her almost every day. Together
we worked in a charitable cause, the I'LL
nois Industrial School for Girls-she as one
of the vice-presidents, l as secretary of the
executive committee.
A little incident will illustrate of what
Mrs. Logan was then capable. One MORN
ing, o II o'clock. l called. rang. knocked,
and as no one answered, opened the door
and walked in. After wandering about for
a few moments l saw Mrs. Logan, arrayed
in a neat calico gSSw v;5 sh appear In the base
Come down in my kitchen. The Gener-
al has brought home a party of grangers
to luncheon. l have no cook, and he is
showing the wonders of Chicago to his
country friends while j arrang the repast.
/ have almost finished, and must soon make
a toilet. The gardener is coming in to serve
and the grangers will never know that a
very good luncheon is due to the 1kill of
their hostess"
You do work for your husband, do you
mott" was my reply.
$50 many people make that remark; but
will you kindly tell me for whose husband
l should work if not for my ownf"
1t was this very luncheon that won for
General Logan the Illinois~granger votes.
1t seems the grangers had heard of Mrs.
Logan's beautiful gowns and her social sue
cess in Washington. They feared that their
money was not put to a good use. and had
decided to vote for some one with a less
brilliant wife. Mrs. Logan knew this, and
when coffee was served she sat down by
the most important guest and said:
81 hear you do not intend TO vote for my
husband, because i am too gayJnot serious
~enough-have too fine clothes, sand enter
tain TOO extensively. Did you ever think
that /. IN some sense. represent lllinoisf
WOuld you like to have Illinois shabby, in
no way worthy of comparison with the
other great Statesf 1t is for Illinois. for
the people of Illinois, that l do all this.
Were | TO consult my own taste L should
self when / feel like shrinking from ex-
pense N show-it is for the people. there
fore my duty. / am as good a housekeeper
as the wife of any Illinois farmer. as your
wife, my friend. You have praised my
luncheon. /. this fashionable. gay woman,
] prepared it without aid from Ony one"
And as Mrs. Logan told me this incident
che added: Each one of those men voted
for General Logan"
The next time | saw Mrs. Logan was in
Washington, in 1884, inst after herhusband's
defeat for the vice-presidency. How
bravely she bore this defeat, TO her a blow
greater than her friends ever dreamed!
Her conduct, however, was such a con-
trast to that of other Republican families
under similar circumstances that nations
from afar have been enthusiastic in he'll
praise.
When again i met Mrs. Logan she was
! the br0ken-hearted widow. still command