The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-17
RecOllectiOns of Mrs. Hayes.

following delightful "reminiscences of
the lamented Mrs. Hayes: "The CEN
NAL of the battle of Bennington, in
1877, afforded your correspondent the
opportunity of days trip with Presi-
dent and Mrs. Hayes, at a time when
the gilded charm of White House life
was to them still in its fresh luster.
The party was made up in Washington,
in response to request from the GEN.
tennial committee at Bennington to
the president and his official family to
be special guests of the occasion. The
White House invitation was extended
to me because of the services of an an
cestor in that battle as a lieutenant of
Massachusetts troops. The only other
newspaper folk whom | recall in the
presidential car were Mr.. Whitelaw
Reid and Mr.. +. V. Smalley, who joined
us at New York for few miles of the
way, where our party had breakfasted
at the Fifth Avenue hotel, after a
night journey from the capital, and
taken an early train northward on the
Hudson river road. The stately special
car awaiting the White House travellers
was The Vanderbilt and Mr.. Will
lam II. Vanderbilt, in honor of the
occasion, journeyed from New York to
Troy with the Washington guests, max
ing himself the genial host of the morn
ing. have a graphic recollection of
his vivacious chats with Mrs. Hayes,
whom he studied with his keen, judg-
ing eyes while they conversed together,
and there comes a pang when / re-
member, as | write, the eye and the
voice and the smile of this cordial, gal
liant host,
Whose part in all the pomp that fills
The circuit of the summer hills
Is that his grave is green.
Mrs. Hayes, in cool, fresh travelling
suit, with her vivid color, her matronly
grace, her dark lustrous eyes and hair,
and her superb spirits, no one could
have helped admiring on that joyous
day. She was easily the belle of the
occasion. Two young lady guests of
the White House were with her. but no
ladies of cabinet families, as it CHANGED.
Encouragement Devens, the most
elegant of the cabinet group, was a
bachelor. His witty sallies enlivened
the atmosphere around the president,
and Secretary Evarts was keenly re-
sponsive to his Parthian jokes. Post
master-general Key, the newly-re-
claimed Southern brother, sat on the
observation platform with the rest, as
contented and cozy as a feather bed,
regretting only that he hadn't I" brought
Mrs. Key and some of the girls along"
and Mr.. McCrary of Iowa, secretary of
war, in journeying to this ancient
battlefield looked totally unlike the
typical war-horse of Scripture smelling
the battle afar off. Sherman and
SchurZ, the two hard workers of the cab
met, had remained behind at their ardu-
GUS desks, but there were enough without
them to form a circle about their chief
when stops were made at occasional
stations en- route. During most of the
journey Mr.. Vanderbilt, to whom the
Hudson river view was naturally a
very old story, sat inside the car at his
ease. Mrs. Hayes, alternating be-
tween the platform party and the inte-
rior, seemed at first trifle in awe of
the man of many millions, but he won
her ready regard by his simplicity of
manner, his old school gallantry and
his forbearance to offer any LIQUID re-
freshments to the high official guests of
the excursion. The most luscious fruits
OF the season were passed around several
times during the morning by colored
attendants, and there was a good deal
of merry joking about the absent
wines. During lull in the converse
ton with other guests Mr.. Vanderbilt
took an interest in my absorbing enjoy
ment of the superb scenery through
which we were passing, came and sat
a long time by my window, pointing
out to my western eyes the beautiful
country seats that dotted the Hudson's
shores and narrated pleasant bits of
family histories connected with the oc-
cupants. 1t was my first meeting with
the great railroad magnate, and it was
my first trip into New England and
my first day in contact with the informal
life of presidential family, and it all
came back to me vivid and picturesque
in memory to-day while standing be-
fore Mrs. Hayes pictured presence in
the green parlor of the White House
and thinking of the clods that were
that moment falling-earth to earth
and dust to dustin that quiet village
cemetery in Ohio, over the face which
WOI6, III buuonlnC anu III oIOlu, Iuhl
calm, uplifting smile which the artist
Huntington has so well caught. 1t re-
minds one of paragraph from Mrs.
Stowe: What saith the blessed poet
Dante of the beauty of the holy Be-
atrice-that it said to every one who
looked on her, Aspire?' AtTroy there
came transfer, and the next incident
that | recall was the crossing into Yer
mont and the entrance of two dignified
figures exactly as we touched the di-
viding line, who were at once recog-
nized as that states two senators, Nor.
rill and Edmunds, par mobile .fratruna,
who, with members of the Bennington
committee, came TO welcome their presi-
dent and his party to the state; and
the august greetings that ensued are
the most vivid feature in all my recol
lections of the day, and stamped indel.
IDLY upon my mind sense of the
power and prerogative of the chic
magistracy of this great commonwealth
of states. There is grandeur abou
it quite above and beyond the mere per
sonality Of its incumbent, and again