The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-01-09
MRS. JOHN TYLER.
SHE TELLS THE ROMANTIC STORY
OF HER MARRIAGE.

nuies wedding.
won't you tell me how you met President
Tylerl'
swell, to begin at the first. Twas born on
Gardeners island, three miles from land. /
was a 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 IL she added.
Gardner 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
johnny Ty,' in honor OF the president, John
Tyler"
"Did you not know him then9'
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 /, but l thought him
very nice and I was very gay and frivolous
and of course was fiattered by his friend
ship.n
'How did he propose to your
"You will think me very foolish when l
tell you about it," Mrs. Tyler said, her gray
beaming at the recollection. II often think
now how frivolous l was then. There was
grand reception held In the White House on
Washington's birthday. All people Of note
were there and it was very brilliant. / 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: I must claim Miss Gardi-
ners company for awhile.' The young man
drew Off and looked as IL he would like to
say, We'll, you are impudent,' but he didn't.
walked around with tho president and he
proposed then. l 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. 1t
was undignifed, but 1t amused me very
much to see his expression as he tried to
make love to me and the tassel brushed his
face. l 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 proposedl"
HER FATHERS TRAGIC DEATH
81 wore a white carleton. 1t was very
pretty and very becoming On my head !
wore a crimson Greek cap. was very gay
and young or l never would have dared to
toss the tassebin presidents face. On tho
| 28th of Febedary Commodore Stockton gave
party on the Potomac Everybody was
there and we had 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.
| was with my father and the young man who
| l 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 i sup
pose / will have to obey ORDERS replied
with a laugh, and, asking my father to fol-
low me, started down. just then the wind
caught my veil and blew 1t up Father
caught 1t with his cane and brought 1t down,
saying, Take care Of your streamer.' They
| were almost the last words l ever heard him
speak,
"When we got down the the president
seated mo at the head Of the table with him
and he handed me a 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 IL, 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 mo down. He whispered to mo and
asked me to marry him, and when l 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 como down the companionway. Some
| thing must be wrong said to the young
man, and he started up to see He got to tho
| door, and he turned around and gave me such
| look of horror that shall never forget IL.
| That moment heard some one say The sec
rotary Of state Is dead' was frightened,
and Iitried to get up stairs. Something has
happened. Let me go to my fathsrl' l cried,
| but they kept me baclr. Some one told me
that there had been an accident, the gun had
| exploded, but that there was such a crowd
that it would do no good for me to try to get
there. cried that my father was there and
| must learn his fate l 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:
| My dear child, you can do no good. Your
father is In heaven
now PRESIDENT TYLER PROPOSED.
eyes," Mrs. Tyler continued, she had been
killed. There were five killed, among whom
were the secretaries of the navy and state.
tainted and did not revive until some one
was carrying me Off the boat, and then
struggled so that almost knocked US both
off the gang plank. did not know at tho
time, but / learned afterwards that 1t was
| the president whose life almost consigned to
the water. All the five who were killed were
buried from the White House in the con-
erosion cemetery. l remained at the White
House until after the funeral, and then ] re-
turned to our city home, No. 43 Lafayette
place, New York. The president and / cor
responded then and he paid me many nice
little attentions. After l lost my father 1
felt differently towards the president He
seemed to fill the place and be moro agree
able in every way than any younger man
ever was or could be. He composed q
very pretty song about me then-'Sweet
Lady Awake At last he propos-l again
and wrote him was willing this time, IL
my mother would consent She told him
that she would never consent my to mar
riage, but II l was determined she would not
object.
II was In deep mourning. So the presi-
dent told only one member OF his family,
Cen John Tyler and told my immediate
family. We were married very quietly on
the 26th of June, 1874, in the Church OF the
Ascension, New York. was dressed In pure
white lisse, with veil Of the same which
was not even hemmed. wore wreath OF
orange blossoms, but no jewelry. NELLY
Bly's Interview In New York World.
A Natural Compass.
| We all know how easy 1t is to lose ones
| yav in dense fog or q binding snow storm.