The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-18
= GENERAL GRANTS WIDOW
She Tells How She Welcomed Mrs. Haye
to the White House.

ehe Tells How She Welcomed Mrs. Hayea
to the White House.
when the time came for us to leave
Washington my heart was broken.
When Mr.. Hayes was elected / invited
Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes to come directly to
the White House, but they refused. On
the Sunday previous to the Inaugural
ton | gave dinner for them, so that
Mrs. Hayes would not feel stranger.
The dinner was lovely and every thing
was arranged splendidly. There were
seventeen of my own family at the
dinner and large number of promi-
nent guests and the Legation and Cabi-
net officers. / shall never forget Mrs.
Hayes when she entered. The large
doors was thrown open and the General
and advanced to meet them. She was
walking by Mr.. Hayes, but did not hold
his arm. She was dressed in. white
silk and her dark hair combed smoothly
over her ears Her soft, black ewes
shown like diamonds and her cheeks
were as red as roses. / took her hand
in mine-it trembled little and said.
Welcome, Mrs. Hayes, to the White
House, and then my guests surrounded
us and she was soon at home.
After dinner the Chief Justice
administered the oath of Office to Mr..
Hayes in the parlor. On Monday 1 did
not go to the Inauguration, because I
was busy burning old letters and papers
that my father had owned, some bear
ing the date of 1900. I had seen two
inaugurations, those of the General.
and | did not care to see any more.
had lovely luncheon ready for them
on their return, and / also ordered the
dinner and breakfast for the following
morning, so Mrs. Hayes would not have
that worry the first thing. Then 1 told
the steward he must go to Mrs. Hayes
for orders after that. After dinner, as
l was still hostess, said to Mr.. Hayes:
Shall we return to the parlor?' and he
gave me his arm and Ulysses took Mrs.
Hayes. When we got into the parlor 1
said: Il hope, Mr.. Hayes, that you will
be as happy here as we have been for
eight years, and then said 'Good-bye,'
and we drove away. 1 told Ulysses
as we were driving away that I
had intend d to say to Mr.. Hayes what
General Buckner said to him when Buck
ner vacated Fort Donelson, MY house
is yours, but I forgot it.. Ulysses just
put his arm around me and said he was
glad had not. All the servants who
had served me during our term gath
cred in the hall to say farewell, and
they were crying and 1 cried with them.
After two weeks of hourly festivities, I
might say, we left Washington on
special train. My car was filled with
flowers, and after we had been escorted
to it Senator made a speech thanking
me for so successfully filling the posi-
ton of mistress of the White House.
Then another Senator, dear friend of
mine, said it was wrong that we should
ever leave it, and somehow l began to
think it was. They went out and left
me, and began to cry. All my pent-
up feelings burst forth at one bound,
and, as | tell you, my tears would have
foated the ship of State if gathered in
reservoir. I cried for easily forty
miles, and then the General came in
and said:
"'Why, Julia, my dear, what is
wrongP
81 feel like wait, Ulysses Sob
bed; Il have no home
"'Never mind, we will soon have an
other one. Remember what relief it
is to me to be released from that posi-
ton. Now we can do what l always
wanted to do-visit Europe, and maybe
travel around the world before we re-
turn
"And so he cheered me, and I never
felt domestic care afterward. 1t washed
itself away in the flood of tears. "-Nel-
lie Bly,, IN N. Y. World.