The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-16

THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE AT HIS DESK.
ty, if solitude go with them. Activity
loses its object, repose it's sweetness,
food its flavor. True it is, o Solomon,
wisest Of men, that lit is not good for
man to be alone"
Yet, if there be one thing that hui
man being needs more than society, it
is the possibility Of seclusion. The
mental and moral predicament of the
man who can never withdraw into him
self is analogous to the physical condi-
ton of him whose eyelids have been cut
off. Light is 4 blessing; but never to
be able to escape from the light is the
most exquisite of fortunes. TO close
the eyes is as necessary to life as to
open them. To command the option of
shutting out the world, upon occasion,
is as precious privilege as to minglc
with it. To pine in dungeon is com
monplacc punishment; but to exist, day
after day and year after year in the full
glare Of publicity, with the curtains of
the windows always drawn back,
the door always unbolted and ajar,
and the world, with it's curious
eyes, its shuffiing feet, it's qucs-
tions and its comments, forever stream
ing through-this is trial indeed! Nor
is the trial lightened by the fact that
all is done in the name of honor-that
this sapping of your vitality is the high
est compliment that can be offered
you. Rather does that make the mat
ter worse; for against unjust and hos
th4- 81,
to the victim the relief of resentment
and resistance; but to be bounded by
honor, to be suffocated with Difference,
to be killed with l<indness-there can
be no defense against that; you must
smile, and smile, and be sacrifice.
My appointment at the white house
was at half-past nine. There is little
Or no difficulty about seeing the presi-
dent" in the ordinary way; but if you
aspire to see him otherwise than in tn
usual way-to have him alone to your
self for half an hour or so-it is another
matter.
The porter at the door of the white
house said that the president was in,
but that he could receive no one before
ten o'clock. On my replying that had
an appointment at half-past nine, how
ever, he admitted me and directed me
to the upper floor.
Arrived at the head Of the stairs and
picking my way amidst the paraphcr-
MALTA OF some workmen, was confront
cd by grave parsonage to whom I
delivered my card. He passed me on to
Mr.. Tibbett, with whom I had few
moments conversation in the secrc-
tary's room, and then I was ushcred
through door on the opposite side of
the spacious hall.
The room / entered was large and
finely proportional, lighted by broad
windows and hung with pale buff
paper. The furniture was simple and
rather scanty than otherwise; between
the windows at the further side was a
desk table of carved oak, covered with
documents, tied up in packets or IN
folded, but all disposed in an orderly
fashion. AZ the table, with his face in
my direction, sat a man, the sole occu-
pant of the great room.
He was man, should Judge, of
over sixty, with square head Of good
dimensions firmly set on short, strong
neck. His hair was gray, and SO was
his full beard, especially at the sides; in
front some trace of it's original light
brown color remained. The nose was
rather long and showed sagacity and
business capacity; the remarkable firm
ness Of the jaw and chin were not hid
den by the beard. The shoulders of
this man were thick and powerful; he
was stout and sturdy Of body and limb.
lie was dressed in black frocls coat,
unbuttoned, and gray trousers. So far
as outward appearance was concerned,
Mt least, he was the ideal of republican
simplicity. "Mr. Harrison is a plain
man." had been told by those who
knew him when ! was inquiring as to
the extent of ceremonial that obtained
at the social functions And a plain
man found him.
MIR. Harrison, in response to some re-
mark of mine, began to talk almost i'm
inedatcly. He talks in rather low
voice. sliding his words and sentences
INTO groups or masses, and looking down,
or aside. while speaking; but, when APP
proaching the upshot OF what he
has To say, he always opens his
eyes and fixes them upon his interlocu-
tor. Probably his mind and habit OF
thought are Sympathetic rather than