Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-16

They had, at different times, several homes
| in Indianapolis The one which they left
| when they removed to Washington three
years ago, stands on North Delaware street,
| in one of the prettiest parts of the city.
| Those who had the good fortune to visit it
| say that in the best sense of the word it was
home from cellar to attic, all the rooms
| permeated with the life of a home-loving
family. The furniture with which it was
furnished was rich but not gaudy or formal
| The Harrison home was long one of the GEN.
tiers of the social world Of indianapolis
The son and daughter, before they married,
often entertained their friends, and many
receptions we're given there.
Alter the children married and left home,
the hospitality of the household was fire.
quently exhibited in little dinner parties,
among the guests being, as a rule, the law
partners of the General. The dinner was
| usually an unpretentious affair without
wine, and the evening was passed in con-
| versation. When the General and his wife
were alone they generally devoted the even
ing to reading in the library. Mrs. Har-
rIson was always an early riser, and
managed the affairs of her household very
carefully, leaving little to her servants.
Three times week she made an early MORN
ing visit to market. When Russell Har-
rison and Mrs. Mckee visited home their
children claimed much of the grandmother's
attention. She bathed them each morning,
and played with them all through the day
when there was not something else to i'm
peratively claim her attention.
Accomplished in Many Ways.
Mrs. Harrison is an accomplished woman
in more ways than one, and ever since her
girlhood has taken a warm interest in art.
She essayed oil painting for a, time, often
with considerable success; and later, she
tried water colors and many of the paint
ings which decorated the indianapolis home
refees great credit upon her She always
made it practice to see each visitor who
called upon her, and was never known to
show irritation or annoyance. !. She vas al
ways fashionable dresser, but never
adopted the extremes in anything.
Until the illness of Mrs. Harrison, life at
the White House followed carefully pre-
scribed routine. Breakfast was served at 8
and luncheon at 1:30 p. NJ. At the latter
meal there were usually some guests present
in wholly informal manner. In the after
noon for an hour or two Mrs Harrison re-
ceived in the Red Room the friends who
came by appointment, and who .gener
ally had some friend or relative to present
to her. Later in the afternoon she went for
q drive, sometimes with the President and
at others with her daughter, Mrs. Mckee,
and the latter's children. Occasionally. in
the afternoon, she gave an hour or two to
china painting. Dinner was served at $50,
aud it was seldom that the family dined
alone, one or two friends being nearly al
ways present. Evenings out of s'the sea-
son" at the White House were usually de-
voted to her husband and grandchildren,
and an occasional visit to the theater, of
which she is very fond. When Mrs. Harri-
son received callers in the evening the
President often came from his room and
helped her to entertain them in delight
fully informal way. =
The Influence of Mrs. Harrison.
1t is gracious and refining influence
which Mrs Harrison has brought to the
White House. There have. been former
mistresses whose regime has been more
brilliantly successful in q social way; but
few have surpassed her in the task of mak