The National tribune., 1892-03-03

person, aud into almost every house they en-
tered the portrait Of the great soldier looked
upon him from the wall as lie sat In tho room.
The friendships Of earlier days were never
forgotten, and have known of Gen. Grant aud
his wife, unmindful Of calling ctiquet TO
make a special effort 10 call upon these tried
aud true friends very soon after reaching Ga
lena.
While here all formal conventionalities were
thrown aside and IL was always difficult 10 re-
aiize that this man ia our very midst was Que
Who had enacted such a marvellous history aud
had risen to such lofty emiHencc OF fame.
Before the war the Grant pew ia the First
Methodist Church was always occupied by the
family. So il was during their visits. as before
they invariably walked 20 and from church.
Perhaps the only difference noticed in the
church going Of the distant and the moro 70.
cent past was that Gen. aud President Grant -
made the church a little more attractive for the
people than did Capt. Grant, aud family.
Perhaps too, Mrs. Gen. or Mrs President
Grants" gowns and barncia were moro closely
scrutinizcd than were Mrs. Grants years before.
They not only returned their calls but enter
tanned as we'll all who called upon them, ire
spcciiye oi social position or politics, and no
more delightful gatherings can be imagined
than those parties, Ike the host and hostess
entirely devoid Of osteutatious display. which
spoke the innate refinement always character
istic in them both.
During their earliest visits the children on
terained Also lido not believe that | shall ever
forget my first evening party, which was one of
these gatherings ia the early Autumn Of 1865
and probably not another who was little girl
az the time but also remembers the " beartfuIlD
OF delight experienced when Mrs Grant be.
slowed upon her at parting a little paper Of con-
iectionery, which she smilingly told as was ito
take home" and when we held out our hands In
saying Good night" ID the General, he not
only said Good night" but bent down and
kissed us; and, young as We were, we were not
young hut VIC knew that he had honCred us
as he probably would not have hOnOred the
big girls" who were there.
An Anticipated old farmer from "down In
York State" came 10 Gaena 10 "get ac
quaintedn with some relatives he had living
here. IL was after the return Of the Grants
from their trip around the world, before they
went TO Mexico The elderly relative had a
mania for collecting old coins, aud was even
more OF crank on the subject than are some
OF the souvenir spoon collectors getting 10 be-
lie enjoyed making new friends, aud especially
50 II he heard Of a man who had one coin in his
possession which lac could get hold Off not AS
gilt, then lie would offer 10 buy IT, His rela.
tiVcs rather wished he would cut his visit short
before he had annoyed them by annoying every.
body else but he had his own way Of enjoying
life.
One evening he was out later than usual.
When ho returned 10 the house Of his friends
lac was very happy. lie had been TO spend the
evening with Gen. Grant and his wife aud
found them very nice kind Of folks; they
| warnt stuck up Bit" lie took his canton
flannel bag Of coins with him aud displayed
them, OF course. ! never learned whether he
added any new ones 10 his stock; but ho told