Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-25


boarded with the family Of Mr.. VIM. Sheets
during the early part Of their married life, then
removed to the corner Of Illinois and Maryland
streets. They went to housekeeping In cot
tage on the southeast corner OF
Alabama and Michigan streets. and
said Of Mrs. Harrison that she was never idle.
She once embroidered set Of napkins in odd
moments while waiting for the family to come to
prayers. She carried her embroidery or UNI
asylum boarts and kept her hands busy as she
helped plan and advise. Her heart was deeply
interested in the work among the orphans. She
became . member Of the board In 1850. She
was q very faithful worker on the board. While
her husband was United States Senator and she
spent her winters in Washington upon her re-
turn to the city in tho summer she would de-
clare that she had had her vacation and was
ready to work while the other ladies went away.
She loved to entertain her friends In her own
entertainments. She was considered . genius
In the Impromptu Club. This was q society Of
seventy five members composed Of the leading
families Of the city, formed through
the influence Of Mrs. Harrison, who was
opposed to the extended reign Of clubs and
wished to furnish some amusement which en-
tire families could enjoy together. Among
those with their families belonging were Ben
jamin Harrison, W. P. Fishback, U. J. Ham
mond. Harvey Bates, E. B. MartindAle, Fred
sTioA Bags, John W. Tay. v: T: Malott, Hayes;
John Bradshaw, William Sheets, J. s. Larking
ton, Mrs. Catherine Billiard. with . number of
younger people. There four sections.
each entertaining the other three every two
weeks. Mrs. Harrison was very skillful at
taking plays and cutting and arranging them
for the psrlor.
MRS. HARRISON As An ARTIST.
Mrs Harrison was fond Of painting and
ranked high painter Of flowers. dis
patch from Indianapolis says: Always without
ostentation, she worked carefully and con-
scientiously during lesson hours as the poorest
girl in the class. At such times she would have
| on a large checked apron and become a girl
again in spirit. She chatted, criticised and ad-
vised the other girls, borrowed colors or freely
loaned hers, and never once made her fellow
workers feel the existence of any social barrier
between them The annual art exhibit Of
paintings at indianapolis always con-
tanned one or specimens Of Mrs.
Harrison's work, and her decorated china
was always sent to pottery exhibits to re-
mind her friends that she still thought of
them. Her loyalty to her old friends never
| wavered. Upon her last visit to indianapolis
she attended the meeting Of the orphan asylum
board and offered her advice. made suggestions
as If she had never been absent. She also at
tended the meeting of the Katherine Merrill
Club of which she was active member. She
was = stakeholder in the Indianapolis Propy-
lRum, an association of 400 women, and last
winter wrote to the secretary with a view to
! building womans club in Washington for the
the Daughters of the Revolution.
MRS. HARRIsoN's PLANS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
| Mrs. Harrison has always taken the most in
! tense interest in the decoration and furnishing
Of the White House. Her taste Is shown in the
selection Of the colors used on the walls and of
the curtains and carpets.
Mrs. Harrison further evidenced her interest
in the domestic matters Of the White House by
preparing plan for tho remodeiug Of the
mansion. Her plan WAS to enlarge the White
House by two wings or additions in shape of
half crescents, which will make the Executive
Mansion thing Of beauty and n Joy for the
occupants. These additions were to be used
for an art gallery and library and Offices for the
official work Of the President The designs she
had compiled herself, and they at once met the
attention Of number Of prominent architects.
Senator Stanford introduced in Congress O bill
to carry out her plans This bill is still on the
calendar
Mrs. Harrison's idea was to complete the new
White House in time for the four hundredth
anniversary of the landing Of Columbus and
also as a celebration Of the one hundredth
anniversary of the laying of the corner stone of
the original White House, which was laid Octo-
Der 49, 1892 The original plan for this i'm
provement, designed by Mrs. Harrison,
hangs in a handsome frame in the large corri-
dor of the White House.
GIRL FOND OF A GOOD JOKE.
As girl Mrs Harrison was it is related. one
Of the sunniest, brightest and most mischievous
that ever pouted her lips. In her early home
life "Carrie," as she was cale, was always in
trouble. Her love Of mischief Of good. healthy
character was great. Even after she had been
brought OUT she could not forget her love
for FRANKS One of these was the talk of In
dianapolls, and at a time when Mrs. Harrison
was a leader in society. The story goes fol-
lows: Their next-door neighbor was physician,
DIR. Newcomber by name. who owned a large.
smooth skinned greyhound, of which he was
Unfortunately fond The greyhound was almost
as much at home in the Harrison household as
he was in the home Of his master, and one af-
ternoon, when Mrs. Harrison painting on
the rear porch. he came and laid his nose in her
lap With paint brush in hand the idea sud-
denly occurred to Mrs. Harrison to decorate
him, and 1t was the work of but few moments
before she had painted on each side of him. in
large letters of faring red: "Value Of DR.. New
cOmbers Pills" Then she turned the dog
loose. He ambled slowly out into the street
until some boys caught sight of him, and then
there was howl of delight. But the dogs
howls that came soon after were Of very DIFF
ferent kind. The dog ran and so did the boys,
and pretty soon there was bowling mob chas-
Ing Dr. newcomers Well-knOwn greyhound
through the principal streets of the hoosier
capital. The next day DIR. Newcomber adver-
tised reward Of 800 for the identity Of the
person who had painted his dog, and Mrs. Har-
rison had to own up. At another time, on a
Saturday night when Russell Harrison was a
young man about nineteen, his mother, while
he was sleeping soundly, did his hair up firmly
in curl papers, and when the young man awoke
the next morning he looked at himself in the glass
in dismay, which rapidly developed into rage as
he made fruitless efforts to get out the curls by
soaking his head in water. He knew his father
would insist upon his going to church as
usual, as it was the Presidents firm resolve
that no circumstances could arise which would
excuse q member OF his family from attending
divine service on Sunday morning. As Russell
was at that time paving considerable attention
to the young ladies Of Indianapolis his appear
ance as he walked up the aisle of the First Pres
byterian Church that morning created some
thing OF a sensation. Even to this day he is
leased about it. These instances only serve to
give an insight into Mrs. Harrison's disposition.
She was always full Of life. and went through
the world shedding sunshine everywhere.
Written for The Evening Star.
God Be With Her!
There's mourning in the air tonight;
There's grief In ev'ry breath,
For her who fought the Christians light
And died the hris fia ma daofh.