St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-25

I CINCINNATI. In the following March
the young couple went to Indianapolis.
In addition to the care bestowed upon
her education, the young wife was
trained in household duties. The cash
capital at the command of Benjamin
Harrison when he began married life
and the practice of his profession was
$500. an advance on lot in Cincinnati
enherited through his aunt, who mar
ried James Finlay, soldier OF the war
of 1912.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harrison began their
domestic responsibilities in rooms in an
Indianapolis boarding house. In the
summer of 1854 Mrs. Harrison paid a
visit to her parents at the old home at
Oxford. and there, on Aug. IL, Russell
Harrison, their eldest child, was born.
AFTER this event in the family circle, the
young mother having returned in the
fiautumn to indianapolis, the proud hus-
band rented small house and began
life in earnest. his faithful and indus
triODs wife dong her own homework in
cottage of three rooms.
The steady gains in fame. practice
land pecuniary rewards in two years
L found Mrs. Harrison presiding over a
larger and more pretentiouS house.
Here their second and last child, Mary
Scott Harrison, was born. The couple
steadily grew in the estimation of their
neighbOrS and Mr.. Harrison achieved
fame in politics.
In 1881 Gen. Harrison entered the
senate of the United States. and Mrs.
Harrison became member of that dis
tinguiShed circle, the wives of senators.
In her Washington residence of six
years, Mrs. Harrison extended her
sphere of usefulness. Her name was
associated with noble charities and
church work. The Garfield hospital
owes its present success IN large
degree to her active interest as one of
its first directors.
When the family came to the White
house DIR. Scott, who has resided here
with his widowed daughter. Mrs. Rus
sell Lord, went to live with them, and,
resigning his position in the pension
office. gave up all active duties to enjoy
the first leisure of busy life under the
White house roof. From that day until
stricken down with her fatal illness
he was the object of the tenderest
care and solicitude on the part of Mrs.
Harrison, and. indeed. of the entire
household. The first break in the uni
ted circle was the death of Mrs. Lord,
which occurred Dec. 10, 1889. after the
family had again returned to town after
their summer and autumn travels. Mrs.
Harrison was long time recovering
from this blow. The sisters were greatly
attached. and were always together as
much as possible.
In appearance Mrs. Harrison was
type of matronly beauty. In figure she
showed the generosity of nature, and in
mind natures equal beneficence, eX-
banded by training in the requirements
of a liberal education, drawn from the
broadcast opportunities. A lavish growth
of hair, Silvered with the threads of
little over half-century of life, and
floating in curly waves over we'll
shaped head and ending in a graceful
coil, her regular features and dark,
expressive eyes formed picture of
ripened womanhood. She had a voice
softened by the instincts of gentle
nature, and gift of conversation, which,
while animated, was thoughtful. The
tastes of Mrs. Harrison were in the di-
rection of art. Her works in water
colors are the evidences of her gifts
and application to her favorite recrea-
ton.
Mrs. Harrison was by nature strongly
domestic and shrank from notoriety.
These traits were little if at all modi-
fed by her residence in the White
house and her proud position as the first
lady in the land. For her friends she
had always generous welcome,
but she did not relish the scru-
tiny of the critical and codly-
curious. although much of this she was
perforce from her position obliged to
endure. She was always equal to every
social demand, and by her winning man
ner and sympathetic utterances sue
ceeded in making and retaining an
unusually large number of warm friend
ships. But the calls of society were
with her second in Importance
to demands and duties of a wife, mother
and daughter, and it was in the domes-
tic sphere that she Shone with the
brightest light. She wished evervb body
around her to be happy. and to that end
she gave her best efforts. She desired
to earn and keep the love OF her family,
and her personal friends. so her good
hess, sympathy and strong home in
stincts were dominant characteristics.