Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-11-03

when summary is made of the Of
ficial entertainments at which Mrs.
Harrison presided during last season it
Is not to be wondered at that, taken in
connection with all that preceded them
her health should have given way i'm.
mediately after the close of the regu-
lar season.
In all the long list of tender womanly
acts which have characterized the
Presidents wife, the most beautiful is
one of which until the present writing
the public has had no knowledge. This
was at the time of the fire at the resi-
dence of the Secretary of the Navy,
when the whole country was thrilled
with horror of that awful episode.
While the President was engaged that
afternoon in difficult ways of comfort
ing his Cabinet officer, Mrs. Harrison,
accompanied by Mr.. and Mrs. Mckee,
drove to the residence of the ATTORNEY
General, where the bodies of Mrs. and
MISS Tracy had been brought from the
undertaken s establishment, where they
were first taken, and accompanied them
to the White House, where until the
funeral they lay in state in the East
Room.
The following dawn Secretary Tracy
recovered sufficiently to go to the White
House. He repeated with such pathetic
insistence his desire to look upon the
faces of his loved ones that refusal to
comply was impossible. Leaving him
in one of the private rooms with the
President, Mrs. Harrison went to the
East Room, where the lid of Mrs. Ira
cy's casket was removed at her order,
although it had previously been deci
ded that this was not to be'done. AS it
was not supposed that any one would
ever look upon either of the still forms
again, no effort had been taken to m axe
them look as well as possible, Miss
Tracy having been burned beyond all
semblance of humanity her casket was
kept closed, but the Secretary s wife,
whom the world always saw hand
somely gowned, lay there in the SIM
-plest raiment with smile upon the
quiet face, awaiting the touching fare
well of the husband from whom she
had been separated only few agonized
hours. Quickly dispatching her maid
up stairs for what was needed, Mrs.
Harrison with her own hands smoothed
the heavy suit of hair and wound it
into its accustomed coils. Then the
soft white tissue was placed about the
shoulders, hiding the ugly black gown,
and the bruised hands were hid be-
meath shower of white roses hastily
clipped from the conservatory. When
all was complete the Secretary was
summoned. and Mrs. Harrison softly
passed from the room, leaving him
alone with his dead. There are few
women who would have had the
thoughtfulness which prompted the
beautiful action, and fewer still who
having the thought would have pos
sessed the nerve at such trying time
to do personally as Mrs. Harrison then
did. All honor to the memory of such
brave hearted woman, who, though
Presidents wife, would not depute to a
servants hands those last kindly serv-
ices to her friend who had been SO sud-
denly taken out of life.
Caroline Scott Harrison was born in
Oxford, Ohio, fifty eight years ago.
Shortly before her father, Rev. DR..
Scott, had entered upon his duties as
Professor in Miami University, at that
date one of the most popular institu-
tions of learning in the West. BY ma
taure impulsive and generous to fault,
fond of fun and blessed with the quick
receptive mind, the mischief loving
child developed girl of rare promise,
and was beloved by all who knew her.
She graduated from Oxford Female
College in 1858, and within one year
was married. They settled in Indian
apolis and went to housekeeping in an
unpretentious way, where they remain
ed quietly until the breaking out of the
rebellion. Conscientious and faithful
in her religious duties, Mrs. Harrison s
charities were upon an extensive scale.
Among these her heart was closely
bound in the training of infant classes
and other church work, and since her
residence in the White House she has
earnestly kept up her interest in the
charitable work SO auspiciously begun
in her western home. Never upon any
occasion throughout her trying posi-
ton of exalted state has she given
cause for offense or reproach to one of
the many thousands among all classes
and conditions with whom she has
been thrown in contact. Her ear has
ever been open to the cry of the needy,
and her hand outstretched to succor
and to bless. In the words of life
long friend, "As true and noble ex.
ample of American womanhood. she
has added grace and dignity to the ex-
alted position she has been called on
to FILL"
Her remain were laid away to rest in
Indianapolis last Friday. Messages of
coincidence by the hundreds have been
sent to stricken President and family,
coming from all over the Union and
from beyond the seas.