Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-09
President Tyler's Daughter.

Mrs. Sallie Nelson Robins: whose
charming contributions to Virginia his
tory have just been gracefully acknowl-
edged by her appointment as assistant
librarian of the Virginia Historical So
ciety, has contributed to the March num-
Der of the Ladies Home Journal a pleas
ing sketch of president Tyler's Daugh-
ter" Mrs. Letitia Tyler Semple.
The two portraits-one dated 1913,
when she presided at the White House,
the other as she now appears at the
Louise Home-will awaken memories in
many widely separated sections. The
old Colonial capital of Williamsburg was
the home of her girlhoOd, and here the
famous college, given by William and
Mary to the New Dominion, had
drawn all the gilded youth of the day
As the daughter of leading politician
and former governor of the State, Miss
Tyler was thrown into the gayest circles
of a society accounted the best in Vir-
ginia. How many old time students will
recall Letitia Tyler, in her first bloom
GAY, spirited and slender, she bore the
most distinguished type of blonde beauty
in naughty, acquiline features softened
by a wonderful complexion, exquisite as
tinted ivory. "Do you remember" say
the "boys" of fifty years ago, "the night
Mrs. Semple played the fortune-teller at
our church fair How the students crowded
around her In that fantastic dress she
looked Morse sibyl, as she turned he
wheel !" For the wife of eighteen does not
resign her social sovereignty, especially
in a college town.
There were the other fair daughters of
the future President-lovely Elizabeth,
and Alice, then child. There, too,
were her brothers, Robert and John-the
former with his charming and accom-
plished wife, nee Miss Cooper daughter
of the English tragedian Thomas Coop
err who was one of the social favorltes OF
Williamsburg, and adored by her hus-
band and his family; the latter, in after
years known as Major John Tyler, still
at college but married to that fairy'like
belle and beauty Miss Rochelle.
The scene soon shifted to the White
House, where the family life was kept up
in fashion quite hopeless in these far
buster and more crowded days. Few
perhaps, of those who enjoy the after
noon concerts on the Mansion grounds
now remember that they were first intro
duced by the Tyler family. Here Eliza
beth was married to Mr.. William Waller
Ca direct descendant of the earls of Ira
quaire), looking, as her sister-in-law wrote
Surprisingly lovely in her wedding dress
and long blondlace veil" l heard one
of her bridesmaids express to Mr.. Web
ster her surprise at Lizzie consenting tc
give up her beleship, with all the delight;
of Washington, and retire to quiet Vir'
ginia home.
"Ah," said he.
Love rules the court, the camp, the grove
And love is heaven, and heaven is love"
Here the gentle lovely mother passed
suddenly away, and Mrs. semple was
called to preside over the presidential
hospitalities. 1t is little curious tC
learn of the differences in Official life
fifty years ago. Dinner parties were
given twice week-one of twenty covers
to gentlemen visiting the city-the other
for both ladies and gentlemen to the mum
Der of forty, chosen from various State
and diplomatic dignitaries. Every even
ing the drawing room was opened infor
maIly until 10 o'clock. Occasionally
during the season, there was a private
ball, terminating at II o'clock public
levee once a month, and general recep
ton at New Year and July FOURTH
Even the public receptions were not con
sidered sufficiently public to condone th'
bad taste of newspaper mention, or de
scription of any attending guests.
Shades of the departed could you only
return to witness the vulgar rush for jus
such notice, how could we of the presen
day creditably explain the decadence o
the old-time elegance? Mrs. Semple, from
her digniied seclusion at the Louis
Home, may well look with wonder an'
quiet scorn upon the plebeian scrabbl
which has replaced the proud, patrlclal
repose Of yore.-Riclmond Times.
E.,o,c TI,,1coIf