The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-20
THE GOSSIP OF GOTHAM.
Why Mrs. Grover CleVeland'S Life Is
Now a WretChed One.
Young Astor as an Architect-Coming
Gatherings of Famous Family and
Revival of Prosperity.
Copyright.

Il 4
aRevival of Prosp Gritty.
Copyright
New York, May 19.-Unless current re-
port, Endorsed by the strongest corrobor-
alive evidence is misleading a few ma
tionally famous New Workers, Mrs. Gro
yer Cleveland is to-day the most unhappy
woman to be found in all this republic
that she is the mother of a little girl
whose reason is blank.
Baby Ruth, the pride of so many house
holds, suffers from one of babyhood's
weirdest maladies. Her brain will not
develop. AT this moment the famous in
faut is being reared in what may be
termed practical seclusion, as all visitors
to Washington who have tried to see the
child know but too well. 1t is the reason
for this reluctance on the part of the
parents TO have the child seen and spoken
to which has been obscure to many.
Very naturally the very existence of
young Ruth's a1tiction has given to end
less speculation and exaggeration on the
part of the few who have been permitted
to learn the truth. And, of course, it is
through the servants that the most i'm
portant particulars have leaked out, not
withStandlng the really frantic Efforts at
concedlment made by one famed physician
in New York. Some of the rumors, for
instance that the child cannot prattle at
all and is in constant pain, are doubtless
rather reckless. The substantiated fact
is that since it finally dawned upon tile
family that an extraordinary backward
mind was the trouble, undue pains have
been taken to stimulate little Ruth'S in
tellect, and all to no apparent purpose.
Mrs. Cleveland has interested herself in
NUN berless devices for the training of
her babe and has spent hours in endeav-
oring to teach it TO articulate. All these
cura tives have been effectively concealed
by the representation that Mrs. Cleve-
land is kindergarten enthusiast when
in reality she is acting under her physi-
clans instructions in trying TO develop
reason in her child. But her efforts seem
TO be so dlslouraging that heroic meas
ures may have to be resorted to.
These circumstances will doubtless eX-
plain what has latterly seemed inexplica-
bic to those who have noted what goes on
in the Cleveland household-the dread of
showing little Ruth. the growing rarity
of Mrs. Cleveland's public appearances
and the mental strain under which Mr..
Cleveland seems to be laboring. And so
successful have the Clevelands been in
hiding the truth that in Washington very
York it is somewhat different, and the in
dividuals in the metropolis who are
posted from day to day are growing con.
stantly more numerous.
PATIENCE ON MANTELPIECE
The literary fame recently acquired by
John Jacob Aston is not his only claim to
consideration, apart from his wealth. He
is an authority on house decoration, and
his ideas with reference to mantels are
sence in Europe, which is to be of several
weeks duration, there will be constructed
after his own designs quite the most
elaborate mantelpiece ever put into a
New York house. 1t is not costly affair,
but is certainly beautiful, and will in
clude, of course, an old fashioned fire
place wherein logs will burn.
This fad of mantelpieces is a new one
with Mr.. Astor, but those who have seen
the interiors of the houses wherein he
dwells deem him an artist in that line
He has designed no less than dozen in
his lifetime, all quite different and all
concededly tasteful and original One is
exquisitely tiled after his own designs
and another has unique arrangement of
mirrors, while still another bears carved
heads on oaken posts. In the house
which is intended for his mother.
and which has caused some little
disturbance owing TO the location of a
stable, Mr. Aston has taken pains TO have
the various mantels superbly designed
Indeed, the young millionaire has had the
whole burden of this new dwelling upon
his shoulders, and it Will be new to
many to learn that he was himself anx-
ious to avoid the putting of a stable in
an obnoxious position. Its precise loca-
tion has been changed three times in re-
Spouse TO as many requests.
FAMILY GATHERING OF PLUroCRATs.
One of the most important family gath