St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-01-25

R@DFN 49, "HC
are hail-fellows.well-m met - promise
much and perform little. He is care
fulto perform more than he promises,
and the smallest details are not be-
meath his attention. In his inter-
course with his colleagues he is cor
dial and responsive, and does his
share OF the story telling, which OBJ
tains more or less in the committee
rooms at the capitol. Mr.. Morrill,
has never been aclub-man, and is not
what is known as a mans man."
but he has a genial social side to his
nature. He is cordially hospital and
delights to gather his friends around
his hearthstone, both here and at
home. He is a famous whist player,
and the after dinner rubber, when he
has some statesmen of like proclivity
for a partner and opponents, is an
institution in his home. Formerly
he was much in evidence in social life,
but in these late days the large and
crowded receptions tire him and he
limits his %acceptances TO dinners.
Senator Morrill, is somewhat of a
bookworm, and reading is now, as it
always has been, the greatest pleas
ure and relaxation to him. Hecares,
however, very. little Tor fiction.
"Trilby"has probably not fallenin his
way. He is very fond of biography.
and does a great deal of reading on
this line. Several years ago he COM
piled an interesting book on the
self Consciousness of Noted Per-
sons" which is a proof in itself how
broad and comprehensive his reading
has been.
The freedom from concern about his
political affairs at home has given
Mr.. Morrill, opportunity to accom-
plish a vast amount Of general legis-
lation. After his interest in the6nan-
cial questions and the tariff, the pub
lie buildings and the grounds, the
library building and the Smithsonian
have claimed his attention. In every
thing that means culture and educa-
ton for the people he is especially
active, and his views on such topics
are modern and progressive. The
beautiful new library so near COM
pletion owes its existence to Senator
Morrill,, who had faithful champion
on the democratic side in the person
of Senator Voorhees,. The original
plan was to buy at the same time the
library square was purchased the
square opposite and to erect a build
ding for the supreme court. This
idea was too colossalfor the grasp of
congress, although doubtless it will
day be put into execution.
Mr. Morrill, has d charming home
in Thomas Circle, one of the most
agreeable quarters Of town. The
house is an old.fashioned and roomy
one, into which the sun pours from
every side. In the front drawing
room there is a marble bust of the
senator by his friend Powers, and
over the mantle there hangs a por-
trait by Eastman Johnson, which, of
the portraits painted of the senator,
is the n preferred by his family.
His summers he spends at home in
STAFFORD, among his old friends and
neighbors. A quiet restful existence,
the time divided between his flower
garden, his library and rides through
the hills. The first week after the
homecoming is a busy one, taken up
with receiving and making visits.
New England people are generally
supposed to be undemonstrative.
But nowand then they are awakened
to real enthusiasm Last summer at
Montpelier, Mr.. Morrill, received a
veritable ovation at their hands.
The occasion was the unwilling of
Nj. Morrill's portrait, presented by
the artist, T. w. Wood, to the Yer
mont Historical Society. Theenthu-
siasm of the people knew no bounds
when their senior senator appeared
before them, and they cheered them
selves hoarse on his account. In the
course of his speech Mr.. Morrill, made
the following allusion to an incident
which happened during the var
"In the early dayso of the late war;"
he said, my picture was put forth
by a rebel Virginia newspaper, with
an advertisement offering a reward
for me, dead or alive, of sos. That
was usually offered for the recovery
of runaway slaves, and they describ-
ed me as "a person who would be ex-
pected to have been the author of
Yankee Doodle than of the Internal
tariff of 1861 The picture was, of
course, pleasing to the old masters Of
the South, being after the satanic
manner of Hogarth's Jack Arikes,
and l have not learned that it has
been made immortal by preservation
in any of their historical societies, it
will be for posterity to say, if poster
ity should ever trouble itself to say
anything about it, whether or not
Vermonters made a mistake in not
surrendering me for the $25 Virginia
reward ."-[Washington letter to