The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-29
MORSE & SIMPSON.
i1lIlnMr.. Clusters Lecture ana visit.

The lectures by Mrs. Gen. Custer
Tuesday afternoon and evening had
rather small audiences because Of the
stormy weather, but those who attend
ed were we'll repaid. The lectures
cannot perhaps be ranked as high art
in literary sense, but they are stories
simply and graphically told in con-
versational tone by a woman OF rare
charm and delightful personality, with
faculty of giving local color to her
narration, and a power to hold the
close interest of her auditors to the
end. Mrs. Custer is herself tall,
graceful and queenly in appearance.
and the evident thoroughness of the
love she bore her gallant husband is of
itself enough to make her effective as
speaker. Even to this day she hardly
speaks of him without tears yelling to
her eyes, and the men who served
with him in the war or knew him as
the dashing cavalry leader or late
the Indian fighter who lost his life so
sadly, can appreciate the devotion he
inspired. In fact, wherever Mrs. Gus
ter:goes there are affecting meetings
tribute of respect to the widow of the
asIfew of the war leaders did and as
only soldiers can understand, and she
has sweet and beautiful way OF meet
ing them. One veteran came from
ellison, N. H., to see her. Another
walked several miles through the storm
for the same purpose, and James
Frazier. of this place, who was a
member of Clusters body guard. OF
course offered his obeisance.
In the afternoon Mrs. Custer told
her story of Buffalo Hunting" with
her husband, and party of friends
including tn Grand Duke Alexis, and
the tale, with its rush and excitement
of grand charges and her description
of her wild ride in a prairie schooner, |
was one that naturally interested the |
boys intensely. She said the buffalo |
had become extinct not by the hand I
Of soldiers or settlers but by merauders /
after the hides and bones. Not the
least interesting part of the lecture
was her account of the affection be
tween the troopers and horses. Rev.
G. o. Day introduced her most happily.
The evening lecture was a pleasant
talk about Life on the Plains in
winter camp with her husband The
dramatic and tragic things that came
INTO her life she couldn't speak of. nor
II the summer months when the
,fficers' wives were away. But she
'howed that it was life that contain
ID and brought much, and she pic
.ured, with incident and ancedote and
strokes. the little community
brought together in this camp life,
With no Duttipu IN of airs no making
believe, all knowing just how much
Jay went to each household the first of
zach month and how ii was all spent
before the 18th. She told Of the enter
ailments and social gatherings, des-
ribbed the round OF life in the officers
quarters as well as at the barracks, and
made it altogether exceedingly inter-
sting as well as instructive. Her
General view differs from that of Capt
King in his stories, but she had con
iderable to say of him in her talk,
nd with the utmost respect and APP
recitation.
Mrs Custer spent Sunday with the !
iiplings and Tuesday and Wednesday :
nth Maj. and Mrs. +. W. Childs. |
rom here she went to Hartford to
pend Thanksgiving with Generals {
hief of staff, now at the head of the I
Mutual life Insurance Co.
he intended to sail for Egypt Dec. 6. s
ut the trip has been postponed few
eeks and she has now engagements Il
} lecture for the benefit of charity at a
oston and New York. Last year she .
ave one-third of her earnings to
1arity.