The herald., 1895-12-01

family doctor told him that it would do
him good to stir around, and stir around
he did. II travelled thousands of miles,
made 1913 speeches and came back to his
home feeling len years younger. The
ticket was defeated, but Humans life
was probably heightened several years.
After that campaign and up to the
time OF the recent accident the Old Ro-
man was out OF public life for good. IL
is not to be understood, though, that
his mental strength had become i'm
paired. HIS physical forces were too
feeble to keep his body in the front of
the hight, but his mind was as active as
ever. He was like great steamship
whose hull has been shattered and weak
ened by storm and stress, but whose en-
gnes, with their brightly glowing fur
naces, are still able to drive her on
through wind and wave as OF old.
Bavard Taylor might have made to
Thurman the reply he gave Baron Won
Hum boldt. Taylor had called on the
veteran, who said in his greeting: "Mr.
TAYLOR you have travelled many miles
and seen many ruins. Now you behold
another"
Not ruin, Taylor replied, but a
pyramid
1t was during these years OF waiting for
the grim reaper that Thurman en- yed
to the full extent his excellent literary
training. ALI through his life he kept
we'll abreast of the times in fiction as
we'll as in the more serious products of
Conte n porary authors. His 'den," as
he called his library, has often been VS.
tied by statesmen and politicians who re.
srect him and appreciate his counsel.
Often in the recent campaigns the old
lion has been hunted out by men who
snatched moment from the thick of the
fight 10 ask advice of Judge Thurman.
He has rarely INDUCED In reminiscent
ces, his conversation and thoughts being
almost always OF the present. 1t has
been his custom, however, to tell report
ers who came to interview HIM that he
was helpless old fossil, whose views
were not worth printing, but he SANDER
ed himself wofully
In the career of his son, Allen W. Thur
man, he has always the greatest interest.
1t was a severe blew to the veteran when
his aged wife died several years ago.
Were sweethearts at TO-, he used to
say, and his conversation has always
been sprinkled with "Mary's" opinions
and expressions.
\ Visitors at Thurman's home have been
Surprised to find the old statesman in his
library enjoying cigar and a French
novel with as much keenness as a col
lege student. His fondness for French
authors whose works he reads In the or
Iginal dates back to his boyhood.
When his family first moved to Ohio,
there came to Cn,llicothe fine old
French gentleman ard his little daugh-
ter. They were exiles from Europe and
had drlfted to the new west. The little
girl was about the same age as young
Thurman.
She did not know a word of English or
he word of French, yet they became
close mpanions from the start invent
ing their own language as children will
in such cases. The mother observed that
little Nirginie Gregoire, the French girl,
spoke her own language with Iemarka BILE
purity-her father was highly educated
ma1-and so she was made an inmate OF
the family and taught Allen her language.
Though he had little occasion to speak it,
he maintained his knowledge of the print
ed speech. and his greatest delight in the
literary line was the perusal of French
novels in the original.
There ought to be "a romance about all
this, but there isn't. 1t can only be add
ed that life in America did not prove a
success to NJ. Gregoire. that the daug ter
in time went elsewhere and that the
prosaic addition is made that the old
Frenchman taught Mr.. Thurman to use
snuff.
That is where he got his start in
French, and to that incident he owed
many pleasant hours in his old age. The
works of Mo.iere were as familiar to him