The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-27

giant intellectually and physically. even
IN an age OF giants. became, in Mrs Ran.
dolph's words. their chief nurse" He
offended IN person TO their incubation
Tor the smallpox, and was loath TO leave
them to other hands when congress for the
third time called upon him to 20 to Europe
as plenipOtcntiary. Wherever his busy
Ire as diplomat, statesman, party lead
er, Vice-president, or President carried him
he always found time to scrlbble notes to
his small children and grandchildren
notes that were fun of child talk such as
only a heart full of genuine child love
could instruct the pen of man to write.
And, as they grew, his letters kept adj
vancing In seriousness at an even pace
with their intelligence
IL Is a pity that Jeffersons letters to
his children and grandchildren have not
been published by themselves so arranged
as to show their proper sequence. Many
OF them are long and full Of homely phil
osophy. entertaining reading 10 the chill
dren Of this and all coming time As mod
els To show fond fathers how to write and
talk to their young children, especially
their girls. the charming epistles OF the
Sage of Monticello to his daughter Mar
tha-"My Dear Patsy are without any
rivals in American literature. Queen Vic
toria has one of these remarkable letters
Of Jefferson to his little daughter Martha
when II years OF age In her possession. 1t
a
her own request when she was only Prin-
cess Victoria, and herself a mere girl. One
of Jefferson's granddaughter wrote this
about him: Our grandfather seemed to
read our hearts, to see our individual
wishes. to be our good genius, TO watt a
fairy wand TO brighten our young lives by
his goodness and his gifts" He romped
with them like child when he was gray.
nddled for their dancing. invented games
and pastimes for them. and Joined In all
their sports.
Abraham Lincoln was as fond of his
boys as Thomas Jefferson was of his girls
That patheticaly sad face, all of whose
portraits haunt you after you have look
ed at them, with their mournfully anx-
ious expression, found its chief motive
to relaxation in the play he had with
his little boys. He never governed them,
but was just a sort of boy playfellow
for them. People who were disposed to
criticise thought he let them do too much
as they pleased, but, being a child-lover,
he could not help it. The decorum of a
cabinet meeting in the days when every
cabinet meeting was a council of war big
with the fate of the union armies and the
union itself, was often suspended for n
few moments while Tad ran in, climbed
on to Father Abrahams knee, and got
a license to do something or other that
was frisky and irregular.
So, too, the softest spot in Gen. Grants
heart was the Same-nlS love FOR his chill
dren. Chary of speech to the world at
large. and reticent even with those indi-
viduals who had his confidence, the great
commander was a merry tattler to hts
little ones. Those of them who survive
him tell many charming stories OF their
childhood, in which the most famous SOL
der of the age figures. like Lincoln and
Jefferson, as one of the child-lovers' fra
ternity.
1t is a very common characteristic OF
men of exceptional power to be baby
lovers and child worshippers. Charles
Dickens and Victor Hugo are typical lit
terary instances. Both of them loved lit
tie children with a love that excelled
all their other affections. II love these
little people," says Dickens, land 1t is
not a slight thing when they who are so
fresh from God, love u.s." Happy, indeed,
is President Cleveland. and we'll may We
all congratulate him. What can be sweet
er-nay, what can possibly be as sweet, as
a girl baby? Nothing in the wide world
except two girl babies And the man who
has three is lucky and happier yet.