The record-union., 1896-07-12
McKINLEY'S MARRIED LIFE.
His Noble Devotion to His Invalid
Wife

The marriage was celebrated on jan
uary %, 1871, in the quaint old Presby-
terian church where Idas parents and
grandparents Worshiped and where the
girl taught class in the Sunday-school
The young bride was warmly attached
to this church. but she Immediately
transferred her allegiance to the Metho-
dist Church as a proof Of her affection
for her husband, who had been in the
Methodist communion since his six
teenth year.
The married life of these two young
people began under the happiest aus
pices. Mr.. Saxton gave his daughter a
pretty house on the best street in the
town. Mckinley had by this time built
up good law practice and his income
was sufficient to maintain the new
home in modest comfort. The future
seemed to stretch away like a broad
and sunny path, bordered by flowers,
but in a little time the shadows of great
sorrows fell and left ineffaceable marks
OF suffering on the characters of the
loving husband and wife. Two children
were born to them, and both We're
claimed by death before the eldest had
reached the age of four. The grief of
the young mother wrecked her health
and left her a cripple for life, able to
walk only with pain and with a sup
porting arm. The devoted husband saw
before him the tragic vision of a child
less life and the companionship of an
incurable invalid. No man ever accept
ed such a situation with more cheerful
self-abnegation. He made himself the
faithful and skillful nurse of his un-
| fortunate wife and gave every hour he
could spare from his work to the task
Of tightening her sorrows and cheering
her broken life.
| This course he has pursued unfalter-
| ingly for more than twenty years, with
out admitting in his own secret thought
that he has been doing anything worthy
of praise. His wife's condition cut him
| off from most of the social pleasures
which men enjoy-the easy going fell
| lowship of clubs and smoking rooms, of
| hunting excursions and pleasure trips
| of dinners and receptions; for, once free
| from his duties as a lawyer or as a Con-
gresham or Governor, he always re-
turned to his wife's side, feeling that she
| had need of his companionship When
the wife realized the lasting character
| Of her aff1iction she determined that she
/ would not allow it to interfere with her
| husbands $ public career, and she would
| have forced herself to be content with
far less measure OF care and affection
than he has given her, but it was not
/ in his nature to be less devoted. The
remarkable unity and continuity of con-
| duet which has been a marked feature
| OF his military and political career
showed itself in his domestic life as d
natural result of his organization. He
could not be himself and be otherwise
than faithful and tenderly devoted to
the wife of his youth and the mother Of
| his dead children. His home tragedy
| has no doubt intensified the natural
gravity of his character and has given
| to his face the lines of sternness and
| asceticism which are noticeable when
| it is in repose, but it has not in the least
| sCured his disposition. On the contrary,
/ it seems to have impaired additional
sweetness and strength.-E. " Snalley
III Review Of Reviews.