The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-08-27
BRYAN'S HELPMEET.
SOMETHING or TIA DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES WIFE.

4
The wife Of William Jennings BRYAN
is an absolutely new species Of woman
among those who have stood a chance
Of ruling in the executive mansion.
Briefly. she is pale faced, intellect
ual slip of woman She has an i'm
mense amount of determination and ST.
lent aggressiveness. is rather studious
and very reserved. She does not care for
fashion or society and pays no attention
whatever to either.
Attention was first drawn to Mrs. |
Bryan at the time Bryan made his IA
nous tariff speech in the house. Inside
of few hours, in the midst of the adu-
lation he was receiving, Bryan gener-
ously declared that his wife deserved
share in the praise.
This is the kind of woman Mrs. Bryan
is: For weeks the organs had been pre-
pairing that speech. The organs is said
because the husband and wife worked
over the speech day and night together.
Every preparation for it was made with
determined GOODNESS.
Mrs. Bryan afterward told me how
they had worked over it, how sentence
after sentence had been polished and re-
polished and cut until each was gem of
its kind. They had already discovered
Arlington, the famous cemetery Of the
soldiers. There they went twice, and
among the graves of the great worked
over paragraphs that proved especially
effective when delivered. Mrs. Bryan
knew almost every word by heart
A week before the big speech was
made Bryan had delivered a eulogy on a
dead colleague. Mrs. Bryan, then un-
known even to her husband s colleagues,
sat in the gallery and carefully noted
the volume of tone required by Bryan
to fill the hall. Anything more deliber-
ate could hardly be conceived. By means
of signals the husband on the floor and
wife in the gallery communicated, and
he increased or lowered his voice at her
suggestion until she had satisfied her
self that he had struck the most effec-
tive tone
When the critical moment arrived,
Mrs. Bryan was in the gallery. She has
told me how anxious she was, yet sure
that her husband would wake up the
house as it hadn't been stirred fol
months. At first Bryan held low
voice. Mrs. Bryan nodded for fuller
tones. Her eyes never left his face ex
cept to study the effect some sentences
might have on the house. From time t.
time Bryan glanced for encouragement
at the pale face of the woman in tn
!, gallery, and when it all was over Their
was one quick glance Of intelligence
/ Both knew that their work had beef
!, well done, and the woman sank back Il
: her seat almost overcome by the inten
= sity of her satisfaction and relief.
y 1t was few days later that Mr.. Bry
;. AN took mo into the house gallery {
meet his wife, who came over nearl
every afternoon to meet him and wal
home with him at the close of the Sc:
sion.
ge Mrs. Bryan told me how she and he
' az husband had known each other as youn
people back in Illinois, where they b.
long, when her name was Mary Baird
:, When they were married and went
g Nebraska to live and Bryan studied Law
: she took up the same study with him.
Al Then Bryan found himself gettin
- into politics, but Mrs. Byan kept c
. with her law studies, took her exam
N. nations and was admitted to practic'
at. All this was done that she might wol
n. with and help her husband.
pie In this connection Mrs. Bryan sal
IA II ,ff 7 xua DIN atnd
all see the women in our town. or cour
es it was then little unusual for wor
,.r an to be admitted to practice. n
in friends called in numbers on me, and
co. was queer to see how they maneuver
o,1, to approach the subject. About half
IDS, them finally got it, but one and
sf. seemed to think that was bigger
80; riosity than mummy"
for Mrs. Bryan can be sarcastic VIII
-. sufficiently reused, and at any time W
nts, say droll, witty things with only
ms ms CLEAN of smile in her dark eyes.
ny She is the mother of three childre
Ia and is very domestic in her inclination
. When it was discovered that she wai
=. LAWYER, o congressman who meant to
very agreeable inquired OF her W
what line of law she was most famili
our Mrs. Bryan's quick answer was;
,ess. Domestic relations, sir. "
/. If the organs should come into
- White House many people would rec
:. and contrast the night Of their first
IS pearance there with Mrs Bryan's pl
- pect of standing at the head of the
tier ception line.
hrGe 1t was just after Bryan's speech, W
dies everybody wanted to see him and
ven. lawyer wife. Mrs. Bryan appeared
ok, high necked, long sleeved black C
AL. mere dress, not even fashionably Gu
~ made. Bryan wore his usual Prince
NC bert broadcloth coat and possibl
, I white lawn tie. The pair stood al
tile. and looked lost while people told
~ other who the unostentatious, rather
Sc fashioned looking couple were;
- neither was at all embarrassed.
itch. got more than q little amusement
Pc. of watching the crowds. They went
. very seldom in Washington, and
M only on official occasions Inever h
" of Mrs. Bryan appearing in eve
dress during their Washington lif
,,,.. don't think she ever possessed loy
! pro gown, nor dress with silk Innings
y *, dose =, BRYAN surely never has owned
lials q suit. They never attended fashion
ys i,rs, dinners and certainly gave none t
oruer selves.
. The organs when in Washington
= in small, quiet boarding hous
]. Capitol Hill, three blocks from the
VE itol itself. There was a real estate
- L in part of the ground floor. d.