The Irish standard., 1896-09-05

trouble or in disgrace, or has good news
to tell, that anyone goes straight to Mrs.
Bryan. 9
I had a long talk with an old friend Of
hers on the day the party left Lincoln to
come east. There were several women to-
gether, and said:
81 don't see how Mrs. Bryan is going
to stand this trip. It's going to be fear
full ordeal, what with the heat, the excite
ment and the fatigue. She looks so deli
cate I'm afraid she'll break down. :
The Lincoln women looked at each 9TH
er and smiled.
e'She won't break down." said one OF
them. '.Mary Bryan never breaks down. .
Then they told me about her.
"Her mother was an invalid for years, :
said one of them, land Mrs. Bryan night
ly devoted herself to her; she nursed her
and read to her and cooked little appe-
tizing dishes for her, and sat up nights
with her, and she studied law, and took
care of three children and kept house,
and helped her husband in politics, and
locked out for every forlorn failure Of a
family in Lincoln. Her mother died last
year, and we all thought she'd break
down then, when the strain was over.
She did look pretty delicate for awhile,
but her husband needed her help and she
just seemed to take long breath and
catch up again. My mother was a New
England woman. She was always telling
about some one or other who had 'facul-
ty.' When got to know Mrs. Bryan 1
knew just what she meant-Mrs. Bryan
has faculty..
I have Travelled half way across the
continent with Mrs. Bryan since then. I
have seen her every hour in the day for
five long days of excitement, of discom-
forts, and Of fearful mental, emotional.
and physical strain, and do not think
the neighbors said any too much about
her.
When it was suffocatingIy hot: when
the car was full of cinders and smoke;
when every one coughed and sneezed and
bro:led and hated the world and all that
dwelt thereon; when the crowds yelled in
the broilirg sun; when the train was late,
and dinnor was late, and there was no
berths to be had; when we were all
famed in among mass Of wild, push
ing, showing, struggling humanity where
the whole world seemed to be shouting
for Bryan; where every one threw flow
ers, and compliments and eu,ogies; where
people begged for touch Of the hand, al
most as men beg for the gift of life, Mrs.
Bryan never for one instant lost her men
tai balance.
She crew neither irritable nor conde-
scending.
She laughed at the funny things that
happened, and she looked serious at sight
of the pitiful ones, and she never thought
of herself for one minute.
call that dangerously near to being
remarkable.
Once I saw her with tears in her eyes,
It was in Chicago. We had driven
through a great throng Of people who
shouted S:Hurrah for 1styan:' as mem cry
out the names they love.
The great, broad streets were jammed; |;
the whole city seemed to be running at
the wheel Of Mr.. Bryaus carriage to get
one look at his face. .
Mrs. Bryan and were in the carriage
together. asked her to stand an instant
and see the crowd
She did.
When she sank into her corner of the
carriage her eyes were filled with tears.
When we arrived at the hotel, where
Mr.. Bryan was to speak, we hurried to
the room to meet him. The room was full
of people Committees, women carrying
flowers, and politicians. .Ass.
Mr.. Bryan turned at the sound OF his
wife's step.
The husband and wife stood for an In
stant and clasped hands.
MARY" said Mr.. Bryan-fis voice
shook a little, Mary
ssWiN,' said Mrs. Bryan quickly, "get
through as soon as you can; you need.
rest" N
She is very proud Of her husband, but
she hasn't the least vanity about him.
.'He is good man." she says. Il am
glad that people appreciate him, butt
always knew 1t.
II knew it when we were children to-
gether.
II knew it when he won the first prize
for oratory at college and brought me an
ring with the money.
II knew it when I promised to marry
him, and when we began our married life
in our little cottage out in the west.
II always shall know it,
She would have been just as proud of
her husband if he had never been heard
Of outside his own city.
Mrs. Bryan is the first won1an ever
knew who cares entirely for what things,
are and nothing at all for what things
seem.
When we left the train at Pittsburg a
great, bowling crowd closed in around us
and began to swallow us up. Above all
the cheers and the trumpets, and the
orders Of the parade marshals, heard q
wild cry of exultatiOn.
Is1ooked back.
The two Russians stood In the vasti-
bule of the train.
They swung their peaked travelling
caps above their heads.
"Iurrah," they cried. "Hurrah for the
American woman"
Our Small Army Is Efficient.
General Harrison, in his "Th:s Country