The morning times., 1896-07-19
Hers Is a Home Where Love
Reigns Supreme.
Mrs. Mckinley Gives Her First heWSpa-
per Interview Romantic Devotion
to Home and Husband. Major
Mckinley and His Mother.
Downright. 1860

tCopyright loSo)
Imagine Yourself if you will. alshtins
from railroad train aud finding your
self in dirty, dusty station. in the midst
of an equally dirty, dusty portion OF a
thriving Western city. Then imagine
yourself entering somewhat diiapidated
stage coach and being driven slowlythrough
various narrow. crooked streets. until, AT
the end of ten minutes you emerge into i
broad plaza. lined with stately buildings
and tall trees rich in verGure. This is what
the visitor to Canton sees, and lie Won
ders at the sudden Transformation from
suualor to beauty. One is told that Can
ton has but one squalid quarter and that
is near the railroad station. and when
one has been there a few hours one real
ICES the entire truth of this statement
Then let your Imagination take another
flight and picture yourself strollns up a
broad, straight avenue, thick with shade
trees. and lined on either side by stately
residences. approached by lawns OF ,onspic-
nous neatness and beauty.
At the end of Tour sEOrt blocks you
finally come 10 a square, wooden house.
set back some forty yards from the
street, with wide veranda in front and
tai. oaks brushing their branches against
the newly pIiGtoi boards OF the house.
Flower beds abound on the spacious lawn,
the prevailing blossoms appearing 10 be
red gerlniunis. on every pleasant day in
the immediate past one might nave seen
flir-faCed woman seated on this veranda
drinking in the quiet and beauty OF the
scene that lay stretched before her. But
now all that is over. There Is 70 more rest
fui quiet for her. for l:er husband has be-
come one of the most conspicuous men in
the Cnited States. and she. against her WILL
has been unCoBsCiOuSly drawn into all tie
strife and turmoil Of national politics.
1t is easy to see that this fraii woman is
NOT happy amidst these new surroundings.
To he sure for over twenty years sae has
BEEN not altogether unaccustomcd to the
clangoT OF Il political life. for she has
scrn her husband elected to Congress time
and gain. and twice she has participated
with him to Il greater or less extent i'll
. his successful campaigns Tor the governor
snip of Ohio: but while those scenes were
all exciting. they pale into InsignificaHCe
beside the mad and feverisl scenes which
are now hourly brought before her. Each
day. each hour. may say each minute. men
from all over the country journey to Can
p ton to see and to talk to her distinguished
husband. the Republican candidate for
President OF the United States. She en-
joys ii, perhaps, in IA certain way-enjoys
IL as a loving wife enjoys the triumphs of
the one who is all the world to her-enjoys
II. if Il sense OF deepest pride can be called
enjoyment and yet it is plain to be seen
that her gentle nature shrinks from it all.
THE HOME OF A GENTLEWOMAN.
Mrs Mckinley is essentially gentle
woman. Her face. her form. her manner
all suggest that which is sweetest and best
in woman. Thrown into direct contact
with the world as she has been, she has
yet retained to an eminent degree all that
charming femininity which the Older in
habitants of Stark county. Ohio. recall
as being her chefest charm in girlhood.
There is something sad about this little
woman too-Strikingly sad when now and
then on. catches far-off, mournfuI look
IN her eyes and notes tile pathetic lines OF
suffering, which even her bravery and
strength of VIII cannot altogether obliter-
ate from her face. She has suffered, has
this woman; suffered no one knows how
much.
For many years. in fact, since her last
born die and was laid away to rest, she
has been IN invalid. Not an inva lid in The
sense that she has Teen confined To her
bed or even 10 her room all these wears.
but an invalid inasmuch as she has been
unable TO go about and minglc in society
and enjoy the rcCreaticns that other women
enjoy. In Washington, during Major Nc
kinley's many years of service in the
House Of Representatives. she chung pretty
closely to the home which she had there
meeting comparatively few ur the men and
women who go 10 make Washington the
gayest city in the land during itsown unique
season. She has never leen happy alto
gether in those years she admits II herself
The bright. shining periods Of her life have
been when she was back in the home Of her
.,rt, l.. bach Il
and seated on her piazza in her tiny re-
ception-ro ON receiving. not as guests, bu.
rather as loved companions. the friends of
her early da VS. 1t was thus that l first saw
Mrs. Mckinley. To lie sure at that time
the clans were just gathering at St Louis
and there was the lily concealed air Of
anticipation which uverspread the entire
city of Canton. even TO the home OF the
major and his wife. hut at that time there
was a repose about this gentle sufferer
which was us beautiful rs 1t was pathetic
One would see that she felt proud of the
honor which all knew was about to be
bestowed upon her husba nd. and yet through
IL all she found ample time to receive and
greet with simple grace all the friends
and ncishbors whom she held most dear.
But when l saw her the second time all
this was changed. Canton was alive with
bunting; from every porch and from every
roof there ilnated flags and banners in
scribed with the words, Mckinley. the
advance agent of prosperity The one
servant who had done duty for so many
years ut the Mckinley home had been re-
enforced by various others in the gnise of
secretaries and waiting men and messer.
gers. There was constant air of hustle
and activity. and, while her husband was
gcntleness and thoughtfulness personificd
in his interest in his patient wife. it did
not take wizard to see that the wife was
crieving not little at the thought shat the
fortunes of politics had robbed her of the
constant society of her husband. TO which
she had grown accustomed since he Step
ped from the gubcrnatorial chair ut CO.
lumhus. Men we're coming and going. the
iron gate at the edge OF the lawn was clang.
ing and banging. the screen door on the
piazza was opening and shutting. there was
a Babel OF voices. aud at all hours of the
day and even into the late evening carriages
were dashinc up before the donr. telegraph
wires were ticking. telephone bells ring
Jug. and. in short, what had been less than.
month before an Eden of domestic felicity
had been suddenly transformed into u Babel
OF confusion.
cannot tell you what Mrs Mckinley
was gracious enough to tell me In her
frank. ingenious way without first tell
Ing you the story OF her courtship as 1t
was told to me by more than one old
resident OF Stark county. Her maiden