Birmingham state herald., 1896-08-04
SHE IS A JEWEL.
Mrs. Bryan Is Versatile Woman, But Above
 All She is Wife, Mother and Daughter.
New York Journal.

NeW OTk JOuTIdl.
 Lincoln, Neb., July 2S.-Mrs. William Jennings Bryan is the most interesting; member of her household, lacking none of her husbands brilliancy and acumen and possessing many traits which the candidate lacks.
 Mrs. Bryan has for nearly twelve years had a husband of boundless activity, children with a surprising propensity for mischief, a blind father who desired to keep pace with the world, an invalid mother, who required much attention, and a thirst for reading and study. Among these conflicting interests she has divided her time. To keep up with them all has been the object of her life.
 When Mary Baird, an American girl with American ideas, became Mrs. Bryan she possessed, as a foundation for her fu- ture Knowledge, the same academic edu- cation and training that her husband had received. He, however had studied law before they married, and, prompted by desire to catch up and to have share in all that interested her husband, Mrs. Bryan's first step after marriage was to take course in law and obtain admission to the bar. Over the legal cases that occupied MT. Bryan's atten- tion they worked and studied together. She consulted books for him, cited prece- dents and outlined arguments.
 
 with his wife, not behind him, but at his side. No political leader ever studied more assiduously the constantly varying condition of political matters than did Mrs. Bryan. When the silver question sprang into prominence Mrs Bryan studied 1t with her husband. They delv- ed into the subject, not as master and pupil, but as equal students.
 Mrs. Bryans father, who took an ab- sorbing interest in these matters, has, since his daughters marriage, been una ble to use his eyes. The newspapers and the fiction of the day had to be read to him, the changing conditions of the world had to be explained to him, and to sat- isfy the cravings of an active mind-all that he read had to be discussed with him. There was no one to do this but his daughter
 To Mrs. Bryan her children's welfare is her breath, her life. She fed them and dressed them and taught them and play ed with them. It was only when, after the romping and misunderstanding that make up days life of country children, the little ones fell asleep in sheer weari- ness, that the other life of Mrs. Bryan be- gan. Then she discussed law and politics with her husband, read to her father, and, when there was nothing further to do, slipped into corner of the library and read Hawthorne, her favorite Amer ican writer, or Hugo. whom she liked the best of the great novelists.
 In order to preserve her health, Mrs. Bryan took to swimming and bicycling, but it was always at night. when the household work was done, that she in dulged in this recreation. She was one of the founders of Sorosis, a local club com posed of twenty-five of the leading wom- en of Lincoln, but her object in joining this association was more to have an op- portunity to discuss with other women matters that interested her than to ob- tain any mental relaxation.
 The Bryan cottage is very small, and those who go there, if only for a moment, cannot help catching glimpse of the do- mestic life within. In the morning, clad in simple gown, Mrs. Bryan dresses the children, gives orders to the grocer, butcher and baker, and gets the house. hold into order. Then she helps her hus- band attack the pile of letters that has accumulated, answers the door bell and keeps as many people away from him as she can, and answers some of the many letters that come addressed to her. Pho tographers beg her to pose for them, in reviewers, male and female, from all parts of the country, request her to grant them an interview, neighbors and visitors from out of town call to gossip and to congratulate her. To all of them she is courteous and amiable, yet I hardly re- member having heard her say single sentence beyond: You must really ex- cuse me- I would like to talk to you, but I have so many things 10 do that caiiHol spare a moments time"
 It is only necessary to suggest to her that the west is barbaric and uncivilized. Then her eyes flash, her face lights up, and all her other work is forgotten while she launches into a vigorous denial of this base islander, championing the west with an enthusiasm, supported by undeniable facts and unanswerable statistics that have never seen surpa ssed. She has warm sympathy for this section of the country, and has great hopes for It's fu- f,1r