St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-17
M'klNlEY,S HOME LIFE.
His Wife Is an Invalid, but She Aids a
In His Work.

In His Work.
Major McKinleys home life is very
happy, despite the fact that his wife is
an invalid. Mrs. Mckinley was MisF
Ida Saxton, daughter of James and Mary
Saxton of Canton, o. She received all
excellent education when girl, spent
some time abroad and became her ia
theirs assistant in his bank, whore it
was said that her fair face attracted
bouquets and bank notes to the window.
"She must be trained" said her father,
"to buy her own bread if necessary, and
not to sell herself to matrimony."
She had many suitors, but Major Nc.
Kinley, then a rising young lawyer,
vanquished all rivalry, removed the
young woman from the cashiers win.
dow and won from honest James Saxton
these words when the hand Of the daugh.
ter was gained:
"You are the only man have ever
known to whom | would intrust my
daughter.
Mrs Mckinley has always assisted
her husband in politics. Her i'll health
has in no wise deferred her from enjoy.
ing the political honors he has won, MOI
has it prevented her from being wise
counselor. Her presence has time and
again served as an inspiration to her
husband. When political preferment
first came to former Governor Mckinley,
it was his wife who convinced him that
he should accept She believed implicit
ly in his talents, and that his service
would be for the good Of the state she
was certain. She has never wavered in
her faith in her husbands convictions,
and consequently she is protectionist
and believes the country must have q
protective tariff law.
She has confidence in him, not only as
a public official, but as a man. Her ill.
ness has been overcome by her Affection
and she has travelled thousands Of miles
when she was weak in body merely that
she might be near him. She has encour.
aged him by word, look and presence,
and he has in knightly style returned
the favors and reciprocated the sacred
affection. Her home life has been short,
for out of the 20 years Of married life
more than 20 have been passed by her
husband in the public service. She has
lived in hotels, doubtless q source of re.
greet, since her fragile body made il
more than imperative that she should
have quiet place. She has never com.
planned, but has urged Governor Nc.
Kinley to push forward in his public ca.
reer.
Mrs Mckinley spends most of her
time in cozy apartment Oh the second
floor, and much of her leisure is devoted
to crocheting those dainty little slippers
which have so many times brought sun.
shine into gloomy hospital wards in va.
rious parts of the country. 1t is said
that she has knitted over 1900 pairs Of
these slippers in her 20 years of invalid
life. In appearance Mrs. Mckinley is Of
medium height, with brown hair and
large deep blue eyes. Although an in.
valid, she makes and receives calls and
often goes on shopping tours. Mrs.
Mckinley cares little for dress, al
though her toilets are always in excel
lent taste.
Her face betrays faint languor, sug-
gestive of the invalid, but it is fair and
bears stamp of beauty, in spite of the
40 years she carries. Her i'll health dates
from girlhood. AS student she with
difficulty undertook the studies Of the
course, by reason of this condition, but
with constant care and frequent medical
attention she overcame all trouble suf-
ficiently to enjoy life and to taste Of its
pleasures. Her actual invalidism dates
from the birth of their second child, in
1871. This child died in its infancy and
was followed by the first child, a daugh-
ter of years. short time afterward.
Her mother also died about this time.
These SORROWS We're more than she could
bear, and she has never recovered. At
present in appearance and in actual
health her condition is better than for
several years previous
A little story of McKinley's home
acts while governor may be of interest.
No less than his attention to his wife,
his thought and care for his mother,
particularly since his fathers death in
1892, have attracted comment. 1t had
been his custom while at home in Can
ton to take his mother to church each
Sunday morning. When he went to Co.
lumbus as governor he determined to
keep up the practice as much as posi-
BILE, and unless the press Of public bust
ness was very great he always slipped
quietly over to Canton from the state
capital on Sunday mornings and walked
to church with his mother ON his arm
The next train would carry him to Co.
lumbus where his wife awaited his
coming. Naturally the mother looks
with pride on such son, and she fol-
lows with keen interest the progress Of
his presidential canvass.