The St. Johns herald., 1896-04-18
SHE IS A HOME BODY.
Ex-PRESlDENT HARRlSON'S FiANcEE ExCELS IN DOMESTIC VIRTUES.

Not 8 ''Society Woman"-A Little Woman, Not Beautiful, With Simple Tastes and Absence of All Affectation-Som Something
 of Her Life Story.
 Benjamin Harrison starts his presi- dential boom with wedding bells.
 And now every woman in the land is reading up the book of Dimmick.
 Is she pretty? Does she know how to dress? Is she learned? Is she in society? Is it love match? Would she prove worthy successor of Mrs. Cleveland? These and thousand other questions are agitating the bosoms of Columbia's daughters.
 Mrs. Dimmick has walked in the blaze of White House social functions in the past and retained her mental equi- poise. She impresses one as able to do 1t again successfully, even if called upon to be leading lady.
 The axiom that little men incline naturally to tall women is shattered in the present instance. Mir. Harrison has been like the loyelorn swain who sang:
 will not dream of her tall and stately.
 She that love may be fairy light.
 Mrs. Dimmick is petite. She confers upon her future husband the dignity of great stature when they walk together. She must look up to him, as every good citizeness should do to a former presi- dent and a possible future chief execu- tive of the nation.
 Mrs. Dimmick is not ''in society,"" She does not shake your hand with an altitudinous twist in greeting. She has never been more accessible than since her engagement was announced, but she will not be interviewed.
 Every honest American must like her from the first, because she possesses qualification so dear to the average American heart-a total freedom from affectation.
 She is not dreaming about being 'the first lady in the land" That is sub ject you must not broach to her, unless you desire to forfeit her good opinion. She speaks calmly and frankly of her approaching marriage, but smilingly re- fuses to take you into her confidence as to the time and place of its celebration.
 The dominant feeling in approaching fiancee of the successor of Washing ton is one of diffidence, not unmixed with awe. You can hear your heart thump as you distinguish her footfall on the stair.
 Mrs Dimmick, however, puts you immediately at ease. Hers is the gra ciousness of the woman who has mas tered the art of homemaking.
 She is very plainly dressed ill black silk gown that has seen service, and wears no jewelry save pin at the throat and few rings, one of them solitaire diamond. She has evidently been busy on some housewifely duty, for she has not even waited to smooth rebellious lock or two of hair that have strayed from their fastenings.
 Mrs. Dimmick is not a beautiful woman in the ordinary sense. She has neither unfathomable eyes, faultless features nor ravishing complexion. It is not the senses she takes by storm, but the heart.
 Her face is fairly youthful, with the ebullience of good feeling. The eyes dance with enjoyment as she talks, and the lips smile frequently and almost girlishly. You can see she enjoys the situation. To become the wife of Ben- jamin Harrison insures a past as we'll as future. She is woman enough to raise her hand to her hair once or twice, so that you may see her engagement ring. And you like her the better for it.
 Her eyes have prevailing tints of ha- gel, and every schoolgirl knows that such eyes mean steadfastness and truth.
 The face is little careworn, but you remember that it's owner has been tried in the battle of life The forehead is low. broad and unwrinkled, and crowned with an ample coronet of soft brown hair; the nose straight and delicate; the lips, trife too thin, perhaps, but firm and contented in expression.
 As you absorb these characteristics, you begin to understand what Mir. Har- rison meant when he said that Mary Dimmick was the only woman in the White House who knew enough to be silent when he wanted to be quiet and think. Socrates would have given up his familiar spirit for such woman as l this.
 Mrs. Dimmick was married to Walter E. Dimmick, oldest son of Samuel E. Dimmick, who was Pennsylvania's at torney general under Governor Hart ranft 14 years ago. He died three months after their marriage.
 Mrs Dimmick's father was Russell F. Lord, who was general manager and chief engineer of the Delaware and Hudson Canal company. He married Elizabeth Scott, who was sister of the wife of Benjamin Harrison.
 After the death of her husband Mrs. Dimmick went to live ip Annapolis with her mother and her sister, who was the wife of Lieutenant Parker. Mrs. Dim- mick has always made her home with her sister, Mrs. Parker, with the excep- tion of one year, which she spent in Washington with her aunt, Mrs. Harri- son. Mrs. Dimmick received the finish ing touches to her education at the FL mira college, where she remained for two years. She was married to Walter E. Dimr'ick at Albany.-New York Herald.