The record-union., 1897-08-22

bravely and uncomplainingly borne,
and to-day we realize that even the
! sufferings of the men at Trenton and
Valley Forge were hardly greater than
those of the women, waiting in their
almost unbroken suspense in their
lonely, scattered homes.
| The war ait last was ended, but John
| Adams was not to return to his wife,
| for his country had selected him to rep
resent her in England; but while he was
not to come to her she was to go to
| him, and in 1854 she became the first
! American representative of her sex o.
the court of Great Britain. King
4 George was mortified at the result or
the war, and the gracious sovereign was
| most ungracious to Americas repre-
| sentative; while his Queen, employing
such arts as only woman can. tried
| to make Abigail Adams life almost un-
| endurable The courtiers quickly fol-
lowed the hints of the throne and M
creased the confusion arising from the
| lettering condition of affairs at home
| and the uncertainty that was felt
about the ability of the States to
govern themselves, an uncertainty tflat
was shared in by their WarmeSt friends.
But john Adams never lost his dignity,
nor did his wife cease to be a lady
She rose above the insults, ignored the
Sights. encouraged her husband, and
contrived to find many experiences that
pleased her. But she never quite for
gave the Queen. and when later she
wrote in the trouble which the change
of fortunes wheel brought to her, HUI
initiation for Charlotte is no sorrow for
me- few found it in their hearts TO
blame her. Even her Puritan faith,
which enabled her to ''bear all things,
was not quite equal to the task OF
thinking no evil" Perhaps, however,
it was not her thoughts, but the
Queens actions, after all, which were
evil.
After their return to the United
States John Adams became Vice-Presl-
dent, and when Washington retired ne
was chosen President, and Ablgali
Adams became the first lady Of the
land Her long period of secluslon, her
travel and residence abroad, as Well as
her native ability, had fitted her for
the duties of her new position, and as
she mingled freely in society, first in
New York and then in Philadelphia and
! Washington, the seats of government,
she won friends rapidly and held them
easily. She was the trusted counselor
of her husband the friend of the lead
ers. and her deep interest in political
matters made her opinions sought ;
while she still remained the gentle lady.
The years were stirring, busy ones, and
Abigail Adams did her part. In one
| particular she was more intense than
her husband, and that was against his
! political enemies, for John Adams had
tried the plan of modifying his op-
| ponents by offering them office, with
the customary result of anger ON the
mart of his friends and misunderstand-
ing by his enemies. Civil service re-
| FORM was a failure before it was old
enough to be reformed and soon John
Adams went out of office and Thomas
Jefferson went in The wife's feelings
| toward jefferson were bitter, but she
wrote him a letter of sympathy when
his daughter died, for she had been
warmly attached to her. Jefferson re-
piled feelingly, and tried to patch up
! the cid quarrel, protesting not to De
lieve that she had written without the
knowledge of her husband, as she de-
clared she had.
But Abigail Adams will be chiefly re-
membered by her Letters" They are
free and candid pictures of the times,
and display no small degree of literary
merit. Indeed, they may be said to be
the best literary production of Amerl-
can women up to the time when they
appeared They are light and grace
full. then again at times strong and log
sical, while through them all runs a
marked power of description Judge
Vanderkemp of New York begged per-
mission to publish them, and at last
this was reluctantly given. Several
editions appeared, and one, in 1913,
contained a memoir of her grandson,
Charles Francis Adams.
Her health had been affected by her
residence in Philadelphia and Washing
ton, the latter then just emerging from
| the wilderness, and she was glad to re-
tire to Braintree, or rather to that part
of Braintree which was named for her
maternal grandfather, Quincy. Still
she maintained her interest in public
affairs for her son had entered the field
his father had abandoned. Her life was
mellowing and she rejoiced that she
had lived when she did. She wrote
Mrs. Warren in 1907: IF we were to
count our lives by the revolutions we
have witnessed, we might HuIADeI bllelII
among the antedeluvians. So rapid nave
been the changes that mind has
been outstripped by them, and we are
left like statues gazing at what we can
neither fathom nor comprehend"
On the 2Sth of October 1918, the end
came gently, as comes the close of a
quiet summer day. A vast concourse OF
people assembled to honor her memory.
The pastor of her church offered prayer
and the President of Harvard College
delivered a fitting address. AS his
words We're brought to close, and he
declared that she was fitted for a bet
ter happiness than this world can
give the people who had been assem-
bled to honor Abagail Adams because
she had been the wife of our President
and the mother of another, turned
slowly away, realizing that it was
meet that she should be honored most
of all for what she herself had been
and done-Cleveland Leader
A Golfers Paradise.
Hear ye hear We, hear We.
The Links House-by-t Seal
A Jersey man with a novel plan
~ IL