The herald., 1897-12-20
PRESIDENTS SORROW
OF MOTHER M'KIN-
LEY" AND HER SON
Plans for White House Gaieties All
Abandoned-Singular Super
stitions Whispered

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 15.-
Especial Correspondence to The Herald.)
gloom over official society and turned
what promised to be the gayest of sea-
sons into period of mourning. AT the
White house elaborate preparations had
been in progress for a merry holiday, in
which the ten nieces of the president
and Mrs. Mckinley and several OF
their girl school-friends, who comprlsea
the house party, were anticipating the
greatest pleasure. dance in the east
room with the Marine band in attend
ance was one of the delightful events
on the tapis for Christmas week, put
of course now abandoned. Mother NC
Kinley," as everybody called the dear
old lady who came with the presidential
party to the capital, is very pleasantly
remembered here. She was one Oh the
most interesting personalities Oh the IN
auguraton, not only because she was
the presidents mother, but on account
of her youthful old age, her frank pfloe
in "William' and her quaint Purltanic
good humor. She had fondly hoped 10
| see her son become q bishop Oh the
Methodist church, but since PROVIDENCE
had willed it otherwise, she trusted I'M
nlicitly in the same power to keep MS
feet firm in the path of greater respon-
sibi,ity. It was her first visit to the
capitol, almost the first journey OUTSIDE
of Ohio. She wanted to see the sights
and her 81 years did not deter her from
visiting nearly all the points OF interest.
WONDERFUL ENERGY
"Mother Mckinley" could endure more
fatigue than many of the younger men,
bers of the party, and was always alert,
energetic. keen witted, keen sighted and
| full of sweet good nature. She otten
walked when others rode in carriages
and at all times preferred straight
hack. wooden chair to one with cushlons
and rockers. Everybody wanted to see
Mother Mckinley" but she wanted 10
see Washington. When the president
party was ushered into the private gal
lerv of the senate, to see the vice-presl-
dent inaugurated dozen hands were
outstretched to help her down the steep
steps to her seat in the front row, but
she had never needed help in reaching
her pew in church, and to her this was
an equally solemn occasion and the vast
chamber a sanctuary. So she walked
alone to her seat, with bowed head ana
reverent mein, and plainly discouraged
all attempts at conversation. Such
contrast to the glitter of Washington
society as she was in the White house.
HER CHEEKY SIMPLICITY
| But 1t was a wholesome contrast and
not even the most ready-to-criticise dip
lomat saw anything ludicrous in her
CHEEKY simplicity, which pretended to
nothing, and her shomely wit and sense
of humor. The president wanted his
mother to remain in Washington some
weeks after the inauguration, but she
could not be persuaded. II must get
home, boys" she said to the president
and his brother Abner. ooh, never mind,
mother, it isn't time yet to make gar
den," said one of them facetiously. "But
don't you know that I will have two
houses to rent by the first of April, she
replied with a laugh that was good to
hear. 1T must go home and find tenants
for them. I can't afford to lose $40 a
month apiece for them" And home
she went, her sense of business respon-
sibilities having silenced both her mid
dle-aged sons, though one of them is
a millionaire and the other has the
heavy task of reviving the business Of
the whole country on his hands.
ABSIT OMEN
BY the way, it has not got into print,
believe, but the superstitious folk in
1T xx,1,fc ~ q al n OIL
lar thing which happened at the White
house just before the news Of the ILL
ness of the presidents mother arrived.
About noon one of the attaches of the
mansion was attracted by remark
able shadow near the top of one of the
great Doric pillars Of the portico. OBJ
serving it closely, it assumed the form
of a face, and then the outlines became
so distinctly the features of President
Mckinley that general attention was
directed to the phenomenon. People
gathered to look at it and mouths opened
in amazement, but presently the shadow
passed away. The same afternoon
President Mckinley had a narrow
escape from being run over by an elec-
trio car which was going at the rate of
fifteen miles an hour. After long, hard
day, in which he had seen no end of
office-seekers and received several dele
cations and a legion of callers, he went
for a drive to get breath of fresh air
before dinner. While crossing Connec-
ticut avenue, his carriage, in avoiding a
fast electric car going in one direction,
just barely missed being run down by
another electric car coming as rapidly
from the other direction. Nothing but
the motorman's presence of mind
averted a catastrophe and the car came
to sudden stop with jerk that upset
the passengers, within two feet of the
presidents carriage.
FANNIE BRIGHAM.
ON THE MARSHES