The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-09
Past MiStreSses
OF the White House.
Gossip About the Wives and Daughters
of the Presidents.

admired by all. Her first appearance
is described as somewhat dramatic and
highly effective. A Russian woman
| entered, robed in crimson, velvet, and
bejeweled with diamonds, followed by
two richly dressed Southern bellies, af-
ter whom came Miss Betty, in white,
with a single flower in her hair. She
made an instantaneous impression, and
promised to rival the charming and
youthful Mrs. Robert Tyler in popu-
larity. But the career that opened so
auspiciously, and, in the sunlight of
peace, after war, in which her faith
er was the successful general, was
soon to end in the gloom of death.
On the seventy-fourth independence
anniversary the president was sun
struck while at the laying of the cor
ner-stone of the Washington monu-
ment, and died six days after Mrs.
Taylor survived her husband but two
: years, dying at her sons, in Pascagou-
| Ia, La. Bliss, her son-in-law, soon
followed, and Betty was left a widow,
with friends in Virginia. Mrs. Taylor
was never visible in the reception
| room at the White house. She receiv-
, ed her visitors in private apartments,
and escaped all possible observation.
Miss Betty, as did Abigail Fillmore
discharged the duties of hostess I'M
assisted, and was always at her ease
She had just finished her education in
Philadelphia. These two are the only
daughters of presidents who have sue
fessively presided at the executive
mansion. And whatever roseate mem
ories either may have had of it were
| darkened by the death of a parent
Mrs. Mckinley has some knowledge
OF life in Washington, having resided
| there when her husband was member
| of congress. But Mrs. William Henry
Harrison, as has been said, did not
reach the capital, which, however, was
owing to the death of her husband:
| and Mrs. Andrew jackson, who was
living when the general was elect
ed died before his Inauguration. 1t
will be noticed that the families of the
military group of presidents-Jackson
Harrison and Taylor, within the twen-
ty-two years between 1928 and 1850,
lost each member by death near the
beginning of the respective terms, in
two instances the presidents them
selves dying, and in the other the wife
of the president-elect Jackson made
Major Donelson his private secretary,
and at his request Mrs. Donelson took
| charge of the White House. She was a
young woman of considerable attrac-
| ton, though somewhat inexperienced.
When Jackson's administration was
two years old, Edward Livingston was
appointed secretary of state, and from
that time on Mrs. Livingston, a wo-
man highly gifted, and who had been
on terms of warm friendship with Mrs.
John Quincy Adams, assisted young
Mrs. Donelson at public receptions. Be
fore Jackson's time supper tables had
been special feature of the drawing
room entertainments, but the grow
ing population of Washington and the
vast crowds rendered the custom in
supportable, and the old general abol-
ished them. They have never since been
resumed. General Jackson was inaug-
uratd president at the age of 62, and
had none of the advantages of his
predecessors of having been drilled in
craftsmanship, and he and Mrs. Donel-
son, 1t is said, as heads of the executive
mansion, were less skillful than bril-
liant. Pierce, like Jackson, went into
the presidency under the shadow of a
recent death. The cases are parallel.
Jackson lost his wife in the interim
between his election and Inauguration,
and Pierce'S son died between those
periods in his fathers life. He met his
death in an accident on the Boston and
Maine railroad. He was an only son,
and the affiiction was crushing Mrs.
Pierce did not recover from it for
years. AS a matter of official duty she
presided at receptions unless too ill,
and secretly struggled to conceal her
grief. She had had an experience of
nine years in Washington life while
her husband was in the house and sem
ate. Very naturally there was little
gayety in the presidential mansion dur
ing Pierce's term, and certainly none
in the hearts of its occupants.
Van Buren's administration was also
unpretentious in the way of entertain
ment. Jackson's had been something
of a disappointment in this direction
and when his cultivated and aristo-
cratic vice-president succeeded him, it
was predicted that the high tone of
bygone years would be restored. Re-
ports were circulated that the levees
at the White house were to be in
spired by the genius of distinguished
New York ladies, but they were false.
Van Buren did not open his drawing
rooms often. He followed the example
of his predecessor and patron, General
Jackson and made the wife of his pr-
Vate secretary mistress of the man
sion. In this instance she was also
the presidents daughter-in-law the
wife of his son, Abram, who married
her in South Carolina the second win
ter of his fathers administration, and
brought her a pretty bride to the
White house. But even then there
was no revival of the gayety of the old
en- times. Two of the nations most
illustriOus first ladies, Mrs. Madison
and Mrs. John Quincy Adams, were
then living in Washington, the for
mer of whom was a cousin to Mrs.
Abram Van Buren. Mrs. Madison's
influence seems to have been less
marked with her young relative from
South Carolina, though possibly the
president was the controlling force,
than with her successor, Mrs. Robert
Tyler, who found it very convenient
and helpful, upon passing from OBJ
scurity into the association of great
men and women of social standing, to
advise with Mrs. Madison, who had
done the honors of the White house for
the most of four terms, beginning with
"a DH Hf1nft 1fCf..