The National tribune., 1897-06-24

And where il the child of America who
will forget the lonely man, sorrowfui at
heart, who bore the Nations burdens and in
his lonely midnight walks to the War De-
partlnent with the stars for his guide and
the rustling leaves overhead for company,
getting the latest news from the front, often
returning sadder than when he went or the
Green Room, where he last gazed upon the
beautiful form and features of his fair boy,
Willie, the pride Of his heart-here the body,
covered with flowers, rested for burial-and,
saddest of all, this grand. noble soul goirg
| out of these port;Is and not returningP All
this we remember
SOCIAL LIFE A SUCCESS
President and Mrs. Grant were no excep-
ton to the rule. Theirs was an individual
ism whose atmosphere was purely domestic
In the social life of the White House we lind
home
Mrs. Grants morning receptions were very
| popular. Perhaps the pleasantest feature OF
these receptions was the presence of the Plesl-
! dent. The informality and entire ease With
| which they were carried on was their charm.
Gen. Babcock, with that graceful suavlty
so much his own, gave your name to the
President; he, In turn, passed 1t to Mrs
| Grant, and she to the next lady receiving,
and so on down the line. There was no
awkward suspense i'll finding out whom you
had the honor of addressing II it were Mrs.
Hamilton Fish, OF Mrs Sherman, or Mrs.
Belknap you knew it. and were at once at
your ease. But according to the present Gus
tom, at times, you pass line half the length
of the room, as if it were a line of sentinels
passing Judgment for competitive drill.
The halcyon days of peace brought into the
White House the ineffable charm of genuine
sociability Even the Nations paTlor, the
grand old East Room put on a home look, as
| much as to say: "The latch-string is out to
| all my children. The fatted calf has been
| killed; return, thou prodigal son."
| A soft Turkish carpet, present from the
| Sultan of Turkey, covered the floor. Heavy
lace curtains draped the windows, over which
| hung heavy brocatelle, surmOunted by gilt
| cornices. The walls and ceilings were Tres
| coed; chairs and sofas were cushioned IN
keeping with the draperies. The three large
crystal chandeliers shed the radiance OF
myriads of miniature suns. Eight large
| mirrors decorated the room, and the portraits
| of Washington, Lincoln, John Adams, Mar
| tin Van Buren,, Polk, and Tyler hung on the
walls Clocks and bronzes made up the
ornaments And into this room Uncle Sam
children were welcomed.
Four years pass by and the Second Inaugural
of the hero Of AppomattOx returns. 1t Is
repetition of the first, with some extras
thrown in There is the same moving mass
of people, the same glitter of helmets, flash
of bayonets waving plumes, playing OF
bands, gaudy fremen, FURNISHED engines,
soldiers, sailors and everybody else, full OF
enthusiasm, ready to celebrate the second
Inaugural of their great Captain.
Despite the bitter cold that stung and
paralyzed the young bloods of West Point,
or tingled the veins of the Midshipmen from
Annapolis, and the sweep and howl of old
! Boreas, dancing with this mans hat, and
running off with that woman's vail, rending
the gorgeous banners into tatters, filling the
air with binding dust, the Inauguration
went on, and Ulysses S. Grant became Presi-
| dent for another four years.