The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-27


ing delighted her so much as to have
him read and comment to her on what
was written about himself.
Before 10 o'clock the President would
go to his office, and Mrs. Mckinley
would continue her crocheting, or per-
haps engage in a game of cribbage
with one of her nieces, or some other
house guest for she was more fond Of
cards than any other pastime, and was
a clever player. If the day were pleas
ant at about IL she went for her morn
ing drive. At rare intervals the Pres
ident went with her, but his duties
usually prevented, and then she was
accompanied sometimes by her friend
Mrs. Rand, the wife of the pay in
spector of the navy, or Mrs. Dawes,
Mrs. Hanna, or some other of her more
intimate acquaintance. These drives
were usually confined to the smooth
asphalt streets of the city or out little
ways over the outlying hills. She cared
nothing for animals or pets, and for
that reason did not enjoy going
through the Zoo, one of Washington's
most charming driveways. In an hour
or so she would return, but whenever
it was, the President knew to mo-
ment when to expect her. He always
left his Office to meet her; II a cabl-
net meeting was in session he simply
ed her from there to her room, helped
her with her wraps, and saw that she
was comfortable. If the cabinet was
not in session he came downstairs to
the Tiffany corridor to greet her, ans
went with her upstairs to the family
rooms.
The extent of President McKinley's
devotion to his invalid wife can
scarcely be realized. From the time OF
their marriage he was an affectionate
husband, but his devotion was always
notable after the horrible shock that
came to her that bright summer day
more than a quarter of a century ago.
He had been called away from his
home on business, when suddenly his
eldest little daughter, just three and
half years old, was stricken with d1ph-
thereto Group, and was dead before he
could return. That, and the death of
their baby daughter, which occurred
so soon afterward, was the beginning
of the bereft mothers life of invalid
ism. Through all of the pressing cares
of his long public life his first thought
was ever of her. During one of his early
terms in Congress she had gone to
sanitarium for her health. No matter
how important the subject under dis
cussion, either in the House or COM
mittee, at certain hours twice each day
Mr.. Mckinley absented himself for
few moments. This finally aroused at
tention, and one day one of his col
leagues rallied him about it. He turned
toward the table where the committee
was sitting and in a low but intense
voice, said:
Gentlemen, my wife is an invalid.
She is in a sanitarium this winter and
must be away from me, and for that
reason I always telegraph her twice
day, and she expects it at regular
hours You will now understand why l
leave you for a few moments"
1t was the same at the White House.
Every moment he could spare was
hers. Since the attack of grip which
he had last winter he spent the better
part of the afternoons with her. The
oval room over the red parlor is bright
and CHEEKY with its two south windows
and open fireplace. 1t was formerly a
bed chamber, but after his illness the
bed was removed and a desk put in its
place. Here, with his wife at his side,
he would sit and work. Secretary Cor
telyou bringing from the office such pa
pers as were necessary for him to see
or sign. Informal callers were brought
there to see them, and some of their
happiest hours in the executive man.
sion were passed there. Later in the
day he went with her for her afternoon
drive, going in closed carriage, as
she could not risk the draughts of an
open one.
If there was company for dinner,
whether it were a small gathering or a
magnificent state affair. Mrs. McKin-
ley always sat at the Presidents
right and no matter how elaborate the
bill of fare she but little more than
touched the epicurean viands, content
ing herself from necessity with a tea
biscuit or two. Both of them loved to
have their friends about them, and
they seldom spent their evenings alone.
If they were not officially entertaining,
the cabinet families would drop in for
an hour or so, or some of the members
of Congress. Their Sabbaths were al
ways quiet. AS is well known, the
President was a Methodist, and it was
his unvarying habit to attend the
church services in the morning. As
girl and during the first of their mar
ried life, Mrs. Mckinley was Pres
byterian. but for many years she has,
on account of her health, given up ali
attendance on public worship.
That Mrs. Mckinley enjoyed going
with the President whenever he left
Washington for an official trip was
true, but there was a deeper motivS
than the mere pleasure of going. From
the time of his first inauguration she
had an innate fear that something
might happen him, and she wanted to
be with him. 1t was not so much the
fear that he would be assassinated as
it was that an accident might befall
him. In a measure she felt that her
very helplessness was a protection to
him. This was shown clearly when
they were in Chicago last year. In
some way a short time before he was
to start on the drive through the city
in which the cabinet members and
nearly all of the civic and military or
ganizations of the state were to ac-
company him-she overheard a whsp-
or that the committee had been warn
ed that an effort would be made to
shoot the President. She had not ex-
pected to ride with him, but instantly
she decided TO do so.
81 must go with you. dear she said
10 him. mo one would shoot at you If
7 were with you, and | must CO." and
20 she did, although II completely up
set the committees plans, and at the
last moment required them TO arrange
another carriage for those who were to
have ridden with the President. Little
aid she dream when she was passing
In the hall on her husbands arm At
Buffalo that II the wretched Czolgosz
could have reached their side he would
have shot the President dead before her
They brought her husband-the
courtly knight Grant, who had protect
ed her from every untoward breath for
q auarter Of a century-they brought
him home dead. Every tribute OF honor
and homage that a devoted natloh