The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
She WAS GOOD MOTHER
PICTURE OF THE HOME LIFE OF
THE LATE MRS. BOOTH-TUCKER.
Loved and Looked After Her Children,
and Was Adored by Them-HeF
Ambition for Them.
New York

New York Tribune.
she was a great mother"
In these simple words Ensign Carr, who
has been with Mrs. Booth-Tucker ever
since her marriage. fifteen years ago, sum-
med up the personal side of the woman
whose tragic death last week is now being
mourned not only by the Salvation Army
in the United States, but BY the many
others who came within the sphere Of her
influence.
Mrs. Tucker was passionately fond of
children. and never happier than when sur
rounded by her little Ones" continued
Ensign Carr. This was one OF the strong
est traits in a wonderfully versatile. many
sided nature. When hardly more than a
girl herself she established a home for the
orphaned children Of army officers, where
she cared for from thirty to forty little
ones. and where ! assisted her as nurse. II
Is a proof Of the success which attended
that early work that nearly every one of
those children is now an officer In the
army.
"She was adored by her children. and
when she was away on a lecture tour they
never ceased to look forward to her return
and to talk about her. She heard from
them through me every day, and no mat
ter how busy she might be she never shut
herself up or her children out. The seven
Of them, from Frederick, the eldest, to the
five-months-old baby. Muriel, were always
welcomed by their mother.
ut was a great delight to her, when Sat-
urday night came. to put on a big apron
and battle her children. She cut their hair
herGa1f Che Euavv fha faorhara or ouarv
one who was old enough to go to school,
and would invite them frequently to tea.
She set apart days to go shopping for them
with me, and she did not consider 1t super
fiuous to buy them pretty things, so as to
dress them with taste, although. by. the
rules of the army, the laces and frills Of
the average child were omitted. IL she did
not herself make their frocks, and trim their
hats, 1t was simply because she had not the
time. She was an excellent needlewoman,
and could cut and make a dress or trim a
hat as deftly as she could make a pudding or
write ar article.
lone reason why she dressed the children
largely in the red and blue serges Of the
army was because they washed and did up
so beautifully. She used to be SO pleased
when 1 showed her a dress I had done up
fresh, and rebraided. 1t looked as good as
new, she would say"
OLD-FASHIONED TRAINING.
Mrs. Booth Tucker seems to have brought
up her big brood Of little ones in as COM
plete independence Of the child study circle
and the mothers club as II those institu-
tions had never been invented. She never
belonged to the one or the other, according
to Ensign Carr, and she never expressed the
slightest interest in, or sympathy with,
either. Her notions Of the proper way to
bring up children were the old-fashioned
English ones, by which she and her numer-
Gus brothers and sisters had been brought
nm nnd their fQfhar and m0fhQr hlfnrQ
them.
She loved to tell stories to her children
and to read aloud to them, religious tales,
Bible stories. history and poetry being her
favorites. and every Sunday evening she
studied the Bible with them.
Her English ideas of child training ex-
herself she never thought about what she
ate. But she saw to 1t that her family had
the good, plain, nutritious food they needed.
a dish Of egxs and bacon, would be fol.
lowed in the middle Of the day by dinner.
Supper came in the evening, a meal OF bread
and butter, with marmalade, some celery
or lettuce. simple cake or cookies and
milk. tea being allowed only to the two old
est children.
The great journalist who said no house
hold was complete that did not have a baby
tumbling around on the hearthrug would
have had his tastes satisfied in the Booth
have been a time since Lieutenant and
Consul Booth-Tucker were married that
there was no baby in thei., house. Even
with William, vangelin and Tancfed
lying in their tiny graves there are still six
children left. not counting the adopted
daughter Eva.
1t was three years ago. while on a lecture
tour out West that Mrs. Booth-Tucke ran
across a tiny girl Of two, a waif and a stray.
Let US adopt her." she exclaimed to her
husband. She will take the place Of our
So they adopted Eva, who is now a dear
little girl of five. and very bright and intel
ligent-
Christopher, the eldest, is thirteen. He
| goes to the Mount Vernon High School and
Is musical. for, besides playing the violin
and piano. he plays the first cornet In the
Catherine Notice has also pronounced mu-
steal tastes. She plays the piano and vio-
lin, and last year composed her first song,
a Christmas carol for which her father
all over the world. Notice, as she Is called
In the family, Is a charming child of twelve.
although with her speotacles she looks con-
siderably olcer.
Probably the one out Of the seven who
has the sweetest disposition is Nina, who
is described as an angel Nina has always
| very sorrowful and her little face pale with
grief. Then there are Lincoln and John
Myron, who was the baby until Muriel came
five months ago. John Myron Is q fine boy
Of two years, with beautiful eyes.
HER CHILDRENS' FUTURE.
Mrs. fuckers highest ambition for her
children was that they should become off,
GERS in the Salvation Army. The two Oldest
are already corps cadets-that Is. they are
in the first stage Of their training. The
studies which the army prescribes for them
at this point include the army rules and
| regulations. the character of every depart
ment. the religious principles of the army
and the Bible. Every fortnight they are
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