Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09

times. Possessed of unusual personal at
fractions, brilliant mind and every accom-
plishment of her sex, she had, moreover, a
observation-disclosures which caused her to I'M
derstand fully the national crisis as it was
reflected in public life at the capital and
an interest which reached out in many
ways. During the war she gave up every
social enjoyment that confiicted in any way
with her devotion to the sick and wounded
in the military hospitals. Many brave
man passed on to his grave soothed by
her tender ministrations and by the COM
forts she lavishly provided. This particular
form of charity-kindness to the sick-was
her joy all her life, and as long her
strength permitted she considered it her
first duty and pleasure.
Few women have presided with greater
grace and dignity, and with finer reaiZa-
ton of true hospitality The splendid house
at 18th and X streets, now the residence of
Representative Morrell, designed by
Mrs Kilbourn and was the family home for
several years. Mr.. and Mrs. Kilbourn's
dinners and receptions there brought to-
gether the brainiest as well as the most i'm
portant personages of the day. Frequent
long periods of travel abroad enriched Mrs.
kilbourns experiences, as 1t enlarged her
acquaintance with the foremost Americans,
whose names are synonymous of the great
events and enterprises of the past century,
and also with the nobility of the leading
capitals of Europe. Her knowledge of the
language and literature of France, Germany
and Italy increased the mental advantages
which she derived from each stay abroad
and caused her ecoenized talent in paint
ing and her knowledge of music to develop
in a marked degree. more charming con-
versationalist therefore, even when the in
firmities of age and Illness were manifest,
can scarcely be imagined. Her memory was
so stored with facts about notable persons
and places that there was rarely an incident
of world wide local meaning in her day
but what she could recount years after,
with the connecting links which only the
knowledge of the participant or the disin-
tereStednesS of the historian could estimate
at their proper worth. When such incidents
concerned the social life of the ad,ninstra-
which times few of her associates survive,
she naturally at her best AT her COM
ing to the capital the social center was in
the neighborhood of the National Hotel,
where then most of the celebrities of the
day resided. On streets adjoining, the old
resident families had their homes. She
lived to see the fashionable home section
move closer to the locality of the White
House. and past it to X street and Connec-
ticut aVenue-and q later generation still
pressing on to more distant points in the
northwest section
While her failing health has been obvious
to her friends for several years, and es
pecially since the death of her husband she
had herself little to say about II. Rarely,
even in her greatest suffering, during sew
eral long illnesses, did she ever utter word
of complaint. Her only regret increasingly
was the fact that her illness gave trouble
to those about her. This consideration and
thoughtfulnesS for the comfort of others
was a distinguishing characteristic in her
youth and made her delightful companion
in her old age. She became a convent to
the Catholic Church four years ago and in
her last Illness was consoled by the minis
tration of that faith