Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-01
Once a Mistress in the White House
HAPPY Virginia bride at 10, mis- r
tress of the White House at q and

A HAPPY Virginia bride at 10, mis-
n tress of the White House at 81 and
totally blind and an inmate of
Such is the life history, in skeleton, of
Mrs. Letitia Tyler Semple, daughter of
former President Tyler.
Mrs. Semple celebrated her eighty
sixth birthday recently. She is in good
health, goes out frequently in good
weather and always joins the other
residents of the Louise home in the
parlor in the evenings, where they as
semble most formally for their social
intercourse.
Mrs. Semple was a beautiful girl and
a belle in Virginia in her youth. At
Sc she still bears the traces of this early
beauty very distinctly. She is tall and
erect and carries her head with the un-
mistakabe poise of an aristocratic
birth and antecedents. Her hair is
loose curls over her ears. Her manner
is that of the cultured gentlewoman and
there is an atmosphere of great dig
nifty always about her. She has many
friends from the years of her past So
cial triumphs, and they are all at
tentive to her. Her room in the
Louise home is usually fragrant with
fresh flowers But with all these at
tentions it is a lonely life.
The Louise home is large, roomy
institution filled with Southern ladies'
of gentle birth and culture. There are
beautiful grounds, well cared for, and
it is situated in the heart of the fash
ionable part of the city. 1t is not a
charitable institution, for each woman
must pay for her board and room. The
charge is modest, as the institution was
handsomely endowed by the founder,
the late phianthropist, w. w. Corcoran,
who gave it in memory of his daughter
Louise, who died in her youth. The
grounds and house are well cared for,
and it is a most attractive place. There
is, to be sure an absence of childish
footsteps and prattle. All the board
ers in this big house are between the
ages of 60 and 30, and they know the
loneliness of advanced age and re-
duced circumstances.
Mrs. Semple in her youth was her
fathers constant companion She was
good musician and was the life and
spirit of his household. She was gay
and loving and beautiful. She played
for him in the leisure moments and
sang him to sleep when he was
tired. His favorite song was an old
fashioned one called Rome" the
words of which she now repeats to her
self every day, in fancy recalling the
many times her father listened to
them with delight. At the age of 19
she became the wife of Mr.. Semple.
When the death of William Henry Har-
rison made Tyler president he brought
large and interesting family to the
White House. Mrs. Tyler was an in
valid and could never discharge the
duties of mistress of the White House
During the first few months of Tyler's
administration. Mrs. Robert Tyler
wife of a son of the president acted
as his hostess, while the presidents be-
loved daughter, Letitia, remained at
their Virginia home with her mother
Some months later Mrs. Tyler made
the trip to Washington. accompanied
by her daughter, now Mrs. Semple, but
succumbed to her malady very short
ly afterward and was buried from the
White House, of which she had never
been able to assume the duties of mis-
tress.
After the death of her mother Mrs
Semple assumed the duties of mistress
OF the White House, which she dis
charged with grace and tact until heI
] fathers second marriage only a few