New-York tribune., 1906-11-17

THE1GriETY Portrayed 5y the I,reret s,.y 9eTsro1
49, Nv Geilrard Hurt Ilustra'eo- s'o' pp
- Charles ScTinner S SONS
.,--sret Bayard. the daughter OK ColoneI
pavsrd Revolutionary officer ano member
'onn ,,,+,rentsl Congress- married. in the
- rssr Of the last century hef secono oousih'
hnt r. harrison Smith. the son OF another emf
Ss1aue. .rd rnen,ber of that famous Con-
ZEN r,e Young pair went TO Washington
eTeSs ,-o5sine tourney, and there the bride
Oh r+.bIisbed The National Intelligenoer,
g. =. sd,ted for several years. He held Of
-5sr Madison as the first Commissioner
-. psvenue OF the Treasury Department, and
,st4 acted as Secretary OF the Treasury I'd
I.-sr, The Smiths spent the rest OF their
- CT the capital and were intimately asso-
,s5 with al the notable personages who
-. and went IN the forty years which trans
80 the rough and primitive little town into
,,-v Of some pretensiou- OF the interesting
,o-scters and events OF that period Mrs. Smith
bo tr q mild way was e novelist and nlaga-
.sssyde.-v-rote with vivid effect in her
,svste letters. great quantity OF these let
s,,-vtvs and from the mass has been taken
..s r,ate-1aI Of this volume. With keen sense
:. rgr7o-. a1 eye for the picturesque warm
s--,ns-hies. and considerable cultivation Mrs.
c,-b could not tan 10 be good correspondent,
- sc-7s conventional sentirentalities aside,
- 7--+InEs are Of genuine value and most en-
te-taining.
:. was during the Vice-Presidency Of Jefferson
.,s, ths Smiths settled IN washington-urged
,bs-.to. by the way. by Jefferson himself. who
Med the young husband. Il was difficult for
,ts legislators Of the day 10 find comfortable
,rs-ters or quarters al all, in what was then
,,-.I. more than village. and Jefferson lived
tra boarding house where Mrs Smith gives US
m understand. an overstrained sense of democ-
-acv in his fellow boarders kept him at the
Iozest end OF the table. The gentle wife of
Kentucky Senator suggested that a seat should
be offered him at the upper end nearer the fire,
courtesy not unreasonable considering that ne
WIS the Oldest man present But the idea
saws Mrs. Smith IN some notes. set down IN
1877 was rejected by his democratic friends.
and he occupied during the whole winter the
Unrest and coldest seat at long table at which
oo-,nsny OF more than thirty sat down. Even
., the day Of his inauguration, when he entered
.ha dining hall no other seat was offered him
tv the gentlemen" Here the daughter Of Bay
s-d allows herself feminine outburst- Ger
,siuly this was carrying equality rather too far;
there IS no incompadbiIity between politeness
and repubEcantsn; grace cannot weaken and
rudeness cannot strengthen a good cause. but
democracy Is mora Jealous Of power and privi-
lsge than even despotism." So sincere patriot
IS Margaret Smith probably came TO the con-
clus,on IN after years that such Jealousy had its
.enert Of virtue, but where Jefferson was con-
oe-ued she was always partisan. always deeply
sa,i-ns. In after years she wrote Of him as he
vas 70 bs seen n the ~Presidents House" IN the
u-tvsts cabinet which he had arranged accord
.nr 20 his own taste and convenience:
:, .. window recesses were stands for the
s5Tsrs and plants which IL was his delight to at
tend and among his roses and seT&nlgII1s VS.
ThES he cherished with peculiar fondness not only
~ m Gd2gs sssse and asoaon&ts SSt 1877 dspos-
io Of Th.ca qualities he gave sgTP51sHg 9 his his
solitary and stUdious hours Wheneyer eve a ne s9s wa2
re ne o0snsa Jhe ttSg iag9 ao for While from one
object 70 another It would alight on his table and
ysrsIs rim WITH irs sweetest notes, or perch on
Ii SHOULDER and take food from @ his Fps % Often en-
when e retired 70 his Shem6er % II r06 %GQl5 bs heP ses E
you'd ST Q: his & 29uSs +. ovsdp 1Ge pfI fs STd how he
!Ovsd as ao%eF.s sls;As who would recognize the
los,ao2s. sEss So 5en5ocrst which foreigners and
polficaI enemies described him 70 be? Il Il
s-9oSs ~ ~ form il was always OF the finest
asterlais. IN his personal habits he was I@astla- @
Grated into vugarty nor his aa6ili5y into IaL1l M
!G-y OF the contr9aGg 9Iesor that often produced
degree Of restraint in those VINO connFrs5a WI ~
thoug5Is ana feelings which constitute the g1 gTeat-
s:t charm Of social lfe ;af S 5osh to bis manners
gEicS Cots reotfre and though possessed OF
sS5esraS3s had no pretensions TO elegance. but II
vas neither coarse nor awkward , ana IL H1gss s Os
eoa5tana5oe beaming with benevoience and intel
rEeace.
President Jererson's hospitality Mrs. Snllu
describes as marked by ''neatness, oroer aho
elegant suHlciency.'' He had French COOK O
dazzling skill and cellar Of finest wines anu Il
bis entertainments republican simplicity wa
united 10 Epicurean delicaoy." OF Jefferson a
home among his children and Eranociili'1i eA-
his friend gives a really touching picture
Ths-e are many lively sketches Of the Madi
sons n these letters sketches wherein we ar
o,en reminded of the charming ways and goo'
clothes ~ the wife and OF the odd contrast be
tween the prodigious soemnity of her James
President and his waggish whimsicality in pr
rate life He was given 70 the telling OF ruIn'
stories which kept his guests in a roar. Visit
ing Nontpelier long years after hts term ex
pred Mrs Smith found him "as fond OF q from
and romplng with the girls as ever. His httl
blue eyes sparkled like stars from under M
tGsnv gray eyebrows and amidst the deep wFln
kTes q his poor, thin face. Nor have they los
their look Of mischief that used 10 lurk in thel
corners and which vanished and gave place I
sn expression ever solemn when the converse
Ion took q serious turn" The writer gives
curious account Of Jackson's Inauguration, m
ceremonies OF which moved her not more h
their solennity than by their simplicity. Tn
g-sy haired old man walked to the Capitol. un
covered, through e tremendous crowd whic
pressed upon him. So far as the actual inau
gErariou was concerned the scene was inpres
s.vs, while the subsequent invasion Of III
Presidents House by the mob. 'scramblin
fighting. rompng" was quite the reverse. TIL
President Mrs Smith says, was literally neari
pressed 70 death and almost sufocsted and tor
70 pieces by the people in their eagerness
rrzL-A --s.l .0ra