The Topeka state journal., 1908-07-10

Mr.. BRYAN IN | 900.
VIM. e. Curtis Sketch Following
His Second Nomination.
Man of Small Appetite and
Simple Tastes.
POLITICS IN FAMILY.
Discusses His Thoughts With
.e. His Wife.
.i
Nothing of Demacogue in Make
Up-Treats All Alike.
POLITICS IN FAMILY.

William E. Curtis gave the following
Interesting. sketch of Mr. Bryan in the
Chicago Record Herald just after his
second nomination in the Chicago con-
vention in 1900:
Those who have had an opportunity
10 observe Col Bryan under various
conditions agree that there have been
notable changes in his character and
manners and in his habits OF thougnt
since he came so prominently before
the public in 1896 as a candidate for
the presidency. In appearance he mas
aged considerably during the last four
years. He has lost most of the hair
on the top of his head. and retains only
the heavy cataract that hangs as
fringe around the base of the cerebel-
luTn and rests upon the collar or his
coat. II has a natural curl at the Dot
tom, and is kept with great deal OF
care. Mrs. Bryan and the children love
to stroke and comb this precious hair,
and its owner loves to have them
Mr.. Bryan's face is much stronger
and fuller than it was four years ago
He has gained considerable flesh, not
withstanding his arduous work upon
the stump and platform, and weighs
between 80 and 40 pounds more than
in 1896. tipping the scales at an easy
200 This increase shows in his face as
well as in the regions of his waist
coat His cheeks are fuller, the dim
pie in his chin is more apparent. ana
his jowl is heavier That Mr.. Bryan
leads an abstemious life and eats frugal
fare is easily evident from his clear
eyes and complexion. He is man or
small appetite and simple tastes, neith-
er a glutton nor wine biDDer
IF you are expecting to stay long,
said the. gentleman from North Caro-
lima to the gentleman from South Car
leaving the hOtel
for their candidates cottage. you bet
ter put in a couple of drinks before
you go. They never offer their vis1-
tors liquor out there"
Mr. Bryan is addicted to milk and
iced tea, but he cares as little about
his food and his drink as any man Nv
ing, and Mrs. Bryan is equally indif-
ferent. The appearance of the cottage
inside and out indicates that she is a
neat and careful housekeeper, but she
takes more interest in Buckles His
tory. of Civilization" than in her COOK
book. She keeps only one servant, a
Swede maid d-of-all-work Those who
have had the honor of dining with the
Bryans say that the fare was plain but
plentiful and served without formality.
Ruth, the eldest daughter, who is
about is, changed the plates. and the
cook brought the viands from the
kitchen. They live just in the same
manner as the average Lincoln family
OF tnclT MEANS a liiOSb SihhPAS
democratic way.
Col Hay, the secretary of state. has
an engraved portrait of a famous car
dinal of the fifteenth century that
might be easily mistaken for President
Mckinley. Col Bryan also. would
make a handsome priest, and the scar
let robes of the cardinal have seldom
set off finer face or figure. He has
more of the physical. intellectual ana
oratorical qualifications for an ideal
Clergyman than Mckinley. His alb
stemiousness. his indifference to lux
ury his emotional nature and his IN
tensity of purpose would have made
him a Loyola, or a Savonarola, or a
Peter the Hermit, IL he had lived in
the middle ages.
Bryan's face, as have said. is
stronger, the lines around his mouth
are f1rmer, ard show more repose of
manner than formerly. He has lost
that restless inQuiring expression that
used to lie about his eyes. and he evil
IDENTIFY has more strength and conf
dence, more deliberation and deter
mination, and less energy. His nervous
impetuousness has been subdued. He
is governed more by reason and less
by impulse. Experience has taught
him where he is weak. and he has
mended himself. He has learned his
strength, and that has given him con-
nOence
Mr.. Bryan is addicted to introspec-
tion and ia in the habit of discussing
his thoughts and emotions with his
wife. who is an admiring critic and
has made him more of an egotist than
he used to be. His friends in Lincoln
say that he. has become convinced that
he'is a man of destiny; that history Is
waiting to record his acts in the regen-
Grafton of society. for he is absolutely
certain to become president, of the
United States sooner or later. His pur-
pose is to. establish a reign. of Democ
racy. to elevate the poor and deprive
the rich of the power they now exer-
else These ideas have been assiduous-
" cultivated by, Mrs. Bryan. whose
thoughts are all centered in him. This
accounts for Bryan's positiveness in
political matters. Those who know him
, best say that he would have declined
the Kansas City nomiDation If 16 to ]
had been left out of the platform. and
that his threat to do so was no bluff
He would have remained the candidate
of the Populists and silver Republicans
and would have drawn most OF the
Democratic. votes.
Mr.. Bryan's intimates used to think
that he was fighty and vacillating
that he was inclined to follow new fall
lacies. and predicted that he would ad-