Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-27

she is gracious, frank and direct, I'M
affected and not given to gush. She
Is slightly above the medium height
and seems slender beside her gigantic
husband Her hair is brown and just
touched with gray, fact which she
does not try to conceal. Her eyes are
gray and clear. Her voice is contralto,
musical and pleasing. She has much
dignity and some reserve, not giving
her affection until after long acQuaint-
ance. Her usual demeanor Is serious,
being free from the stereotyped smile,
yet her natural smile is engaging and
her laugh joyous. She hates sham as
lieves in degree of form and order.
She Is intellectual, yet her first con-
Germ is Mr.. Taft's career, with her
children and home as close seconds.
She believes that women should vote,
but not hold Office. She favors wo-
mems clubs and higher education so
far, and only so far, as these do not In
terfere with home life. She is in the
best sense womanly woman, yet
keeps abreast of the thought of the
day. If Mr.. Taft begins the study of
any subject she takes 1t up also.
Music Her Passion.
In at least two lines she excels him
language and music. She speaks French
and Spanish easily and knows other
languages. Music, however, is her pas
sion. She is u graduate of music
school, was at one time teacher and
was for thirteen years president of the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra asso-
citation. The Chic city has long been
famous as one of the chief music cen
tiers of the country, the May festivals
having been celebrated far and wide
The association of which Mrs. Taft
was the head had much to do with civ.
ing Cincinnati her prominent place in
the music world and with making the
May festivals successes. The wife OF
the next president has two handsome
souvenirs, one present from the mu
sicians, the other from the association
itself. The last named gift is a cen,
terpiece for her dining table, which has
appeared in Manila, In Washington and
will doubtless grace the table of the
White House. On it are engraved the
opening strains that were played al
the beginning of all the Cincinnati
Symphony concerts.
Feature of Her Ideals.
Right here should be mentioned 9
feature of Mrs. Taft's ideals and aspira
lions that may be productive of great
good in the future of this country. She
believes with many of the rest of III
that one of the chief needs of America
at this time is the development of the
aesthetic and artistic taste of the PEG
pie. Politically and ipdustrially VT
are in the forefront of the world. w,
should hold the same station in poetry
and painting, music and all the arts
Why not? We have laid the matera
foundation of our temple broad ant
deep. The superstructure should b,
in keeping. No people are wholly grea
until their appreciation of the beautiful
and not only theirappreciation but thei
capacity for creation, are equal to thei
attachments in commerce and in war
These are the ends to which war ant
commerce are but the means. If til,
highest side of life is the spiritual
then the arts and the love of beaut.
are the antechambers to the spiritual
They are the flower and fruit of civ
ilZation, while material progress an.
power are but its stock and root. 1t i
fortunate that we are to have as frs
things. Mrs. Taft does not believe il
government aid to music and the arts
She believes rather that the peopl
should take these things up for them
selves. Her value will be as an influ
ence. Her mere advocacy of highe
artistic standards will call public al
tention to our needs in this line. TIL
genius and spirit of the American pee
pie may be counted on to do the rest.
Financier of Her Household.
The Tafts have always been poor
There has never been more than tn
salary to live on, and Uncle Sam doe
NV pay oiiNllio ouNh
wages that they become pampere
sons of luxury. If they are honest, q
some of them are, and refuse graft, a
some of them do, they may possibl
die with as much money as they starte.
with, but not more. What with socia
duties and calls for charity, it make
| the average official salary hump t
| keep up with the game. 1t has bee
so with the Tafts. Both of them ar
inclined to charity, especially the ser
| Tor member of the firm, who gives t
| everybody that asks as long as he ha
q cent in his pocket. 1t is probabl
| for this reason that Mrs. Taft has bee
the financier of the household. Sh
knows how to economize and yet t
give to worthy purposes. She canno
| afford a secretary, as do most Of tn
Washington women, and frankly &C
mits it. Yet so carefully has sh
| financed her household that she ha
| done her share of entertaining and Ia
kept up her end of the social gam
which Is no simple or inexpensiv
| thing at the capital of this land of til
| free and home of the trusts.