Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-10-02
MRS. SiCkLES DRAWS
VEIL over PAS!
Wife of Aged General Has Been
Reunited to Him After 27
Years Separation.

after p years to ones husband, the
father of ones children, is indeed a
strange and somewhat painful expert
ence.' said Mrs. Daniel F.. Sickles, the
handsome Spanish wife OF General
Sickles, as she sat in the parlor Of the
Hotel Breyoort, where 81 years ago
she came as a bride OF the famous war
hero and diplomat.
Life seemed 70 appear before me
somewhat as those moving pictures do
that one sees at the theaters, when ]
looked again upon my husband after
these years of separations. Pleasant
and painful memories followed one an
other and tears filmed over my eyes,
but | tried not to show my emotions to
my husband, who is older and more
feeble than /, and not so able TO bear
up under the thought that indeed We
all get old"
Ibid he speak o. your appearance,
Mrs. Sickles was asked.
"Ah, indeed. yes, and-man that he is
he first remarked upon my stoutness!
He could not see the traces Of beauty,
perhaps, that / have left she added,
with q tiny bit of melancholy in her
voice, and If he thought | was still
good looking, though changed, he only
thought il, for he did not tell me so.
And that Is so like a man, isn't it? He
saw only the Stoutness of me and my
lost figure. And still looked out of
the same brown eyes and only a few
not so very, very many, gray hairs
could he find among the brown, and
yet; How stout you nav grown was
what my cavalier Of the other days said
TO me-"
A Beautiful Bride.
When Mrs. Siekles came 10 the Hotel
Brevoort as q bride she was many
years younger tina the general. He
was then minister to Spain, and. nat
49, - - 1870. NIL - 1917
u daughter of Spain as his bride,
all of his diplomatic and social friends
in his city and in Washington W. her
welcome. She was heralded as the
most famous beauty who had visited
these shores from any European CAPT.
tai.
The unusual reunion has been
brought about by Mrs. Sickle's son,
Stanton, with whom she has been Iiv-
ing in Athens, where he has been Sec
rotary Of the American legation, and
who has now heen ordered to Siam. He
~purposed visiting his fathe en- route,
and the mother decided TO accompany
him and again renew her acquaint7
anc with her husband.
Although separated from her hus-
band these many years, Mrs. Sickles
denies that any animus inspired the
separation.
Brings Up Children.
you see," she. explained. Il was so
very young when / married and my
parents were devoted to me, and when
| found that the generals duties took
him to his w country to live, l could
scarcely reconcile myself to leave my
people n country and go into this
new land. And so ] retained our two
little children n remained at the
home of my parents in Madrid until
thev died eight years ago. Since then
/ ave made my home with my daugh-
ter, Mrs. Crackenthorpe. who is the
wwife of the secretary of the British
embassy in Vienna, and with my son,
who has been secretary of the Amer
lear legation in Athens. / found that
my life was filled in bringing up these
two children, who are now married,
and so General Sickles has lived his
own life-a happy one, i trust-in
America. l have been equally con-
tent in Europe. My coming here at
this time was q happy thought which
was suggested by my son, Stanton,
whose duties will take him TO Siam,
n who thought that he would take
his vacation in New York visiting his
father. l came, as 1t seemed the right
thing for me to do, now that the gen.
eral is in feeble health and may need
me more than in former days when
he could be about among his friends;
1&A1 ~ ~ tlAIIN1
women or men," added the wife, with
a f1eeting smile in her good natured
brown eyes.
And shall you remain always here
with him?" she vas asked.
All, that all depends. / will re-
main here if / do not trouble or dis
concert him. You see, 1 have much
common sense. / am practical. Here
the general has lived and formed, after
many years, habits Of life and a way
of living hat my presence may upset.
l should not think of letting that hap
pen, for that would be painful TO him
n | Go not want 10 cause him pain.
But | shall remain here at the hotel
n be near lin. | go twice a day TO
see him and ii Is wonderful how he re-
tains his interest in life and in the
things going on in the world. WHY,
every night / dine with him and remain
TO talk until near midnight, and he
seems so interested and s~prIghtly in
mind. | have been studying modern
Greek. which | can now speak quite
nuently, n | AVE also been Interested
in Greece and the late explorations. To
converse with him about these things
the general has been a pleased listener.
do not touch upon the things Of
other days, for IL would be too painful
to US both. / have tried in every way
to cover the past with a veil and TO
live the things OF the present. / have
told the general Of our five little grand
children, and he is so delighted to know
that they are so bright aud pretty"
Genera SiCkleS now is SO wears old