The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-13

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her husbands Presidency. has
written a most interesting and
intimate account of her exceptionally
prominent life, politically and socially.
Following her husbands fortunes upon
the many missions of trust into far
away parts of the world. and later Lying
in the very heart of our own Washing
ton life. Mrs. Taft has had exceptional
opportunities TO observe much of the
personal side of political society. both
abroad and at home. The book is called
"Recollections of Full Years" 1t is
published by Dodd. Mead and Company.
The only incident of my grlhood,
writes Mrs Taft which was in any way
unusual was my first visit to the White
House as a CUES, Of President and Mrs.
Hayes. Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes and my
father and mother had been lifelong
friends. Mr.. Hayes was at one time a
partner in my fathers law firm. They
had been closely associated for a great
many years and had a very warm re-
gard for each other. My youngest
sister was born shortly after the cleo
ton of Mr.. Hayes. was named Lucy
Hayes Heron. after Mrs. Hayes. and
was taken to the White House to be
chr!stened. Ny mother paid several
visits to the White House and after my
sister Jennie was married Mrs Hayes
invited her and Mr.. Anderson To stay
week with her and. to my intense ex-
ha al 1.J IN, oh
10 have ME accompany them. I was II
years old; I had never been TO Washing
ton and To me il was a very important
event. I was not "out," 50 I couldn't
spend my time in the White House as
I would have liked, in going to brilliant
parties and meeting all manner of
charming people but, fortunately for my
peace Of mind. the Hayeses lived very
quietly, so 1t was not SO trying to have
TO devote myself to seeing the sights of
the capital like any other tourist.
I didn't meet my husband until was
is years old We had been born and
brought up in the same town; our
fathers We're warm friends and had
praCtised law at the same bar for more
than forty years; during that time our
mothers had exchanged visits and my
sister Maria and Fanny Taft were
schoolmates and close companions at
Miss Nourses. but the Tafts lived at
Mount Auburn, a hill suburb of Gin
cinnatl, and after VIII finished Wood
ward High School he went for four
years to Yale, II is not at all sur
prising that We did not meet.
Judge Alphonso Taft was Secretar,
of War, and later Attorney General in
Grants Cabinet, while his son VIII was
at college, but before she latter grad
uated the family had returned to Gin
cinnati, so he came straight home and
entered at once upon law course in the
Cincinnati Law School. 1t was at that
time when ne was still a student AM
working as a law reporter on the Gin
cinnati Commercial that / met him. 1t
was at a coasing party one winters
night, I remember very well, when !
went with party of young people, In
GLIDING the Charles Tafts to coast down
a fine steep hill in Mount Auburn. WI
Taft was there and after being intro
duc,d 20 me he took me down the hill
on his big bobsled. After tina; we met
very frequently.
A small circle Of us went in for anna
teur thcatricals with much enthusiasm
and great earnestntss. We launched
ourselves in our hstrionic careers in "She
St1pus IN Cpnnu.r NN-loi oh n,
the house of one of the company Then
came "a Scrap Of Paper" in Mrs
Charles Taft's drawing room, in which
both VIII and took part. We had be.
come very ambitious by this time ant
sent all the way to New York for 9
professional stage manager to help u
with the production
My father had given me "A very mic,
bot at the end of Mcmillan street. on tn,
site Of an old quarry. which commanded
a fine view of TN" ohio River and tn,
surrounding country, and Mr.. TAFT ant
I determined TO build IA house on !
which should be ready for us when W,
got back from our wedding trip, s,
che winter before our marriage wa
filled with architects plans, contractors
estimates and all the other fascnatln,
details of building, and We thought tina
we had finally settled upon a Gslgl
that met with every requirement q
good taste and modern comfort.
For our W, idng trip we went abroa
and had my first taste ~ the forcIgl