The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-03-23

precise language of the period, than
the story of her intimate acquaintance
with her grandfather.
Born when her grandfather was
President, she was the pet of Mr..
Van Buren when Vice-President and
then when he became the President.
Harrison was the next President, and
then our own Polk. Blunt Taylor
came next, then followed Millard Fill
more. Mrs. Lawrence was married
when Franklin Pierce was President.
Three years after her marriage that
elegant and only bachelor President,
Buchanan, was chief executive, chosen
by Jackson, though the old hero had
been dead ten years. Then Lincoln
and the war. The dear little Rachael
was grown up now, and being so true
woman, she must be a mother, and
was to nine children. Two of her
sons live with her on the Bird Song
place. One daughter died shortly af-
ter marriage. Mrs. Lawrence is still
the proud mother of three daughters,
all splendid women married to fine
men and living in as many states.
And five sons, good citizens all. After
the war, as the chronicle of her life's
experience goes, came Grant as Pres
ident; then Hayes; poor Garfield, and
the death of DR.. Lawrence; then Ar
thur; now came our Cleveland. Then
another Harrison, himself grand
son of a President, as she was all
this time the granddaughter of An
drew Jackson. Following Harrison,
came Cleveland again, then the unfor-
tunate Mckinley. Many along the
line went out, but she whom the saints
preserved continued to see life to the
limit. Roosevelt, the impetuous, was
President and came to pay his res
poets to Andrew Jackson's grand
daughter; then the learned Taft; and
now Wilson, whose place is yet to be.
Mrs. Lawrence has lived tremendous
period of the life of the nation. AL
ways favored of the saints and IA
vored of the gods if ever human was,
these great events have passed while
this dear lady in silks and f1ounces,
in satins and laces, viewed the great
panorama as it went by, leaving her
as each epoch found her, just wonder
full Rachel Jackson Lawrence. Isn't
that enough? The South thinks so.
For her the Ladies' Hermitage As
sociation which took over the Hermi-
tage and the care of it has created
the place of Honorary Regent, life
association of good women from all
over the country.
Now and then, on Mrs. Lawrence's
birthday. the association holds a ban
ouet in her honor at her old home, the
Hermitage The old dining room,
with all it's rich and hallowed furni-
ture, is used. About the board fine
people sit and talk and pray and wish
and quote the pleasing things for
their dear lady's sake. To all of this
Mrs. Lawrence, sitting at the head, is
wonderfully alert and appreciative and
now and then herself responds by nod
or word to toast to her special lik-
ing. These are grand gala days and
link all the closer the period of jack
sons administration with all the rest
clear down to now.
In 1882 DR.. Lawrence died at Bird
Song, leaving Mrs. Lawrence with
their nine children.
In 1887 Sarah Yorke jackson, the
mother of "Miss Rachael" died at the
Hermitage. She was then the Gus
todian for the state. What an event.
full career this dainty Philadelphia
girl had. In 1881 she married An
drew Jackson, Jr, and went to live at
the Hermitage. After the birth ,f
little Rachael, Mrs. Jackson went to
the White House as it's mistress,
young as she was. After Gen. Jack
sons second term, she returned with
him to the Hermitage and lived with
him till his death, in 1S45. Mean
while she had three children, and the
war came on.
Her home, Philadelphia, was the