The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-04
NEWEST LADY OF
LAND OUTSPOKEN
Has Ideas of Her Own and Does Not
Hesitate TO Express the
Same

WASHINGTON, March 4.-Florence
King Harding, the new First Lady of
the Lands possesses an unusual degree
Of pluck and outspokeness. She has
ideas of her own on many subjects and
she does not hesitate to speak her opin-
ions straight out from the shoulder.
Those who work for her count her q
kindly and delightful mistress, but they
know that any delinquency will call
down Il reprimand they will not soon
forget. On occasions she has been seen
shaking a forehnger at her husband-but
OF course nobody knows what that all is
about.
All her life Mrs. Harding has been a
determined and tireless worker, not only
in the details of her household, but in
the broader field of business and com
munity welfare. She comes of fighting
blood, her father, Amos Killing, having
been rugged power of the pioneer DAYS
of Marion. She was born there. and al
though in her girlhood her parents at
tanned to moderate means they We're not
the sort who lean to extravaganza
When she married Mr.. Harding in
1891, his newspaper, the Star. was not
yet out of the woods financially and she
went to work in its business department.
She applied herself to advertising and
circulation problems with an eye for eff
ficiency all along the line. She watched
the original purchases of print paper and
materials and she stood at the presses
and gave instructions to the newsboys
daily before they started on their rounds
with the finished product.
1t is said of her in Marion that when
she became the wife of the struggling
young editor she told her friends she cx-
pected to make him president some day,
and il is known that at some of the
most discOuraging stages of the precon-
vention campaign last year it was she
hA Il L. hat h
fight be continued.
During the strenuous DAYS when thous-
andS were marching to the front porch
of the Harding residence ON Mt. Vernon
avenue she was the most active figure
about her husbands headquarters. She
was beside him every time be spoke at
home or away; she shook hands with as
many men and women as did he: and she
was in and out of his Offices from morn
ing until night, rounding up details and
giving him advice on all serious questions
before him.
w Late on the night of the last front
porch meeting a newspaperman passing
the Harding home saw someone moving
about the dark receSses of the big YER
anda. IT was Mrs. Harding, drawing
the porch chairs back against the wall
for the night and softly whistling a
quiet little air of contentment.
You seem happy enough he called
tttb~S ~ MR.
Il surely am" she replied. "and why
shouldn't / be? Isn't it wonderful?'
Mrs. Harding is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church. and the
Hardings alternate attendance between
that and the Baptist church. OF which
the new president is a member. She
loves children and chooses horses and
dogs for her pets. Cruel treatment of
dumb animals arouses her to militant
protest. and on more than one occasion
she has stopped on the streets of Marion
and Washington to reprimand Il dray-
man or n cabby for abusing his horse.
In her younger days she was skilled
horSewoman.
OF medium height. the new first lady
carries herself erect and with n charm
ing dignity. Pictures seldom do her JUS
tice. for although her hair is streaked
with silver her eyes are as bright and
her glances and smiles as radiant as
when She was sixteen.