The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-09-30


After dinner he goes in for reading
or amusement. Once a week Mr.
Wilson has motion picture show OF
his own and frequently sees the fea-
ture film at the same time 1t is beng
shown at the theaters down town.
Occasionally he goes to vaudeville
show, his party taking seats in the
last row, and entering and leaving
with every effort to avoid ostentation.
1t rarely happens, however, that
somebody fails to discover the Vlsl-
tors and a demonstration of hand
clapping always ensues.
Evenings at home, however, are
spent in the family circles. The for
mer president and Mrs. Wilson read
a book together, or perhaps Mrs.
Wilson reads aloud.
Sometimes it is one of the detec-
tive stories of which Mr.. Wilson was
said to be so fond. They do not now
form as large part Of his reading
as may have been the case years ago.
He takes to bed early, not to sleep,
however, but to relax, to read and
write. Like Mark Twain he does
much reading and writing in bed.
Propped up by pillows, and with a lit
tie writing board across his knees ne
reads and makes notes, some of them
voluminous and in shorthand. Nobody
knows what they are about. He puts
them carefully away. They are not
notes for a book, which many expect.
Not to Write Book
Unless Mr.. Wilson changes his
mind decidedly he will write no reply
to Robert Lansing or any one else
who has criticised his policies. A
writer who has been given access to
Mr.. Wilson's paper, of which there is
most ton, is writing book, but 1T
will be his own; not Mr.. Wilson's.
"I'll give you any material | have
for your book" Mr. Wilson told him.
"I'll answer any questions you ask;
but it's your book. l don't even want
to see VIII; you write
However the evening may be spent,
however tired he may be, there is one
thing the former president never neg
lects. 1t is the reading of a few
verses of the Bible. When he says
good night he invariably reads aloud
some short passage from the book
which always rests on the reading ta-
BILE at his bedside.
Friends and admirers ask, what is
Woodrow Wilson's real condition?
(. He will be 65 years Of age next De-
cember and has passed through an or
deal which few men survive. The
measure of his progress toward health
must be measured with those facts in
mind. His normal weight in health
while he was president was 180
pounds. He showed little departure
from that figure now. His eyesight
is as good although he has discarded
his favorite noseglasses for specta-
cles. His hair has turned snow white,
but it has not thinned. His appetite
is too robust to please his physicians.
Last March when he left the White
House with president-elect Harding
an attendant had to place his feet on
each succeeding step from the porti-
co. The other day he sent his at
tendant away and climbed alone, not
without some effort, into his automo-
bile, just to see if he could do it, and
seemed pleased to find that he could.
Walks With Cane
Motor nerves and muscles of his
left side have given more response to
treatment than was hoped for. Of
course they are not fully active now.
He still walks with cane most of
the time but frequently hangs the
crook over his arm and "goes it alone
without my third Leg" as he puts it.
Mr.. Wilson is far from we'll man
today; he was far from a well man
when he entered the White House
over eight years ago. But during the
last two years there have been times
when his voice was inaudible and
when he could not support himself
alone. His condition today shows
more improvement than his family
and friends dared hope for.
There are many angles to Mr.. Will
sons present day psychology. Living
in Washington and easy of access to
party friends at the capitol he might
give consultation on party politics,
but he does not. Whatever a visitor
may say in criticism of the Republi-