, 1924-08-20

For a price the tourists can be
photographed with the Coolidge
home as a background. When he
is about-and he usually is-Col-
one Coolidge is always ready and
willing to join the group. Almost
any time of the day you may see
him standing there, smiling benig-
nantly, with northumberland Jim
my holding one hand and bob
haired Susie clutching the other,
while admiring parents. their hands
clasped in silent ecstacy, look on.
A big sign which says birthplace
of Calvin Coolidge" projects from
the side of the store building.
Come in" said Colonel Coolidge
to the reporter when the latter in
troduced himself, and led the way
to the sitting room which happened
at hat time to be empty of pill
grims. The only other person pres
ent was the custodian, Mrs. May
Johnson, of Rutland, who keeps an
eye on the visitors and a
stream of questions.
Life in the White House
How did you like it in Washing
ton? How did life at the White
House impress you?"
well enough" came the low
pitched deliberate reply, and he adj
ded as a sort of afterthought. I've
been to Washington before" .
when vas that?"
Eat President Hardings inaugaur-
alton, when my son was made vice
president"
and the White House?'
ut was quiet there; we didn't
meet many people. We lived just
as we did at home. You see, it
was after the funeral and there
were no public events-just a quiet
family gathering"
81 see you are getting ready for
haying," observed the visitor, glanc-
ing thru the window at the waving
fields of grass, ripe for the mower
that lay behind the house.
The colonel smiled and made no
reply.
will you take a hand in the
work YOURSELF"
(The colonel will be eighty years
old his next birthday and haying is
strenuous work.
Guess Wen ana to get it
done somehow" was his answer.
When Coolidge Took the Oath
Just then another detachment of
pilgrims entered the room and Col.
Coolidge rose to do the customary
honors. He shook the hand of each
of the party in turn and in his
evenly-modulated, low-pitched voice
remarked. 81 am glad to meet you.
l am very glad to meet you" just
as tho he hadn't been saying it al
most every day. hundreds of times,
for a year now.
Somebody asked him just where
it was that he TODD and where the
president sat and where Mrs. Cool
idge stood on the occasion of the
taking of the oath.
Colonel Coolidge moved slowly to
the other side of the table.
81 stood here" he said. my son
sat there Indicating the chair) and
she sat back of him, right there"
He has enacted the little bit of
drama countless times, but he is
always ready to repeat it.
Pride in his sons achievement
and the natural courtesy of this fine
old New England gentleman are the
motives hat actuate him in per-
forming a task which to so many
others would soon become irksome
beyond belief.
A new duty has been added to
those already imposed upon him
n hat he never omits to fulfill.
Every morning after breakfast he
walks to the cemetery and attends
to the care of his g%randson's grave.
He straightens up the flowers, re-
moves faded blossoms and withered
leaves and makes it ~presentable for
the days inspection.
He was engaged upon this task
when the reporter drove up. The
morning was warm and the colonel
had removed his coat. He bent to
straighten the great bunch of roses
that had arrived from the White
House Conservatives the previous
day.
An automobile Dad of tourists
approached, but seemingly the Wis
1tors failed to recognize the old man
with his scant locks and who was
STOPPING over the flowers. Pos
sibly they thought him one of the
cemetery caretakers, altho, as a
matter of fact, there is no such Of
fetal in Plymouth.
When he had finished the job to
his liking, Colonel Coolidge drew
on his coat once more and walekd
slowly UP the lane toward the VII
lage. Someone who knew him came
along in a car and offered him a