Evening star., 1924-02-04

hcr first moments as its mistress. met
WIN an nnimportant but painful ac-
cldent. There was Il call for a doctor,
answered Immediately by Grayson.
MRS. Wilson commended to her hus-
pand this modest young man, who
seemed so devoted to duty. He be-
came Mr.. Wilson's aide and physician
! ana, as the years went on, his friend.
nuence figured in the disposition of
one or the most coveted posts in
Washington.
A little more than year later. one
not August afternoon, with world
war bursting into fame the first Mrs
Wilson lay on her death bed. Her
last words to GraysDn were: Take
good care of Woodrow. Promise
How well that promise was kept prob
ably only a recording angel may now
know
Introduced Mrs. Gait.
Some time after Mrs Wilson'S death
DIR. Grayson Introduced to Miss Helen
Woodrow Bones. President Wilson's
klnswoman and guest at the White
House. a friend of long acquaintance,
Mrs. Edith Polling Gait. Miss Bones
took her into the small White House
circle, where Mr.. Wilson met her.
The lady later became Mrs. Woodrow
Wilson
Some time after that President WI
son, on recomn endatiOn of Secretary
Daniels OF the Navy Department.
nominated DR.. Grayson for promotion
| to the grade of rear admiral Tho
real truth Of that matter was that
| in q conversation with Mr.. Daniels
soon before her death the first Mrs
Wilson asked the Secretary of the
Navy to give to her husbands physi-
Lian and aide some rank commen-
surate with his responsibilities and
to insure his attachment to the White
House against any routine demands
III changer about of officers.
Grayson never knew he had been
nominated for promotion until he
was opposition. somewhat like that
which attended President Roosevelts
promotion Of Gen. Wood. 1t SO of
Tended Grayson's nodestv that later
when he had an opportunity to be-
come surgeon general of the Navy he
declined it.
Had Difficult Post.
Probably no one will ever know
| Wnat the complexities and difficultic.;
| OF his position as physician. friend
and conflaant of Woodrow Wilson
really Were One thing is certain
~; ne ot otEotGd seven years Of his life to
k"epin" Woodrow Wilson a well man
and four more to keeping him alive.
When Mr.. Wilson went abroad TO
| the peace conference he was not ONLY
3Hr wilson's physician, but he was
his eyes and ears-7is intelIipenca
officer. Many European statesmen
wonder where Mr.. Wilson learned tho
intimate things he really came into
possession Of through his quiet, mod
est doctor. Other persons who pro-
fessed TO wonder why they fell into
presidential disfavor could learn the
reasons why could they induce GRAY
son to divuiEe some things Woodrow
Wilson confided to him. Many things
about which historians will wonder
could be cleared up if Grayson would
tell-but he won't.
From the time Mr.. Wilson fell i'll
in the west in 919 and few DAYS
later suffered the stroke which even
tually led to his death. Dr. Grayson
tended him as he would have tended
one of his own children: and a man
who was commonly described as cold
and almost incapable of affection and
compani0nShip responded as he would
to a dutiful son. The whole story.
of course, will never be told. OF thu
few people who claim to have known
Woodrow Wilson wei, fewer still
will claim ever 10 have glimpsed be
hind what they commonly agreed
upon as the curtain OF impersonal-
ity' which vetiod his inner nature
His friend and physician is one who
lived behind that curtain. Closest
friends say that now is the first time
they have known him to give way TO
! the most human of emotions-the
shedding Of tears.