Evening star., 1932-06-19
Wives OF Candidates
Work and Plenty Of 1t Distinguishes Mrs. Garner of
Texas, Who Rises Early and Walks to
Duties as Speakers Secretary.

our family and there was just one gir
in the other family, so Of course We
played with the boys. BY the time
tomboy, SO my foster mother sent mt
to San Antonio to school, where
I wouldn't be quite so hoydenish.
After that she made all arrange.
ments for me to go to a girls board
ing school in Tennessee. where l stayed
until I was graduated, and then
went back to live in the big ranch
house with my brother as my mother
had died in the meantime. My own
mother died when 1 was baby, but
when I was or my father married
again.
But my foster mother could not have
taken any more pains or been more
affectionate with her own child. Just
to show how much like my own mother
she was, must tell you what happened
at school one day. The one other little
girl at school who was my inseparable
friend told me my mother was not my
own mother, and hauled right off and
hit her. Righteous wrath simply swept
me off my feet and I lit into her with
both fists until the teacher had to sep
arate us. When he found out what the
trouble was he didn't scold either of U.s.
so you see how much my STEP
mother meant to me-" Mrs. Garner
added.
In fact, it is to her that Mrs. Garner
owes much OF her capacity for thor
oughness and efficiency. As a little girl
she was put through her PAGES. One
week it was bed making and dusting
another, cooking and sewing.
And my mother was never too busy
to see that it was done, carefully and
to the last detail.
Interest in Piano Legs.
"I almost never see a grand piano
without looking at the legs" she laughed.
Il can see to this day my mother stand
ing In the parlor and looking around,
saying, Have you finished the dusting?'
Yes replied. Don't you think you
had better do the piano legs over again.
she would admonish.
"Of course I had forgotten them.
ut was the same way with the cook
ing. When we got to that part Of the
h0usework, the old cook had instruc-
tionS not to touch the dishes, because
I had to do the job clear through.
When 1 asked why 1 had to do all
these things, my mother explained that
every woman must know how to do
everything about house SO she would
know when things were right.
Those old lessons stick in my mind,
and 1 owe great deal to my mother,
and to my father, too, because We really
lived good life
Il sometimes think" she mused, that
1t was better life than the youngsters
have nowadays, and by that I mean
more real fun.
I'VE had to drive miles to party,
and We had only two or three a year.
But We looked forward to each one for
weeks and then we looked back at them
fer weeks, and think they meant much
more to us than all the gayeties which
make our young people today blase and
jaded"
But where" I asked "did all this
secretarial training come in?"
1T started 80 years ago. when Mr.
Garner first came to Washington" she
explained This. by the way, Is Mr.
Gamers fifteenth consecutive term in
Congress
Il had to be at home a good deal
with our small son anyhow, and young
Representatives who had been lawyers
didn't have much money in those days.
So set aside room in our house on
K street for a kind Of Office. where I
''Oh dear. no." she laughed when I
asked her if she had been trained as
secretary 1T wasn't case Of a
man marrying his stenographer. But
ycu must remember that there wasn't
much doing in small town in Texas
40 years ago, and so when I got home
from boarding school I just lived on
our 30,000-acre ranch with my older
brother.
Learned Typing as Lark.
Both my parents were dead then,
but had girl friend who was going
to San Antonio to take a business
course and she wanted me to 60 along.
1T looked like lark, so went with
her just for the fun Of the thing, and
took up typing and stenography"
1t wasn't very long after she re-
heard that John NJ Garner, brilliant
of poker, was running for judge, and
Ettie Rheiner, who didn't think poker
and Judging ought to mix, organized
a sort of stop Garner" campaign
rs 1t true" I asked, that you really
did work against Mr.. Garner in that
election?" Mrs. Garner looked Sheep
ish. oh" she said, disgustedly, you
think you know it all when you're
young. You get some sense when
you're older"
But Miss Rheiner evidently got some
sense when she was young. for she
came out of her political fight with a
victorious report. I'VE have met the
enemy and they are ours" It was
literally true in this case, for, not hav-
ing been able to defeate the young
judge, she married him.
When they got to Washington, years
later, it didn't take long for her to
practice up the tipping she had learned
as girl, so she could care for the
small amount Of work Representative
had in those days.
That is how it all started" Mrs.
Garner explained, "and later 1t Just
hecaYrae narf Of OUR NAV Of Nfa until