The Weekly Miner

WHITE HOUSE LADIES
President Arthur's
Prospective
Bride—Mesdames Grant,
Hayes and Garfield

As President Arthur is a widower, there is considerable curiosity felt in social circles about the future lady of the White House. It has been intimated by some that a married sister of the President will do the honors of the mansion the coming season, and by others that before he takes up his permanent residence in the house there will be a brilliant scene in the city of New York, in which the President and a fair widow of that city are to be the chief actors—the scene to be made particularly attractive and interesting by its display of orange blossoms, shining satin and marriage bells. How true this is time only can tell. But whichever story is true, the lady may be sure of a welcome from the residents of Washington. It is a little singular that the last three ladies who have presided in the White House, have been Western ladies, and the beautiful manner in which they discharged the duties devolving upon them speaks volumes for the plain, sensible and true-hearted women of America. Their lives had been spent in comparative obscurity, and yet when called to the exalted position of the first lady of the land, they met all the requirements of polite society at the Capital with grace, dignity and ease, and went away leaving a pleasant memory behind them, which is to last for years. Mrs. Grant, than whom no one ever left the White House more regretted, was a lady of great strength of character. Her modesty, good sense, and general kindheartedness won her many friends while she was in public life, and also retained those she had known in private life. Her early married life was spent in comparative poverty, yet she cheerfully fulfilled the many duties devolving upon her, and was the good neighbor, the kind friend and sensible woman always. When the political fortunes of her husband brought her to the White House her manners were the same as in her Western home, and she gracefully filled her new position, as though "to the manor born." She was not called upon to face the same extraordinary trials that some others have been, but her public life was not without its peculiar trials, requiring a woman of sense and tact to meet them as successfully as she did. Everyone is familiar with the genial manners, winning smile and genuine hospitality of Mrs. Hayes. Like Mrs. Grant, her early life had been spent in a Western home, and, although she had never been poor, she was not a "society woman." Yet how gracefully she adapted herself to the new position. What a pleasure it was to be near her and what an influence she wielded in her Washington home. Her fascinating smiles, her shining bands of raven hair, her cordial manner, her amiability, and her interest in all the events of the day will long be remembered.

Mrs. Garfield has a large place in the heart of every true woman in the land. Coming to the White House at the close of the fashionable season, and her own illness occurring soon after, she had very little opportunity for the display of those social qualities for which her predecessors were distinguished; but her womanly deportment, her heroism, her unselfish devotion, her quiet dignity by the bedside of her suffering husband during those fearful weeks and months just passed, elevate her to a plane far above the average woman of the day, and her sex fully appreciates what she has done for it in redeeming it from the charges of heartlessness and frivolity. It has become such a habit with writers of the present day to ridicule and dwell upon the foibles and extravagance of women that when one is found displaying any extraordinary strength of character she is held up as a rare phenomenon. This is hardly fair to the sex, for our country has thousands of these beautiful characters, who are shining upon and ennobling the little circle for which they move. Mrs. Garfield is a bright example of such women. They can bear elevation and depression equally as well, they can enjoy happiness and prosperity as well as anyone can, and when dark clouds overshadow them and heavy trials overtake them, their heroic spirit bears them up and their Christian faith enables them to bow meekly to the Divine will.—National Republican.