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The page shrank back. With his hands behind him, he said: "Oh, no, Mr. McKinley, I could not take money from you now."

Mr. McKinley looked at the boy kindly, and as he shook his hand said: "I understand you, and I want you to know that I appreciate your sympathy. I shall not forget it. Perhaps some day I shall be able to show you that."

Years after, a young man called at the White House, and as he gave his name to the President, he modestly added: "I used to be your page."

"I remember you very well," replied the President, "and I have not forgotten one very kind act of yours."

He was not an office seeker, but merely called to pay his respects. Before the week was over, however, the former page was appointed to a responsible office in the District.

SERVICE TO A POLITICAL OPPONENT.

McKinley's name has been the synonym for the policy of protection to American industries. One story told of McKinley as chairman of the committee on ways and means, illustrates how he looked upon this question, not as a political issue, but one of national import, important for all the people.

A manufacturer, who was a democrat, went to McKinley's rooms at the Ebbitt house, in Washington, one evening, and said to him: “Mr. McKinley, I have been to my member, who is a democrat like myself, to have him help me to get a hearing before your committee. I have been to my senator, who is a democrat, and I have been to others, and they all failed me. Now, I have come to you. I have no claim on you, but I want to ask the privilege of representing my case."

McKinley sat with the man until after midnight, listened to his presentation, searched the records, went over the tariff schedules and at last said to the manufacturer, who was an entire stranger to him: "Your claim is just. I thank you for bringing it to me. We should

have made a mistake had we left the schedule as it is. I will see that it is changed." The story illustrates that Major McKinley's devotion to the policy of protection was not because it was a republican doctrine, but because for more than twenty-five years he believed it to be the most important question to the American people.

M'KINLEY'S COURTSHIP.

Mrs. McKinley was the first child of James and Mary Saxton, of Canton. As a child and young woman, she was vivacious, and had friends among all classes. She had then the happy faculty of becoming

endeared to those who knew her-a trait which is hers still. Her education was obtained in the public schools of Canton, at a school in Cleveland, and later at Brook Hall seminary, Media, Pa., then under the charge of Miss Eastman, who was a well-known educator of that time. Here, Mrs. McKinley, then Ida Saxton, spent three years. After this, she spent six months with a party of friends visiting points of interest in Europe.

When she returned to Canton, a young woman, handsome and refined, a career of belleship was open to her. She added to her charming manners a dash of coquetry, just enough to make the young men eager to be a friend of the worthy young woman.

Her father was a man of staid character and pronounced opinions. He was then a banker, and he concluded to give his daughter such a training as would fit her to cope with all the duties of woman, new or old. Accordingly, Miss Ida was installed as assistant in the bank, and there is a common saying here that her fair face attracted bouquets and bank-notes to the window. "She must be trained," said her father, "to buy her own bread if necessary, and not to sell herself to matrimony."

Mr. Saxton had married happily, and he jealously guarded his daughter. His placing her in the bank was a master-stroke. She was having business to think about, and was fitting herself for the trials of life and adversity if they should come.

Of suitors, Miss Ida Saxton had many. There were among them the best in point of position and wealth the country knew. When Miss Saxton returned from her foreign tour, Major McKinley was fairly started in his legal career. His honest face and manly bearing vanquished all rivals, removed the young woman from the cashier's window, and won from honest James Saxton these words when the hand of his daughter was gained:

"You are the only man I have ever known to whom I would entrust my daughter."

THE OFT-REPEATED SALUTE.

In Columbus, Ohio, the people who happened to be about the capital grounds or on High street in the morning or afternoon, and saw Governor McKinley go back and forth between the capital and the old Neil house, noticed that he always paused on the steps of the state house before entering, turned and lifted his hat to a certain window in the hotel directly opposite. Men and women who saw this silent salute watched for it day after day, morning and evening, and never saw the governor enter the capitol without giving it. There was no occasion for inquiry or comment. Everyone in the city knew that Mrs.

McKinley was an invalid, and that, the window was hers. If they glanced up at the window, they saw a beautiful face brighten with a smile as she saw the silk hat lifted at the entrance to the capitol.

This salute told the story of Governor McKinley's home-life and its romance, better than could any biographer or poet or writer of fiction. It fitted exactly into the governor's remark: “Oh, we are just old married lovers."

THE PRESIDENT'S DEVOTION TO HIS MOTHER.

The most beautiful traits in the character of President McKinley found their expression in the filial devotion that he always showed for his mother, and in the deep love and tender solicitude for his invalid wife.

During the lifetime of his mother, no twenty-four hours were allowed to pass without some communication passing between her and her son. If he were at his home in Canton, Ohio, his daily call at Mother McKinley's little cottage was as certain as the dawn of day. Sickness alone prevented it, and then some message, written or verbal, would take its place. During the entire brief term of his governorship of Ohio, he sent a letter, no matter how brief, to his mother every day. Sometimes, when under some tremendous pressure of work, the daily message would take the form of a telegram, but this resort he avoided as much as possible. At one time, during a serious disturbance in Ohio, when the troops had been called out to prevent an anticipated lynching. Governor McKinley, for a period of ten days, scarcely slept. Yet, every night, the very last thing before he allowed himself to snatch the briefest. rest, he wrote a little note to his mother, knowing her great anxiety.

When, after the inauguration of her son as President, Mother McKinley returned to Canton, the daily letters were resumed. Every day there came to the Canton postoffice the little White House envelope, bearing some tender message from her "William at Washington" to his mother. "William at Washington" was always the way that she referred to her President-son.

HIS TENDER SOLICITUDE FOR HIS WIFE.

The President's tender solicitude for his wife was not less than was his beautiful devotion to his mother. The husband knew how his invalid wife suffered at times, and his watchful eye scarcely ever left her. Whenever it was at all possible for her to accompany him on some journey, he made it a personal matter that she should go. At all dinners, even the most formal state affairs, the regulation etiquette was set aside, and Mrs. McKinley always sat, not opposite to him at the other end or side of the table, as official custom demanded, but at the Presi

dent's side, so that he might be close to her. This rule was never departed from, and the deviation from the usual custom was accepted by everybody. When Mrs. McKinley was upstairs in the White House, and not feeling very well, it was not unusual for the President to excuse himself from some conference, or to callers, and run quickly up-stairs to spend a moment with his wife. He had been known to do this as often as twelve times a day. His tender care of her when traveling won for him the deepest reverence and admiration of all who happened to be near the devoted husband and wife. When affairs of state were urgent, the President invariably shielded his wife from the unfavorable side, always presenting to her the most cheerful and brightest view of any question at issue. Again and again during the tenancy of the White House the President himself, in addition to all his other duties, directed so far as he could, the domestic machinery of the executive mansion, in order to save his wife from the worry of household cares. No two people could be closer in understanding and in more perfect sympathy than were President McKinley and his wife. In every portrait she had taken, she invariably insisted that the President should be included, or that a portrait of him should hang on the wall behind her or stand on a table at her side.

ONE DAY AT A TIME.

During the Peace Jubilee in Chicago, President McKinley was present at the great religious services in the Auditorium on Sunday afternoon for the children, and in the evening for adults, presided over by the chairman of the committee, Bishop Samuel Fallows. At the close of the afternoon exercises he accepted an invitation to address the colored people in Quinn Chapel, and invited Bishop B. W. Arnett, D. D., of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Bishop Fallows to accompany him. As they were riding together Bishop Arnett said: "Mr. President, your duties during the Spanish-American war were so numerous and burdensome that you must have been often unable to sleep when night came."

The president turned to Bishop Fallows and said: "Bishop, do you try to get out two sermons at the same time?" The bishop responded: "No, Mr. President, one sermon is all I can manage at once." Mr. McKinley then said: "No matter how long or how short my day may be, I am through with its cares when night comes. I leave the results with divine providence and do not attempt to do tomorrow's work in the day I have ended."

DWELLING TOGETHER IN UNITY.

During the same carriage ride, Bishop Arnett said to Mr. McKinley:

"Mr. President, there are at least three bishops who are thoroughly united in love for you and in their support of your administration. One is Archbishop Ireland, another is Bishop Fallows here, and another is myself."

An acknowledging smile was on the president's face as the words of scripture occurred to him, "Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

BELOVED BY HIS CABINET AND DESIROUS OF DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.

At the laying of the corner stone of the new government building in Chicago, Mr. McKinley and several members of his cabinet were present and participated in the exercises. At an informal reception given them all at the Chicago Athletic Club one of the members of the cabinet said to Bishop Fallows: "Every member of the president's official household sincerely love their chief. They love him for his sterling personal qualities and for the high sense of honor he always manifests in dealing with questions of state. No matter though the question for consideration is upon some minor subject he is accustomed to say: "Let us do the thing that is right in this matter."

FAITHFUL IN ATTENDANCE UPON CHURCH.

The Rev. Dr. Chase, pastor of the Centenary Methodist Church in Chicago, was visiting the Rev. Frank Bristol in Washington. Before the services on Sunday morning Chase said: "Do you think the president will be present today?" "Yes," replied Dr. Bristol in the energetic manner characteristic of this eminent young divine. "I always count on the president's being present, rain or shine, unless some unexpected emergency arises to prevent his coming, such as a meeting with his cabinet or attendance upon Mrs. McKinley in her illness."

TRIBUTE OF AN OLD SOLDIER.

Tributes of old soldiers and personal friends expressed not only the love of those who gave them, but they manifested the tenderness of him whose departure they mourned. While the body of the president was lying in state in Canton an aged man leaning upon two crutches, which he managed with difficulty, appeared at the door through which the people were making their exit. He asked the sentry to allow him to enter and, when the soldier refused, saying he had received orders to allow nobody through that door, the old man stood back the picture of woe. In a short time he again asked the young sentry in pleading tones to allow him entrance through the doorway, saying that in his feeble condition he was not able to stand in the line, which at that time was extending fully a mile from the entrance. "I fought in his regiment during the war," he said, "and I just want to lay this flag on his coffin and then

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