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13 September 1901 — Dolobran, Haverford, Pennsylvania | |
Friday. 13th [September 1901]. The accounts of the state of the President have been so good from the day he was shot till now that it was a gt disappointment to find in this morning’s papers a report that he was not so well– It is evident that he has got a “setback” as they here call it– He has had a kind of stoppage & has had to have strong purgatives wh however is reported as being successful– At 10.30 Mrs Bettle & I set out to drive in the Victoria to Philadelphia. We went on purpose to see the art collection of Mr Johnson the celebrated lawyer & virtuoso whom we had met at Mr Widener’s on Sunday last. We took an hour to get to his house in Broad Street. He had left word that the house was to be opened to us whenever we presented ourselves. As soon as his servant opened the door we saw pictures hung in every available space. The house, not a very big one is literally crammed with them. There are some of every school & every size & sort—Dutch, Italian, English & French– They hang on both sides of every door, on the walls of the passages, the stairs, the bedrooms & sitting rooms. By one oclock we had only run our eyes over the most of them—but could hardly say we could remember any of them. The collection is really far more interesting than Mr Widener’s tho’ perhaps worth less money– I saw there a nice large Canaletto wh I remember Henry & I saw in Milan years ago & which we had wanted to buy for Ivor at Canford. There are beautiful examples of every master one can name. We came out at 1 oclock from Mr Johnson’s house dazzled & delighted. Mrs Bettle thinks he intends to leave the whole collection to the city of Philadelphia. We went to the Griscom house & there found Mrs Griscom waiting for us & having come into town by train. We asked what news of the President & she said it is reported he is dying & his family has been sent for. We stopped at the Newspaper office to read the telegrams posted in the windows. They were not encouraging. We drove to the railway station & there Mrs Bettle asked for private news & was told there was no change since 9 & that the President is now sleeping. We returned by late train to Haverford just in time for lunch. Nellie who has been riding was waiting for us. Pansie was still out on her automobile but appeared soon after– There was a cricket match in the afternoon between the servants of Dolobran & of Mr Drexel who came over to play. We all went & sat near the cricket ground to see the match which however was not a very long one & the Dolobranites were beaten. We dined at 7 o’cl & then Mrs Griscom took Nellie, Aubrey Hollingworth & me to the station at Haverford. There we joined Mr & Mrs Williams (she is Mrs Griscom’s sister) & we waited for the Express train from Philadelphia which came abt 8.40 & stopped on purpose to pick us up. A “private Car” was attached to the end of it called the “Rambler”—on purpose for us to take our trip. We were quickly bundled in & found a Pullman car beautifully fitted up with a saloon with 6 berths which can let down at night, 2 state rooms with a bathroom between & a sitting room at the back with a balcony out of it. As the car is at the end of the train one can sit outside it & watch the country thro’ which one passes. I had the larger state room in which there is a large double bed with brass rails round it. Nellie had the smaller state room. Mr & Mrs Williams, Aubrey & Baker slept in the saloon berths. We sat talking for some time till 10.30 when we retired to sleep. At the last place we stopped at we were told that the President was dying & his extremities already getting cold. | |
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