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Show Ls. Harding Pictured by One of Her Lifelong Friends I tonality of President-elect's Wife Grows More Charming on Ripe AcquaintanceVersatile to a Degree, She Possesses Great Charm, Rare Wit and Intense LoyaltyImportance of Her Influence on Husband's Career Shown by Story of Their Life larCltfV be w0.r i ? " Amenca eepecie, iafauty interested 'fl tht mWrtnoniUty " the "omtn "boMTll preside at ,h White Houie after Mart h a 'ft" cccmpanyinc personal history of Mrs. Warren G HrdmK. wH, of the Kttrt-flfct. " vntt'n by one who has had an acquaintance of wore th.n thirty SraW U portrays the energetic lovable wife who did so much to aid her WgLis business and Political put-, be ore the public in terre terms the jEgjif characteristics of the first lady of the I nnd By JANE DIXON rltn dreams of youth are long ions 4rra. Once upon a time, bsck In ths Ohio hill. ll a little Leorf reft hair ribbon. tofflbOyed h-t;-n. ( through the tnmc nf child-el child-el aol dmonstated her gift ior Icadi r-LTw r-LTw vlr.r " nn!v Person In town to 5 -bobsled down Gospel Hill without jdj (it precious toad of human fright fopiotilf.f' 'lone r"nr rrf.r. In the jj, pmw ff the li,n' -' 1 u ' '""" nc Tc- F" r " Mr!" w ,rrrn G , r, 0f . I ; ! r rf the M " I'" Mr-t I id'. t th not 'nan it li hen fcl,i r !.. n pros iit American - : i - ,rl. B iner of woman ' th!. daughter destined to be writi' n mo Mtl ,-, ho-.r Miu m .hiv Flr-t l.nly tT ' rat in )H br frii ft'' o., r n into the com pi i atii ni , - i:r- in i or'" ' ' lifBsj Personality Reflect Her Many Sterling Traits a, , ,li Mil If lp I ' , y 0r ii i she will m Br' j.. ii . . . woi i plctun : i- cloned pibf m ' "" git-' hmjt itrali i ', ovni with well d lined, . ,.. ( i hln w of rain o gel gro blue, tvariil. with ft will o' th Vri on I tnclng In tin dei j, . . . ., , powder; froatlni Hpccth. gencroii!' with manj laugh crln-inminj crln-inminj Hum to this the Inexhaustible driving Heal o! merriment, nttunc your KniiUnr- nf i Ii mh llr -. human Bjrtnpa-Btr,1 Bjrtnpa-Btr,1 lv;niin ini(1rrt'ndlnj: sliinln.; ' i -n tt.iod you will have ,i I iirl tru- phi pn-s n' ' t Ohio lady Klftnperntrnl Mr- IIrlln I f Ihe I Her action follow her nnd hrr flu proline Httr ie rirl-1 The nmazlnR pari ot II Bfr thoushtf h.i' o ..n nlmi pt uncanny H w itrlkln; true Bt Kfro Judcment Commands Husband's Implicit Confidence ib'PM to "i.v up a situation nt kf" K bet Illustrated b; the attitude H' tii-i'TR who rlaees Implicit confl- In hi uir.''- (ucU-ment. Those h" reei. to nv p ppreclabh'' t'l 1 1 1 Mtlrc on morf than nui 1 1 srri t o.ca-B, o.ca-B, Mil rin!ilt Mr IIrdlnjs ,but that in voj Know "Batter Hta" (thr nrime conferred on Mrt Hnr-t Hnr-t her InllmnlofV or "T.-ilk with my tb win iinder i sa i ther from auch reference tha' rs-'. Ijtdy to he i ? an Amazonian putMnR wlodom Into the mouth of ere ?;,f in abo-c all thlnss the oppo Bj '"J'y feminine type whose hlshtt Bec U to be the helpmate of her dla-BttH dla-BttH butband. 1 recent occasion, when newspaper Bp slestd hir for an Interview she Hpkftv demurred, adding In no uncertain P' "Hr. Hrdlni? clve? out all Ihe Inter-iNftr Inter-iNftr oi)r fanillv." HN Pmtiini-oieei ho V'l i only too HBMa piart th crown nf accomplishment H bnd of hl mate. Shortly after his Pfc'lioo In Chlcaco. when the nondr of lfTT tht hud pime Into their lives Jbsl tv-t Senator from Ohio tn hllnd-JfrUlltf hllnd-JfrUlltf n(. Jrn (f, ., fp-nup of home fe btrafc - ,then ahi it hi acH nnd larding Baying: "Wl atevcr of In-nor H to m' this da T owe to Florence " BVfp" Warren." objected hi? wif. Hj v won only what you deserve to HLjjPone knows bettor than myself and HP h're how you have worked, how HHT 'rnr-.i on it was it a prepara-HHr prepara-HHr ttls momom Destiny ha marked Hpfan and ao yon ore cho-en." Jm the Lont, Lone Trail 1o Realization of Youth's Dream "tand fuiiy m,,,)ai trust, tho Hi"lfnce nf Mr. and Mrs. Hardin HPHTy to turn hai-'c some dis HF2,I with them thai IrmK. lonz Jour-HBJjf Jour-HBJjf to the- realization of the dreams HB7 Anl since our pdrtlcular intcrc.'t PWoent n Mr Harding c will ,ravlo-no from her lde of tho Kilns was the only daughter ol hV Amo' Kn"S ,,f Marlon Oh'.o. (Hi " sons tn tha Kllng Hi tw 'ldtllt" nd "Tal " Both woro WW iwtM ,iVe 'd8' ho rtv' ,J, 1nto HHAotih men There is almoa i WWm laorfi m,t ln "KUns boys." HHgJ"1 VOuth Floiencc evinced of V d0 ,h,n5 Har father had HHj fiv J T'lonem of Marlon county. H fai-mer. with a Unacic of Koueezlne ever poaalbie dollar from the eoll he tllle.l Ajttoa Kllna pioapered In this worlds aoods cre by acre he added to hi- lan.W until he became a dominant power In th ccunty. ow he put aald- we'l worn Plouph"hare. rented the homrtead to a l-r..rnl"ln2 tenant and moved Into the town of of Marlon. He was an embrvo land baron uperlntendlng the renting and harvttna of the crops on his own neveral farm" art flnanclr-e farmer around about. The Kling fortune grw. and Amos pal-'erame pal-'erame preIdnt of the Marlon r,,,m-. Bank. AbOW the htnv proper were two or three room, which the farmer-oanke.-tnrned Into n mortyHre and loan office, with hlmeir nr tlie helm Mr- Kling mater of Florence. wa.s kindly mother creature with a devoMon to her family Irooklng no worldly Interferon Hers whs the sweetneas that tempereil II 1 trtore austere atrltude of the father tOWr hl children If he madi? use of a fwitrtt from Mm- t herrv tree to corrert h, s m f. Dla daughter. her- were the lips that kissed oivav the MI113 About the time daughter Florence wa Srowing weedlly Into grammar crade.i of the "cal public schools Amo Klinu made icker" with "ome ouarrvmVn n-- hv Ji 1 rsult heavy loads of white llrr estone ner-carted ner-carted to a lot on Kast Centre street a hrle-two hrle-two ttlpeHa from the hink and limn office In due time there -nrang up one of thoe-Istrc. thoe-Istrc. snuare. ub"tantl I. top towered edl-flce- known In the pn lance of the mah town as a moiiHion Herein the Kilns fam lv took up residence. The Coming of Warren Harding Brings Brirjn Days in Lovers' Lane The daughter o: v-110 Klin? had m soonur "liverxd things op" at the flm?-Mona flm?-Mona manalon than there appeared In Marlon mil r:utoned young 1,1 w nudeni of plh aood humor and commandlns pres- ii- r one Wairen Harding by name. Harding was the son of n country doctor from 'over Caledonia way." The village of Caledonio uj a Bod ten miles a-s the b-.icW-loaid rldt. from Marlon Mori nee Kling met Warren Hardin? ! was Inevitable she should. Their attraction for each other was inetanianf ous Fara chuckled with olee. FTad she not brought together two children of DesUny. man ind hi mate, for whom It was written tht 1 hOUld Climb hand In hand to the mountain-tons mountain-tons " After that first m-etlnc Florence Klliig and Warren Hording wn c lnv-p.,r il.le Mn; toward the e.c of town Is a Ions arcade ' woeplng willow no s dubhed "Lovers" Lane.' It is rich In tradition. Is Lovers' Ijuic. m" terious with the w-nispered VOWs of sweet-hearts sweet-hearts pulxltitr with heart throbs. oulo 'Ith the rr.lnsled sishs of KprJng'a love and ot ten dor srn leaves caroaalDi ea.-h other In the white moonlleht. Honiefolk frill tell you of meeting Amo-iClihga Amo-iClihga daughter and the young law 8tudri)i strolling arm in arm along the silver ami shadow lace pathway of Lovers' I-ane. Iu as they tattled if to Amos himself tuck In IhOM ha'cyon dnvs ol wooing. But now the sreat man of the little town "set his foot down." Who was this clardtQg felloiv. anyhow? The son of a pooi country doctor, eh? A penniless ra"cal. A nihodv 'rll he uo see Thl" noneine mm stop. It him catch the Impudent 011m; tapscalllon hanglnC nround there, and well "Doc Hardlnfl would probably haver- patient right in his own family. At which dire threats duughtT Florence donnrd her mot becomlne gingham ;onn. caught up her "treamored hnt nnd tiptoed out the aide wav to keep her tryt with Lochinvar ICmpt.v pockets The son of the country doctor however proved himself capable of matching wlta with the astute old banker and beating him hi his own game Young Harding heard he could purchase a struggling newspaper rlle4 the Marlon Stor for S600. He had dabble 1 in newspaper work at college, where re edited nnd printed the student paper He found 'he field Immeasurably more to Ms liking than the law. ' have the Inclination nnd the ability o heeome n publisher" vVarrffl Hardlns reasoned rea-soned 10 himself "All I need la the money." Whereupon he fingered the last thin dollar In his Jeans and meditated on ways and means, Amos Kling. now a heavy holder of town property a well as country, wanted some Insurance on one of his buildings. Warren Harding heard about It. He promptly went to work and sold Kling the polhy His profit on the deal was 5L"0. Father Harding managed man-aged to scrape together another JK0 With a chum who had engineered his own part of the purchasing price Warren Harding bought the Marion Sfr, Before the ink was drv on the first issuo he went to Florence Kling and asked her In hecome hl wife WUhout hesitation she walked out of the front door of the parental mansion, knowing full well the doors would again be closed at her back She Finds Real Happiness In House Warren Built In anticipation of this joyoua event War-ran War-ran Harding had ballt a comfortable and attractive at-tractive house ln the centre of a tprcading rovo of oak and maph trees out near "Lovers' Lane." Florence Kllrg had helped In the plans and had chosen the furnishings for their nest Upon leaving her (uther'a roof In defUn.-e she went dlrectlv with her knight to their home, where In tho presenc-e of a few tried friends and true they were Jomed in mar- r'ashe began to bloom Into warm xintlllant womanhood. Her ambitlone. hitherto hafgd hy tho conventions of a staid household, were given space In which to bud and bloom. Her Intellect, bright and quick and cle in. began to ripen Her ',t, en en proper p'ar showM ig-ns of the raplefllke n lalltj a il h ha ainoc made her n distinguished r,rvl a welcome guest In the drawing rooms of the mighty. An early personal recolloeUon M Mrs. Harding visualizes a alender woman jt marked vitality and spontaneous laughter walking briskly down East Center street on the arm of htr tn 11. good looklna hushnm! They were on their way to the offices of th Marion Datlv Star, where Florence Hnr".njs occupied the position of hu"lne mmager of the newspaper edited and published Hv "Vr-ren "Vr-ren Harding. Past the white limestone mansion man-sion of Kling they swung happily never noticing the belligerent figure of Ami him elf stalking along with studied ohlivlon under the maple. Her Genius for Business Help Bring Hts Visions to Realization Florence Harding possesses a positive genius for business Warren HarvJln la a man of vision. With such a partnership success came swiftly on the heels of strugKle The Star waxed a power ln the St;ite by reason rea-son of the forceful expression of lis editor. It became an enviable piece of property at One of the most recent pictures of Mrs. Warren G. Harding, wn'c of the President-elect, taken on her recent New York shopping tour. Below at left is another pleasing picture of her. aMuBSiraBaVkMaKBkaBMBEaN home because It paid plentifully in dividends, due to the ablt- direction of its business manager. During thoeo early days of struggle Florence Flor-ence Hardlnt: cave little attention to the social so-cial diversions of the town, though aba rallttlt at anv lime have n-sum.d leodersnip both by birthright and personal mnim. atioi There was no llmelhon tor play Later, when fortune smiled, she took h.r place In society. HjBf hospitality became as boundless as the spirit which actuated It The bluest of the town's bluestocklnirs a knjwh'dged she was 11 "fine housekeeper'" Invitations to her home were eagerly sought because she made th prevailing notes of i' comfort and fellowship The love i ml good cheer glowing on Its hearthstones were contagious. con-tagious. Her guests departed feeling sorne-Itjing sorne-Itjing of the happiness and uplift contained within Its walls. On the eve of one of Mrs. Harding's Informal In-formal receptions ladles ' leisure might drive past the fitor ofl'u-e and see their hostess host-ess out beside the building marshaling her newsboys Into line and ''ragging'' them or commending them for thel alertness In delivery. de-livery. She knew why Mr .""ones rural route No missed his Sfrir In: night, how many extras were needed for the Union Deiof this reining and why Willie Doollttle '.leU out on his collections. More than one eucceaaful young Marlon business man relates with pride he was "one , . 3 Oh of Mrs Harding '1 boys." Every ngwaie w-a her a iHiii-nti.il sun. and she treated him as such. She was their I onfldante. ihelr big sister and their boss. When they fell ill. she sent them bulging baskets of goodies ttnd a first olaxs doctor When they wuro well she made them 'hustle like all get out." Result'.' They swore by "the boss" to a lad. nnd do to this day. Later on that same evening In wliw'n 1 idies of h)taOre w.i 'idled Florence Harding round ng U0 hr boys they met her standing stand-ing at the aide of her h Us band in "the home out among the trees where she greeted the Shine ladles with all the dignity and soroir 1 f a woman who spent her entire day ' prettying up" in the quiet of her boudo'r Harding Decides to Ta.kle Democrats m Their Stronghold ij.iii. eatabllabed bibieelf a successful iiiiiyi- utid publisher, political leaders of the iduniy a'nd Stale ln;;aii to recognize in War-n War-n Harding valuable party timber. He had dc-ekired hims-.-lf unqualifiedly llepuh-lican llepuh-lican He Wag urged by party powers to 1 lot office the berth sele ted being state Senator This was no mean goal In a county ilfnost solidly Democratic, but he promised i" onslder the matter. There was a conference betwvah the Har-d Har-d ng partners, husband and wife. Warren Harding nnnnum ed himself a candidate for the office. Florence Harding entered Into the fight with all the enthusiasm and afdpr of her Irffnse nature She cam-Tir-d with phd for him She managed the practical part of the campaign, leaving hrr chosen candidate free to expound bU 1 nciplea and Ins Ideala Her pride In and loy over his first elect on Is still remem-ered remem-ered In 1he home town. If there was a drop of bitterness In hef cup of success by reason of the continued Ml will and opposition of Amos Kling h' 'ave no sign. She had abundantly justified I ai defiance of the p;irenal objection. Sh had proved to her father bcond all cavil the affection of herself and the pennlle?; voung law student was the one big lov v li h eomes Into the life of man and 0 woma.n, She -nad shown bin that the more -re opln'on-itcd fhe less able we are le plumb the depths of tru'h and right Amos Kltng Relents at Last. Daughter Accepts Forgiveness Not until Warren Harding had been elected Lieutenant-Governor of Ohio with Myron T Herrlck as Governor, some fifteen years or more after the final break, did Amos Kling relent and forgive his daughter her marriage. She accepted his forgiveness with all the generosity and abandon of a nature that rvarcs no room for srudge Hand In hand Florence and Warren "ardtng went bock to the big limestone mansion to tat of the fatted calf, to rejoice In the roles of favorite children. The Harding star of empire rose steadily In the Republican sky There was one grave disappointment The swift footed leader from Marion was a candidate for Governor and suffered a crushing defeat Florence Harding laughed Defeat only sharpened her determination A few short months and Warren Harding was moving on to Washington in the capacity of United States Senator As they were about to take up their residence resi-dence in the capital Mrs. Harding was stricken with a serious Illness. Wise "medicos" "med-icos" shook their heads. Was the grim reaper about to dissolve this precious partnership Just as It was reaching its zenith? The Senator from Ohio was like a man distracted Even the devoted de-voted dog that had shared with his master and mistress In lean days and fat look up his watch outside the sickroom door and refused to be comforted. Now and then, when the solemn nurse was not looking, Florence, the Iriepresslblc. snciked Bags 11 lor one of their familiar romps. .lust when those who loved her best began be-gan to despair tho patient pulled her-elf together, put her foot on the accelerator and before the shocked medical experts could realize what sho was about, declared herself "fit as a fiddle." back on deck, with her hat in the ring. On that momentous evening in Chicago ergeD Wgrrtn Harding was nominated for the Presidency Florence Harding stood In the midst of her girlhood friends, tears of Joy tumbling down h'r cheeks, her volca husky with pride. ' He has onlv wh.it he deaervai." was her comment. " What you both deserve." added those w ho knew. Mr Harding transferred the famed hos- pi tal H of hr nome and bag own personal PeajBlarity to Washington. Th wife of th HftHH Ohio Senator became known as wit and HBHH us the most human of human beings. Her fearlessness Is n bywor' Cloths hve HBHJ been of minor consideration In Florence H Kaidpagrg life, although she Is. and always H bas bean, a stickler for neatness of attlr. HBVH The petty dictates of fashion do not concern H her. On the ocwalon of her shopping ex- J podftlea o New York she rebuked a see. HKHH ehartne vartorlallst from a super-exclusive H shop for his rxorMtsnt prices by promptly HHiH ring him HBHJ Contrary to the appeals of smart design. BVBV ra "be ordered her evening gowns to ha d. declared for conservative Cccollets HBHJ and insisted on skirts to the ankle. Only n garmenture ns Is necessary to the dig nity sn l per -onoble appearance of the mis-tress mis-tress of the White House was purchased. Mi- Hardin- stands for utility, becoming-Maa becoming-Maa ind thrift. A clothes orgy would bore HJ Tbi delving into the past of our future ift Tidv with purpose to show, so tar HHBa SS possible, the moulding of a character as distinctly oul of the ordinary as a rich r1 BAVJ in n pnnsv bed. H More Colorful High Lights In Remarkable Character A few blossoms remain to be picked, colors ful flowers that may give high light to tha human bouquet called Florence Harding The daughter of old Buckeye Is a zealous BAV patriot. "I sm 100 per rent. American: always re- HBHJ member that." ihe has said on mors than HBH one occasion. HHH When the world buret Into flames of hats she plunged hodv. soul and brsln. Into war HBH work The home folk will relate to vou "it., glee an incident of the departure of HHJ the Marion boys for far battle fields. All th t iv n wa on h.md to cheer and "tear" their HBH farewell Prominent In the crowd were the Ha 1 dings Florence and Warren. t rrux of the excitement a local mitron who h.ni -pent some tlmein Berlin educating her daughter gnri ho had man- gad to be bitten by the clog of Kalsertsm. HBV in..il -ome slighting remark snent the send- "ff. II inline heard. Her temper. H which rises to blinding white heat under provocation, fl.ued like a flash. In a man- ner all the OTOWd might heed She publicly BAh rebuked the foolisb matron, leaving her to nurse her spleen ug.iinst fjnde Sam In soli- HBJ tine. a move the entire town has since fol- H HHf A gushing aalealady from a smart mlllln- bop to her apartment In th HHJ Riiz-Carlton Hotel during her recent New YorU visit in dlaplaj the last word :n wareiS. "Ah. Madame" she palavered In hsr Greenwich Village French "Attendez? Lo'-Iee chape mx n'est paux? French model, f guarantee strlct-le French. "t ft , Mrs Harding nodded her head In Tppr- HH elation. ' ftrHHj "Yes." she agreed, "very attraetlve Rut HHJ haven't you any American models? 1 Ilka HHJ them even better." Royalty in the dominant force In Florence l f .1 1 ding's character Loyalty to countrv Lovalty to love, as evinced away back ther when the banker's daughter kept Ihe faith with the penniless fdung law stndent Lov- HH ally to work, as shown In service to the Marlon Datlii Stnt. Loyalty to friends as proven by the fact that those who wer omradea of her girlhood and who stuck by during the uncertain days of Warren Har- ding's COUrtahlp and marriage are still th H iosest friends of the now grejt man snd hi wife. New friends acquired In the realms of H ive-ilth and fame have never displaced a sin- H gle comrade from the home town. H Most of all Is Mrs. Harding loyal to her HH womanhood American women may rest as- H sured that when she Is In the White House HH ihey will have placed In the position of H highest honor within Ih cift of their vo'a H n eourageous unceasing champion for the - Ha Of " 9ft As to the mother heart of Florence Har- H :.ng. It bears the sar nf n great Ja"s. Six Ha or seven years ago the son hv her first mar- H I rings snd whom she adored Marshall Eugen Hi FeWofe. pissed bryond the veil In her Hi I sorrow ihe diverted all the glow of her lov Ha 1 to the two small children of her son. Jean, ared 7. nnd George, e lean and George are not if all In favor of "Gn Ga" 'grandmother) going to the Whits Hn House Thev much prefer that she stay s Ha , home anl loin in their games. Mr. Hardtne H 1 l never merrier thsn when "our two kid- d ei" re romping through the rrii.e White HJ House visitor will no doubt get more than HJ ore glimpse of these fine, upstanding young HJ American from the timothy and limestone HJ bell of Ohio. H Foilr th" Marion Gossips By Entertaining Tbetr Victims Any number of girls out In Marlon will attest to the slstershlp of Florence Harding. Hern was the great heart, despising becUs rumor and subtle Insinuation Whenever fOaalp urn of narrowness and petty Injustice Injus-tice begins pointing the finger of scorn at some hap"s victim, the great lady of ths community none other than Mr. Warren G Harding, give a reception. She Invites th quarrv of rhe whispering pack to preside at her table. Havln; received the stamp of approral of rhe acknowledged leader, smaller fry are compelled to follow suit and do thslr char gcter rending and shredding elsewhere. More than once has "he averted social ostracism for some sensitive girl. Mrs Harding is not a church woron In the limited sene of the lerm. She attends eervjcea and hers is the religion of pracUce v not of Hp. The Kllngs were Methodists, although there Is a tendency to Prssby terianlsm In lavergl Of the vounger generation. Mrs. Harding since her marriage has adopted the faith of her husband Baptist A sister of Warren Hjrdlng Is Just rack after eleven yeirs spent as a Baptist missionary ln Indl. What, then, mr v we expect from this versatile, ver-satile, small town girl, grown big town woman, this gifted daughter of old Buckeye, Buck-eye, this homemalier who ran bake an apple pie to melt In the mouth of an epicure snd match wits with the brilliant diplomat serosa her table while he eats it? Loyalty There will be no dodfing ths icsuo. Understanding Taking root In expert ence. Dignity Fed by mobility of soul. Thrift Taught by necessity. Hospitality Child of generosity, courage Burnished on tha battlefield. Simplicity Radiating from a great heart. Tht little girl with Ihe red hair ribbon who guided a bobsled safely down Gospel Hul. Marlon. Ohio le standing to-day at tha three hold of the White House A few rising suns and she win be mistress there. Ths dreams of youth are long, long dreams Not too long though, to corns true. m e |
