Identifier: lifelettersofjoh01lcthay (find matches)
Title: The life and letters of John Hay
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Thayer, William Roscoe, 1859- (from old catalog)
Subjects: Hay, John, 1838-1905. (from old catalog)
Publisher: Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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, but shes an extremely good-looking person. He admired and advocated thoroughness andcompleteness. If he heard us singing or whistlingscraps of a tune, he would stop us and ask whetherwe did nt know the rest of it. If we said yes, hewould tell us to sing it all; if not, to learn it, or elsetry something else. He also taught us to write ad-dresses clearly, and without abbreviation of streets,cities or states. He was a spirit rather than a voice in the house-hold government. We were sent to ask Papa, whoalways said: What does Mother say? She knowsbest — and that was final. He had an aversion,amounting to physical suffering, to publicity in anyform, and his greatest public utterances were pre-ceded by days of nervous dread that sometimes madehim literally ill. His wonderful fund of self-controland balance always came to the rescue at the criticalmoment, but they could not prevent his sufferingagonies of anticipation. He once said: Luckily theshakes go to my knees and not to my voice.
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THE WASHINGTON CIRCLE 67 He was so tender-hearted that my mother alwayshad to deal with our youthful injuries, illnesses anddiscipline without his cooperation. He could ntbear to see us hurt or made unhappy, even for ourown good. He spoiled us shamefully with money,always giving us double the amount we said weneeded. He was the least self-indulgent of men I haveever known, and yet one of his favorite teachingswas: If you see a thing you really want, get it, nomatter what it costs. If you dont, it will haunt youall the rest of your life and come between you andthe later desires of your heart, and make them ap-pear less and less desirable. The following poem, which Mr. Hay slipped intoa copy of The House Beautiful, for Mrs. Hay,will fitly complete these glimpses of the inner familylife. (THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL.) Not pomp of crimson or of gold,Nor aught the dazzled eye can see, In Arts creations manifold, Make the House Beautiful for me. One dear fair presence, lovelierThan all the miracles

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