chance are , you in all likelihood have n’t spent a lot of time studying range of Julia Grant . But if you have , you may have noticed that nearly all representations ofUlysses S. Grant ’s wife ( the duo met in 1844 and married in August 1848 ) weretakenor paint from a side profile . That ’s because Julia was born with a stipulation yell strabismus , a disorder — more commonly known as “ crossed eyes”—that foreclose both eyes from line up in the same way . When she was younger , one of the best sawbones in the state offered to do the simple operation that would fix them . Julia was n’t cracking on surgery , however , and slump .
Decades later , Julia convert her mind . “ Now that my husband had become so famous I really thought it behooved me to adjudicate to depend as well as possible , ” she explainedin her autobiography .
Her appearance bothered her so much that Julia was uncoerced to overcome her concern of surgery . She confab the same doctor who had offered to help her so many year earlier , but he inform her that it was too late to correct the circumstance .
When General Grant rule out his wife was attempt to transfer her eyes , he asked why on Earth she would view such a affair . She explain her abstract thought , saying , “ Why , you are getting to be such a great homo , and I am such a plain little wife . I think if my heart were as others are I might not be so very , very plain , Ulys ; who know ? ”
Grant was horrified . “ Did I not see you and fall in love with you with these same oculus ? ” he expect . “ I wish them just as they are , and now , remember , you are not to interpose with them . They are mine , and lease me secern you , Mrs. Grant , you had better not make any experiments , as I might not wish you half so well with any other eyes . ”
Though she put the thought of surgery to rest , from that point on , the first dame wascarefulabout how she posture for pictures .
A version of this story ran in 2016 ; it has been update for 2023 .
