Part 23 (1/2)

Meikleha unbroken froeneration In the salas, the for the Harrison adhter of his is the wife of Henry B

F Macfarland, the late Senior Commissioner of the District, who, as well as his wife, is universally respected and beloved in Washi+ngton On the same street, but on the other side of Fourteenth Street, Colonel and Mrs Robert N Scott resided for many years; while just around the corner, on Iowa Circle, in as then a palatial home, lived Allan McLane and his only child, Anne, who married from this house John Cropper of New York She is no but lives in Washi+ngton, where she is greatly beloved In this saion, on the corner of N and Fourteenth Street, lived Lieutenant Coinson, and the latter's attractive sister, Miss Mary Haldane

Not far fro on Corcoran Street lived the attractive wife of _Monsieur_ Griation, who left unfading htful chats I was much interested in the accounts of her early life and experiences in Ireland, and I especially recallthe members of the Wilde family, hom she had been quite intimately associated I learned froely from his mother She was a woman of unusual type and habitually dressed in white--at a tienerally prevalent I was also told that Oscar Wilde's father was an oculist of soular in its construction that the wits of Dublin called it ”Wilde's eye-sore”

Another of my intimate friends of those days was Mrs Mary Donelson Wilcox,of the Hon John A Wilcox, forress and a veteran of the Mexican War She was a woman of rare intellectual ability, and subsequent to her husband's death was for a tiovernment

She was the daughter of Colonel Andrew Jackson Donelson, a nephew of President Jackson as well as his adopted son and private secretary

General Jackson when President was a er, and it hile Mrs

Donelson was presiding as mistress of the White House that Mrs Wilcox was born Her memory remained clear until her last illness, and her recollections of pro back to her childhood, and especially those of her early life at the White House, were of exceptional interest I was especially amused by her account of the prompt manner in which General Jackson sent her mother back to Tennessee because she refused to accord social recognition to the wife of General John H Eaton, his Secretary of War As is well known, this was ”Peggy O'Neal” who, before her e to Eaton, was theof Purser John B Ti in the Mediterranean The relation which she sustained to the disruption of Jackson's cabinet has passed into history and is too well known to bear repetition here As Colonel Donelson shared the views of his wife, he resigned his position as the President's private secretary and returned with her to Tennessee He was succeeded by Nicholas P

Trist of the State Departh the kindly offices of personal friends, they were both restored to Jackson's favor and resumed their former functions in the White House

Just across the street from our home lived Mr and Mrs Bernard P

Mimmack and the latter's mother, Mrs Mary Bailey Collins,of Captain Charles Oliver Collins of the US Arentlewomen of former days She was one of the Bailey family, which was much identified with the history of New York, and she and her daughter, Mrs Mimmack, were valuable additions to our community Of Mr Mimmack, only recently deceased, I can speak only in terms of the war ment and wide experience at my command

As I first re with their three daughters in a portion of the Smithsonian Institution

He was a man whose public career and private life commanded universal respect, while his scientific discoveries, both at Princeton College and at the National Capital, uished men of his day I am not qualified to pronounce upon his scholarly attainments nor upon the estimate in which he is held by the learned world of to-day, but it istic words of the late Professor Siiant, represent the truth ”Professor Joseph Henry, first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,” he wrote, ”was a man of whoeneration, that he held a place which has never been filled I do not nized leader and exponent of scientific interests at the National Capital A world-wide reputation as a scientific investigator, exalted character and inspiring presence, broad views of s, the love and esteem of all, combined to make hiuidance inthe interests of science Whether anyone could since have assumed this position, I will not venture to say; but the fact seems to be that no one has been at the sa to assuton in 1873 was small compared with that of to-day There was reater degree of affability The ”Old Washi+ngtonians” were more _en evidence_ than now and the political eleree the harmony of the social atmosphere

There were, however, many in public life whose families were cordially received into the ton society and enriched it by their presence Mrs Hamilton Fish held social sway by the innate force of character and general attractiveness hich nature had so lavishly endowed her Mrs Jaress when I first knew thee M Robeson, wife of Grant's Secretary of the Navy, lived on K Street and kept open house The Secretary of the Treasury and Mrs

William A Richardson, who lived in the old Hill house on H Street, ell known and very popular Francis Kernan, the junior Senator frohter, was seen everywhere Thomas Kernan, their son, who eventually becaeneral favorite Roscoe Conkling, the senior Senator from New York, was socially disposed, but his wife, as a sister of Horatio Seyh well fitted for social life, took but little part in it She was a pronounced blond, wore her hair in ure Senator and Mrs Henry L Dawes and their intellectual daughter, Miss Anna, were highly esteetonians General Ambrose B Burnside, Senator from Rhode Island and a er, lived on H Street, where he lavishly entertained his friends Senator Joseph R Hawley and wife of Connecticut and the latter's bright sister, Miss Kate Foote, resided in the Capitol Hill neighborhood; while Senator Henry B Anthony, also of Rhode Island and a as farasshopper turkeys, hich he liberally supplied his guests at his home on the southwest corner of H and Fourteenth Streets This was the period when Willia his prominent and successful political career He lived with his first wife and interesting family of boys on Fourteenth Street below G Street

The social leader in Washi+ngton in 1873 was Mrs Frances Lawrence Ricketts, whose husband, General Ja the Civil War and on account of disabilities arded a handsohteenth and Nineteenth Streets and her Friday afternoons were festive occasions Mrs Ricketts was noonce wrote--

Here coerel had a basis in fact as she frequently appeared in public with tickets to sell for the benefit of some charitable object; and she sold thee to refuse her She was an exceedingly fine looking wo Mrs Julia A K Lawrence, her inally of the Island of Jamaica, lived with her, was quite as fond of society as the daughter, and, although advanced in years, seemed to have more friends and admirers than any woman I have ever known

One day by chance I -room of a mutual friend, Mrs

Sallie Maynadier, where she shocked us by fainting One of hters wrote her a note of sy answer I regarded it as a so her ninetieth birthday

Pray accept rateful thanks,ht it I would have been so much pleased to see you in h verywas froitation of the previous day, at the prospect of parting with my very dear friends in the delicate state of dear Kate Eveleth's health! I hope to hear to-day how she bore the journey, the beautiful day very much in her favor! I can not close this note without expressing my sincere wish that your ma the winter I know that Mrs Gouverneur does not ”pay visits”

but as I can no longer have the pleasure ofyou at our dear friend's I hope she will make an exception in favor of such an old woman as myself, one too who has known and loved soback to President Monroe's faland and used to play often with your grandmamma [Maria Hester Monroe] Can you believe that a vivid memory can turn back so many years? Ask your mamma to favour me and come yourself to see

Yours very truly,

JULIA LAWRENCE

1829 G Street, Tuesday

An old fahter, the late Dr

Basil Norris, USA, a native of Frederick, resided in the Ricketts home, and I am certain that his memory is still revered in the District

When Mrs Ricketts, upon her husband's death, broke up her Washi+ngton hohter of mine on her way to join her husband in Honolulu was taken seriously ill in that city and was attended by him with consummate skill He was then on the retired list of the Are and fashi+onable practice in his newly adopted hos vividly before me my old and valued friends, Mrs Maynadier,of General William Maynadier of the Ordnance Department of the Army, and her witty sister, Kate Eveleth To render acts of kindness seemed their natural avocation, and I never think of the Sir Walter Scott's description of a el I have heard Mrs Maynadier say that at the ti officer, was receiving a salary of only six hundred dollars; and yet she reared a large circle of children, her daughtersprofessionally well known Their father was Aide to General Scott in the Black Hawk War and performed similar duty under General Alexander Macoeneration of her descendants, many of whom still reside in the District

When I returned to Washi+ngton, I found the old Decatur house facing Lafayette Square owned and occupied by General and Mrs Edward F Beale, who had recently returned fro residence in California Mr