Part 24 (2/2)
She was a woious experience and a devout ton society felt the influence of her exa her residence at the White House the Sabbath wasany other administration I have known As time passed and we becareatly increased I repeatedly spent the evening with her informally at the White House when our intercourse was unhampered by red-tape, and it was then, of course, that I saw her at her best Her _role_ was by no means without its embarrassments She necessarily knew that many persons of proality of her husband's title to the Presidential chair and that there were those who even alluded to him as ”His Fraudulency”; but the world was none the wiser, so far as she was concerned, and she pursued the ”even tenor of her way,” and by the subtle influence of her character and conduct won both for her husband and herself the admiration of many who, but for her, would probably have remained their enemies
In 1863 Stephen J Field of California was appointed by President Lincoln a Justice of the US Supre-houses on Second Street facing the Capitol, which is said to have been a gift from his brothers, David Dudley, the eminent lawyer; Cyrus W, the father of the Atlantic cable; and the Rev
Dr Henry M, the eminent Presbyterian divine and versatile editor of _The New York Evangelist_ Here the brothers met every February to celebrate the birthday of David Dudley Field For many years after the destruction of the first Capitol by the British in the War of 1812, the Field house and the thich adjoined it were used by Congress as the seat of its deliberations Henry Clay served within its walls as Speaker for about ten years, and Mrs Field took uests the mark on the here his desk stood At one period before its occupancy by Judge Field this residence was used as a boarding house, and in its back parlor John C Calhoun breathed his last During the Civil War it was used by the govern houses as the ”Old Capitol Prison”--but of this I have spoken in another place Justice Field was ”a gentleman of the old school” and one of the most courtly men in public life, while his ell known for her tact, culture and exquisite taste Their home was enriched with many curiosities collected at ho Einal in the Vatican Mrs Field's sister, Miss Sarah Henderson Swearingen, accoton and some years later was married from this home to John Condit-Smith My old friend, Dr Charles W Hoffman, who for twenty years was the librarian of the US Supree and Mrs Field After a life well spent he retired to the home of his birth in Frederick, Maryland, where he lived for many years, surrounded by his well-loved books and art treasures He never married
When I first knew Mr and Mrs Ja on Fifteenth Street between H and I Streets Miss Abigail Dodge, ”Gail Hamilton,” a cousin of Mrs Blaine, resided with thereatly to the chareneral as well as his eulogists have done full justice to Mr Blaine's a tact and charm of manner; but I may be pardoned the conceit if I offer raceful re him I heard someone say: ”Here comes Mr Blaine,”
and as I turned and he was forpresence, who, as he raised his hat to greet me, remarked in a low and pleasant voice: ”I bow to the naue in all the large newspapers throughout the country was introduced into Washi+ngton about 1870 Miss Augustine Snead, rote under the _nom de plume_ of ”Miss Grundy,”
was the first woman society reporter I ever knew She represented several newspapers, and she and her raceful writer under the pen name of ”Fay,” were seen at many entertainments Both of them ide-awake and clever women I happen to have preserved an article which appeared in the society coluely made up of puns upon the society ray-haired veterans and soer here She wrote:--
”Our society hts and complain that whereas it is only once in four years they have the privilege of being courted and receiving special attention the social coluive them more space We have detailed one of our corps for the purpose with the following result It (s)Ea on an exhibition of their Zeal in the invention of a patent Payne-killer, in proof that they have not leaned upon a broken Reed Some one iven A(u)lick amiss No wonder the Marine Corps, in hourly dread of annihilation, has its anxieties increased by the continuance of the Alarm at the Navy Yard, the officers of that forh the season that it is well naht _belles_ per hour”
”Eames” was my nephew, Charles Campbell Eames ”Muse” was General Willia on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, who usually spends a portion of each year at the Capital
”Zeal in” referred to Lieutenant William F Zeilin, USMC, a son of General Jacob Zeilin, USMC ”Payne” was Frederick H Paine, forton his ho in Washi+ngton ”(H)off” was Captain Williao; and ”Palmer” was Lieutenant Aulick Palmer, formerly in the Marine Corps and now US Marshal of the District of Coluuished scientist, Professor Theodore E
Hilgard, he and his ere living on N Street, near Twelfth Street
For many years he was Superintendent of the Coast Survey, and after an interval of a number of years was succeeded by his nephew, Mr Otto H
titt the widely-known and popular residents of Washi+ngton The French Governard's scientific achievements presented to him a superb vase which is noned by Dr Thohters and I formed a friendshi+p with Senator and Mrs Jahter, the wife of General Green Clay Goodloe of the US Marine Corps Mr Beck was one of the De the ablest men of his party He was proud of his Scotch blood and loyal in his friendshi+ps His as Miss Jane Washi+ngton Augusta Thornton, whose grandfather, Colonel John Thornton of Rappahannock County, Virginia, was a first cousin of General Washi+ngton Both the Senator and his wife have passed onward, but our affection still lives in General and Mrs Goodloe, who are a the best and truest friends I have ever known
Just before the close of the Hayes ade, whose hoe mansion on the corner of H and Seventeenth Streets and upon its coe, as Miss Anna Louisa Washi+ngton, gave a housewarne flowed freely upon this occasion and it is said that the supper was one of the handsoton The saiven at Stewart Castle by its chatelaine, Mrs William M Stewart, whose husband was one of the US Senators frohter of Senator Henry S Foote, who represented Mississippi in ante-belluirls ere her guests She was assisted in the entertainhters, both of ere married Stewart Castle ell adapted for such a social function as it was one of the few ton that had a spacious ballroom This residence was quite suburban, and the Hillyer house on Massachusetts Avenue which stood on a high terrace was the only other dwelling in the immediate vicinity I remember that when the home of the British Embassy was in the course of erection, the wisdo to its remoteness fro the Arthur administration, Mr Edward C Halliday and his wife came to the National Capital to spend a winter I had known him many years before when he visited theof General Alexander Macomb in her home on the corner of I and Seventeenth Streets, where the Farragut apartinally settled in New York, and his father for some years was President of the St Andrews Society of that city After residing several ton Mr Halliday built several houses opposite the British Eest of which he reserved for his own residence It was here that Mr and Mrs Halliday entertained with such true Scotch hospitality Their Friday evenings were bright spots on the social horizon, especially for the young people, as dancing was one of their special features Just before the close of her second social season Mrs Halliday gave a fancy-dress ball, which was a happy inspiration, varying as it did the ermans, receptions and teas On this occasion the uests dressed in Louis XIV costu and painful illness of my husband closed in death He had been handicapped by years of ill health, and, although he had the intellectual power, the ability, the wings to spread, there was, alas, no surrounding air to bear them up! The ath was lacking and he bore his affliction with sublime fortitude For a while after his departure I felt akin to a shi+p lost at sea; ht
I had leaned on hih so h code of integrity and honor, that his death was indeed a bereavement too terrible for words to express I care to say no more
The suht the quietude of thein the saetown, DC, hoton fa before it becaoverne Mrs Worthington was one of the most truly beautiful women I have ever seen She was Miss Elizabeth Phillips of Dayton, Ohio, and a lineal descendant of President Jonathan dickinson of Princeton University Her daughter Eliza, Mrs William Henry Philip, represented the sae William Gaston, the eminent jurist of North Carolina
The adedy which brought to a speedy close his earthly career is too well known to be dwelt upon at length The mortal attack upon him in 1881 by the fanatic Charles J Guiteau in the old Pennsylvania railroad station on the corner of Sixth and D Streets shocked the civilized world, and his long and painful illness at Elberon was closely watched by a sy public until it closed in death Dr D W Bliss was the Garfield family physician but the most eminent specialists of the country were called into consultation It is the first time within my memory that I ever heard of the issue of official bulletins by physicians announcing the condition of their patients At the trial of Guiteau he was defended by his brother-in-law, George M Scoville, while Judge John K Porter of New York and Walter D Davidge of the Washi+ngton bar were employed to assist in the prosecution This trial was of such absorbing interest that ranted only by ticket No one could possibly have seen Guiteau without a feeling akin to pity, as he displayed every indication of possessing an unbalanced mind
The adht to Washi+ngton society and afforded abundant demonstration, as in the cases of Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren and Buchanan before him, that a ”Mistress of the White House” in the person of a wife is not an absolute necessity Mrs John E McElroy, the President's sister, spent race over the social functions of the White House The President hi presence and of great social as well as political tact He instinctively see to do and exactly when to do it I was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness when hter, Ruth Monroe, wasand had no personal acquaintance with the President nor other association at that time with the White House, General Arthur on that occasion sent superb flowers to arded the act as exceedingly gracious, but it was in every way characteristic of the man The circumstances under which he succeeded to the Presidential chair were so painful and some of his former political affiliations were so distasteful to many that the early portion of his adree of embarrassment; yet, by sheer force of character, unquestioned ability and nificent tact he so effectively worked his way into the hearts of the people that he left the Presidential chair as highly esteemed as any of his predecessors and carried with him into retirement the applause of the people irrespective of party affiliation
I made the acquaintance of General and Mrs Adolphus W Greely soon after his return from his Arctic expedition Both he and Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, USN, the rescued and the rescuer, were then receiving the ovations of the public During our early acquaintance the Greelys purchased a delightful old-fashi+oned house on G Street, below Pennsylvania Avenue, where they still reside surrounded by a charhters General Greely is always an object of interest wherever he goes and deservedly so, as scientific attain manners such as his can never fail to win applause Mrs Greely, the bride of his youth and the companion of his maturer years, wins all hearts and holds therateful to make no mention of Mrs Phoebe Hearst, the mother of Williaton an entire stranger as the wife of the late Senator George Hearst of California, but soon endeared herself to all old residents by her personal netism, her social tact and her philanthropic acts
Deeply in sympathy with the work of women, her benevolence in this particular field was unbounded Her entertainuests I especially recall an evening reception given by her in honor of a coton It was reathered from all parts of the country, so them Mark Twain, Francis Marion Crawford and William Dean Howells
As I lay downbefore me and of their children, too Then there are others ho character This is especially true of hbors, Rear Admiral and Mrs Francis A
Roe With his ell done he now rests from his labors, but hisis yet my valued friend Still another is Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, US N who, surrounded by adton, lives quietly and unostentatiously and bears his laurels well; and last, but anything in the world but least, Mrs Julian Jauished New York fahter of Theodorus Bailey Myers, who has ton for many years, and is now the ”Lady Bountiful” of the National Capital Beautiful in person as well as in character, she distributes her wealth with a lavish hand, and richly deserves the words ”well done”
In looking backward through the years of a long and active life I have seen varied relays of hu their appropriate niches--great and sed in the same strife Many of the since passed into the life beyond _Vanitas Vanitatis!_cynic, but to rateful to the Father of All for per me to catch fro notes