Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-12-30
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Our Mrs. Partington.-Col. Benton-tha,
kind-hearted SOULS rapidly and fairly earn.
ing the title of " Our own Mrs. PartiDgton.' u
He says nGrUs things in the newspapers with
quite as much emphasis as does the more
widely distinguished Mrs. Psrtipgton of oul
friends, the Boston Post and Gazette; and
with about as elOse approximation toward:
hitting the nail On the bead-just about q:
close as was proved in Saturdays Star By
a correspondent, who therein criticized hi.
Lady" Scriptural reading.
To-day We have still another criticism OF
the philolOgy Of his Xmas dissertation pub
lished in the BlteLlIgsncer. 1t is from the
pen of one Of the genus known as the joul
printer out of work, and, by the by, barely
out of his time also. It strikes US that be-
tween these two critics cur Mrs Partington':
Scriptural learning and pathological attain.
ments are shown to be about on q par with
the general attainments Of the other Mrs
PsrtingtOn, who is already known the world
over.
XMAS Pathology I'll. Editor: In the
"
published in the Mtsiiig snGeJ Of the 27th
instant. L observe the following astounding
passage:
To be serious the phrase has been and is
so applied in our AInerlca Us TO have lot the
sense in which il was used in the country from
which We take it madane--Ers. only appii-
cable 10 the eldest daughter Of the King in
France, and afterwards transferred to the
danes Of the court "
Nov, by r lady" this assertion If Sir
Oracle" IL both inaccurate and illiterate. The
word DI0dISIe originally two words, MI dance
was, In France, applied to the wfs of the
Kings brother, to the sister of the King $
father and mother, or to the daughter Of the
King. The plural Of the word meSdansS was
title Of courtesy bestowed Unfortunately
upon the danes of the court According to
Doctor johnson, this word, corrupted into
madam" was foisted upon the English Ian.
gasge, during the latter part of the sixteenth
century, by the poet Spenser, who used il as
ga term of compliment in addressing ladies
of every degree The American sigri6ca-
ton Of the word (uids Webster's Dictionary
is, "sn appeiiatiOn or complimentary title
given to married or elderly ladies, or chiefly
to them ;" and the same authority defines the
word iady as - word Of CON plaisance, used
Of women" and Sin our America" the ex-
preston admits Of Lo other construction er
application
The nativity Of the words nIadGn, and Lady
is as remote as their similarity of meaning.
or good, old Saxon origin is the word LADY,
the offspring OF good, old Saxon custom; bu:
the word, iiAe the nation 10 whom II belonged
has lost its prinlai identity in a mingled race
of men and language The antiquarian or
th9pists tell US that IL the Ulden time II vas
custom Of The wives Ut the wealthy SaxOns who
resided in the III amor houses TO bestow, weekly
with their own han1s, quantity of bread t.
the poor and the day upon which the gift wa:
made became designated d. hL4tdtg* (hiof, a
loaf, and dag, a day. or Leaf day. With the
increase # population, and the consequent
reduction Of the extent Of the manors, the
custom became less frequent, and with its
suppression the word charged to LsfdQy, and
finally corrupted to iady, title Of the mis-
tress Of each manor house, it has come dOwI
TO the resent tine with this sgnifcatiOn still
attached 20 it.
With this history Of the two words must
couple the hop that the pale and melan
choly shade Of i'lutaIch. which is ever fit
ting through the ex-scratOr's OratOIical exer-
tions, will prevail upon him 10 be more at.
tentive To substantial facts I'D less dOgmatic ir
speaking Of doubtful things MONA.
sWhy did not the writer use Saxon charac
teTs in this word Did he anticipate a waut
Of the proper type, or did be fear II might be-
come ike the printers Greek iu The IntsiiI
geneer's article to which be refers and Hher,
q sigma (s) has taken the place Of an epsilon
(e) in the word ego '-PTIHtsr'S Devtl
New Ocean Mail Steamer Projects.-MCr'
or less Of thess schemes are destined to b,
urged on Congress very shortly. The time
and money spent on Them will be time anC
money thrown away. The experience Of al
branches of the General Government Will
those already in existence has not been sucl
a to admit ef the possibility that any othe
sach special contract viii be made for mail ser
vice at present. IL seem to Us very improbs
bic that Congress will authorize the establish
meni Of any other regular nited States maj
route beyond the Jurisdiction of this Govern
ment, and absolutely impossible THAI it vii
make any such mail route that must necessaril
be a monopoly, or authorize a contract to b
made except with the lowest bidder after du
advertisement and upon = line where any II,
all are free to compete. We have heard Der
haps n dozen such new schemes talked over
and feel assured that tie day Of the system
popularity with Congress- has departed, a
least for the time being.
Breckenridge Coal of late the newspaper
have teemed with Iulfs Of the wonderful vii
tues Of the coal (canneD # tie Breckiuridg
mine in Kentucky, "a Wall street operation
altogether, We apprehendJ until prudent PEG
PIE have &C me to look out for SOME biting G
goUgiDg operation il connection With it |
rs Icing te-pUfed somewhst after the fashion
OF the Parker Vein concern, by which SO man,
hOOest AID unsuspiciOus persons were victim
ICED 1t is but our duty TO say that so far u
iIs alleged wonderful virtues in the produc
tion Of oil and caLdles for burning arc con