Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-07-31

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Mental as well as physical disease appears to
be infectious. There are periods of poisoning
and months of murder. Of this Summer of
1858, the prophet of the Almanac must have
predicted, About this time expect trouble for
papas." Certainly, papas have been experience
ing rather squally season. Mobile is not the
only spot where an injured parent mourns
The disease has desecrated even the capital of
the country, and love makes the world of
W ashington 90 round at more eccentric rate
than usual. This affair of Washington. it is
true, has not yet reached the zenith of romance
to which its rival of Mobile has attained But
the hero displays an importantly which bids
ialr to overshadOw not only the pcrtinacitv of
dvierc, but, to use stronger illustration. even
the persevering passion of Wikoff. And to
such obstinate affection, Wikoff notwithstand-
ing, opportunity nevar comes. Hitherto the
history of this courtship has been dropped at
intervals in small and scattered fragments.
They deserve to be collected, and daintilv and
delicately served up on one dish. Such roman
tic matters cannot be cribbed and cohined
once ventilated, they had far better be frankly
and fairly told than left to the whispers of
scandal, which gives sinister significance to
every smile, and converts every mole-hil into a
mountain.
In mansion of rather palatial pretension on
PRESIDENT Square, combining to a great degree
city splendor with suburban beauty, lives Mr.
Corcoran, a retired banker of somewhat modest
Irish extraction but much wealth In his time
he has played to many Presidents the part of
Pereirc or Rothschild, and is curious as being
the only specimen of the Irish genus in history
successful in the loan line. 1t is generally un-
derstood that in the borrowing business Irish
intellect has found its finest field, Be this as it
may, the Hotel Corcoran is one of the wonders
OF Washington, and, after shake" with Bu-
chanan, is usually taken by travellers. Its
chief attraction is gallery of high-priced pict-
ureS, chiefly by modern Italian masters. and
some antique family portraits in warrior attire,
doubtless representing the earlier Corcorans in
that magnificent but somewhat misty period of
Irish history i'll which every Irishman was a
king, or first cousin thereto. For the rest,
the mansion is reputed to contain an admirable
French COOK, large cellar. and small library
eXqu>itely bound. The proprietor himself is
by no means personally popular. On the prin-
clple, we presume, of omne ignotum pro mag
R!hco, he preserves a kind Of Dombey dreari-
ness, which self-made men, aspiring to position
often mistake for dignity and mars his natural
courtesy by an affected condescension. For the
rest, he is gentleman of handsome presence.
and of liberal charity where there is no chance
OF its concealment. To his personal unpopu-
laritN ana the sympathy which ever betriends
the heart of youth against the head of age,
through every danger and distress, is doubtless
owing the partial and imperfect colored account
of this affair which correspondents of the press,
aided even by the great and mighty Union in
its yesterdays impression have scattered over
the land.
As all song from time immcmorial has told,
and the beautiful ballad of Nillikens and his
Dnah more recently recounts, the rich banker
had of course an only daughter