Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-27
NoYember 1e, lsel.

WOman's View Of fWaHhtnatOu-WOmtn
ut Auction Sale The Douglas Property
Under the Hammer. nd
WASHINGTON, November 19, 1861.
Did ever bleak wind or savage storm keep
women from an auction sale2 Not one class
of women, I'll warrant. They doat on an
auction as they do on their tea, or their
babies, or any other item most precious to
the feminine heart. The "private sale" graft
fes to repleSon, not only their curiosity
(that same curiosity which sends them pry-
ing through houses 'for rent when they
hay e not the slightest idea of hiring one), but
their organ of comparison
1t is such felicity to the sweet creatures to
go peering from cellar to gsrret, peaking into
every possible crack and corner, feeling
every available object TO estimate its exact
fabric and value, only to come to the delight
ful conclusion-thst what they have at home
is wonderfully finer. "My carpets are a
great deal richer my curtains are q great
deal brighter and handsomer; | shan't buy
any of these shabby things" etc.
If these shabby things" make the house.
hold furniture of some distinguished person,
such conclusions bring these ladies double
satisfaction. IL is an immense consolation to
Mrs. Brown, TO Mrs. Tompkins and to dear
little Mrs. Smith, to know by the evidence
of their senses that the drawing-rooms of
the splendid Mrs. -, W which they never
son with the saloon like maguifcence of
their own gaudy pdTuehu parors. At least
| such seemed to be the ladies' state of mind
at the sale of Judge Douglass furniture to-
day. I.....
THE SALE.
| The furious gale of this morning, bleak as
| it was, blew any number of women, and no
| small number of men, through the open
doors Of this elegant but now deserted man
'1.A rnl a. AaI L. kaaw hi, kol
| and the bell which called them had scarcely
commenced ringing, before the broad halls
and stately rooms were thronged with
motley crew.
Besides the inquiring ladies just men.
toned, there were many who had come
simply to look, and some who were there
only to report, and for aught care to say to
the contrary, the last were the biggest hum
bugs of all.
The exclusive coach at the door, with the
! liveried footman, waited for the lady in black
| velvet and plumes, with the diamond eye
glass; for the gentleman who wore the volu-
minous cloak and the mu tache of unex-
ceptionable curl, who was waiting till the
lady in black velvet, through her diamond
! eye glass, could decide whether she wished
! to buy any thing. There were few diStingue
people among the crowd. There were
! dczen becurled exquisites, who looked as if
/ just lost out of Broadway, and quite a num-
! ber of dozens of young ladies, prettily dressed,
who would have looked pretty if they had
not had such red noses, those little Grecian
pIotuberances having been bitten oy the out
side blast till they glistened and glowed like
! cherries.
THE CROWD.
The Mrs. Smiths, Browns and Toodleses
crowded around the tables in ffties; for,
although there was nothing there half as blue
as they had at home, each had resolved to
make an astounding "bargain" neverthe.
less, and to carry as many pieces of silver,
cut glass and china to her individual closet
as she could possibly buy for next to moth
ing" Then there were the Common peo-
ple," which here meant men in shabby coats,
and coarser boots than had been wont to
tread upon those carpets; women in calico
frocks and cotton shawls who had come to
look-they could not aspire to buy. 1t is
seldom they have "a pass" through so fine q
house from bottom to top. And as they
wandered from room to room, with timid
and awkward steps, fixing their wondering
and wistful gaze upon the costly toys and
gorgeous furniture, which they did not ven-
Jure to toucb they appeared vastly more
like ladies and gentlemen than many of the
wearers of brocade and broadclnth who
crowded around the auctioneer's stand.
One poor womSp, shivering in faded sum
mer garments, oblivious of gay hangings
and gilded crockery, stood for long time
gszipg with reverential eyes upon a marble
cross, whose uplifted Christ symboled the
ancient faith of the beautiful woman who
had just ceased to be an "Angel in the
House." How plain it was to see that this
poor worshiper's womanhood had been cast
in finer mold, veined with a tenderer hu'
mapity than could ever creep through the
coarse grain of Mrs. Smith, who just then
"knocked down" silver pitcher worth two
hundred dollars for less than fifty.
FEMALE CRITICISM. o..
The entire crowd seemed not to forget fol
a moment that they were at large in the
house of Stephen A. Douglas, and each, &C.
cording to his or her disposition, acted in
reference to that fact.
Miss Flunkey said to group of specula-
tive listeners: 's.
"Oh, it seems so like home, so natural
what pity that poor, dear Adie had to give
it up, She gave such parties l never saw
such floor to dance on as that in the ball
rooml There's poor, dear Adde'S picture; 50
like her; Just as she used to look before she
began to fade Poor thingl 1t seems so like
home here; only think of its being turned
into an hospitalP
Notwithstanding Miss Flunkey felt so very
much at home, it was as plain as daylight
that if she had ever been in the house before
it had only been through sutferanee, and she
knew vastly more Of 'poor, dear Adie" thar
that regnant lady knew of her.
} But in groaning over "poor Adde'S" fading
face, she only proved that she never saw her
, or that she lied about her if she had. "Pool
dear Adde'S picture" is portrait of Mrs
! Douglas taken in very early girlhood. /
, shows us an almost childish face, within
! whose budding bloom lies the folded prom
Use of the ripe and lustrous lOYeliness whicl
t to day makes her one Of the most RECALL,
t beautiful women of our land.
!, Nobody seemed suited with any thing
: "There is no solid silver in the house; it's al
: plated" said one. "How coarse these cur
9 tains are; mine are great deal finer" sal
. another. "How ordinary every thing is,
remarked third. "What common furni
ture; what poor taste for people in thei
y standing" observed q fourth.
Il 'The house is humbug," shouted Mr.
T Clerk Stately, as he stalked through tn
: door. "Eyery thing in it is gotten up o
8 the cheapest scale possible. Even the fenc
9 is sham''-and he hit it tremendous ra
a with his cane as he strobe through the gatI
8 81 wouldn't sell my bsby's crib no. nc
: if was eating my last crust" said Mr.
I Bsbyall with quayer in her voice and th
water of sentiment in her rather faded eye'
9 I'D as soon sell my baby's crib as my hu;
u bands portrait, and he dead" said Mr.
3 WifelY, with le grand air and q voice il
tended to be frightfnlly severe.