Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-11-26
QQlurtester 4a1Ig Spy,
PHOTOGRAPH OF WASHINGTON.
Lc0rrespondenee Of the \. y Evening post.l
DOUGLAS PROPERTY UNDER THE HAAIMEl

Correspondence of the y. Y. Evening Post.l
WAsHINGToN Nov. Is, 1861.
Did ever black wind or savage storm keep
women from an auction sale Not one class
of women, I'll warrant They doat on an auc
ton as they do on their tea, ON their babies,
or on any other item most precious to the tenn
mime heart. The "private sale" gratilics TO
repletion, not only their curiosity, THAT same
curiosity which sends them prying through
houses tor rent" when they have 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
garnet, peaking into every possible crack and
corner, feeling every avail able object to esti
mate lis exact fabric and value only to come
to the delightful concluson-tha: what they
have at home is wonderfully finer. Only car
pets are great deal rlcl,r, my curtains are a
great deal brighter and handsouer; | sllan't
buy any OF these shabby things, etc, etc. If
these shabby things" make the household
furniture OF some distinguished person, such
conclusions bring these ladies double satisac.
ton. 1t Is an immense consolation to Mrs.
Brown, to Mrs. Tompkins, and 10 dear little
Mrs. Smith, To know by the evidence of their
senses that the drawing rooms OF the splendid
Mrs. " which they never could get into be-
fore, can bear no comparison with the saloon
like magniiicence of their own gaudy parUeau
paIOrs. AT least, such seemed to be these la
dies state OF mind at the sale of Judge Doug.
las furniture TO day.
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 ibis elegant but now deserted mansion. The
red flag had hardly been hoisted, and the bell
which called them haul scarcely commenced
ringing, before the broad halls and stately
rooms were thronged with motley crew
Besides the inquiring ladies just mentioned
there were many who had come to buy not a
few who had come simply to look, and some
who were there only to report, and, Tor aught
care to say to the contrary, the last were the
biggest humbugs 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-gIass for the
gentleman who wore the voluminous cloak,
and the moustache OF uneXcepuouable curl
who was waiting till the lady in black velvet,
through her diamond eye-glass could decide
whether she wished to buy anything. There
were few diStiRgae people among the crowd.
There were a dozen beCurled eXquisites who
looked as # just lost out of Broadway, aud
quite number of dozens of young ladies,
prettily dressed, who would have looked pretty
IT they had not had sucn rcd noses, those
little Greclan protuberances having been bitten
by the outside blast till they glisened and
glowed like cherries.
THE CROWD.
The Mrs. Smiths, Browns, and Toodlcsts
crowded around the TALES in filties for,
although there was nothing there half as fine
as they had mt home each had resolved to
make an astounding bargain" nevertheless,
and to carry as many pieces OF silver, cut.
glass, and china to her individual closet as
she could possibly buy for "next to nothing"
Then there were The Common people" which
here meant men in shabby coats, and coarser
boots than bad been wonl 70 ue"d upon
those carpets; women in calico rocks and
cotton shawls, who had come to ook-thcy
could not aspire to buy. Ii is seldom they
have "a PASS" through so fine IA house from
bottom to top. And as they wandered from
room to room, with timid and awkward steps,
fixing their wondering and wistiu gaze upon
the costly Toys and gorgeous furniture, which
they did not venture TO touch, they appeared
vastly more like ladies and gentlemen than
many of the wearers OF brOcade aud broad
cloth who crowded around the aucioneer's
stand. One poor woman shiyefing III faded
summer garments, Obvious OF gay hangngs
and gildCd crockery, stood Tor long time
gazing with revprential eyes upon marble
cross, whose upitted Christ sym6olized 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 wor
shippers womanhood had been cast in finer
mould, veincd with tendcrrr humanity than
could ever creep through the coarse grain of
Mrs. Smith, who ust then knocked down"
silver pitcher worth two hundred dollars for
less than fifty.
FEMALE CRITICISM
The entire crowd seemed not to forget for a
moment that they were at large in tue house
of Stephen A Douglas, and each, according
TO his or her disposition, acted i'll reference 10
that fact Miss Flunkey said to group of APP
preciative listeners-"O, it seems so like home,
so naturall 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 i'll
the ball room. There poor dear Aides pic
ture so like her; ust as she used to look
before she began To fade Poor thing 1t
seems SO like home here only think OF its
being turned mo hospital y Nowithstand-
ing 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 suflerance, and that she knew vastly
more of poor dear Ade" than that regnant
lady knew of her. But in grooming over
'pOOr Aides" fading face, she only proved
that she never saw her, or that she lied about
her if she had. "Poor dear Adde'S picture" is
portrait of Mrs Douglas taken in very early
glrlhood. 1t shows us an almost childish face,
within whose budding bloom lies the folded
promise of the ripe and lustrous loveliness
which to-day makes her one of the most re-
gay beautiful women of our land Nobody
seemed suited with anything. "There is no
solid silver in the house it's all plated, said
one. GLOW coarse these curtains are, mine
are great deal finer" said another GLOW
ordinary everything il" remarked third.
"What common furniture, what poor taste for
people in their standing observed Il fourth.
''rhe house is a humbug," shouted Mr.. CleEk
Stately, as he stalked through the door. "Ey-
erything in it is gotten up on the cheapest
scale possible. Even the fence is sham, -
and he hit tremendous rap with his cane as
he strobe through the gate. 81 wouldn't sell
my baby's crib; no, not it l was eating my
last crust" said Mrs. Bahyall. with quaver
in her voice and the water Of sentiment in her
rather faded eyes "l'd as soon sell my ba
bys crib as my husbands portrait, and he
dead, 7" said Mrs. Wiely, with le grand air and
voice intended TO be trighttully severe
THE HOUSE.
Having each spoken cher piece" and re.
lieved her mind, the exemplary ladies' walked
away, each fully persuaded doubtless, that
she was FAR more devoted wife aud mother
than the bereaved one who had left her hus
bands portrait and baby's crib behind her.
There it stood, the tiny rosewood bedslead,
with its soft plump pillows and tnmbled ban-
ktts looking as if the baby had just come out
of it; the little, living creature, moist and
warm, with crumpled curls, and blue eyes
big with wonder. And there beside 1t stood
IL.