Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-03-03
Receptaen gati che Presidential
Mansion.

Mansion.
A corrospondent Of the Cleveland Herald
writes gossiping letter from Washington,
about the receptions at the Presidential
Mansion, from which we extract the follow
ing. :, - .-.. ....'o ..,I.,,. -4 t...... .rs
The reception was announced in the
papers for o'clock. IL is now half-past
eight, and tho doors are just opened, much
to the relief Of q crowd Of three or four
hundred, who have been standing on the
steps for the last half hour. You are
admitted without . ticket or q password,
and enter Immediately a large hali-like
room, lined on two sides with row of box
shelves where servant deposits your hat
and oyercoat, and gives you check for their
safe return. On the right, leading out of
this room, s q similar one for the use of the
ladies' From the cloak room you pass into
the main hall ofthe building, which leads
rs into the East Room and into the Recep-
tion Rooms Here, If you follow the ex-
ample of the gentlemen who have ne ladies
with them, you will wait to see the ladies,
who take precedence, of course, in being
received, file past you, O long and brilliant
train, with their gallants, into the imme-
date presence OF his Republican Majesty,
Uncle Abe. On the south side of the hall
are three rooms opening into one another,
all elegantly furnished and of about the
same size; the middle one is the Reception
Room proper. You pass through the first
into the second, and there stands the Presi-
dent, attended by his Secretary, ready to
receive you. If you have lady with you,
you say, Miss Smith Mr.. Lincoln" Miss
Smith exhibits gratifed smile; the Presi-
dent shakes her hand aud says, "How do
you do, man hope you are we'll p and
you pass on, through the next room
into the great salon Of the Exc
cutive palace The Chief Magistrate of the
Nation, Notwithstanding all that has been
said about bis leanness, his angles and his
awkwardness, is fine looking man. He
would attract attention, from his manly
look and bearing, in any assembly, and you
would inquire who is he. He certainly has
not handsome face, or a graceful manner,
but in spite of both he looks we'll Well
enough to be either great or good, or to be
both.7 These personal qualities are not ne
cessary to mans success, or to gain him
personal admirers among women even-
Mirabeau in his time, was the ugliest civil
lied man in Europe well nigh. Neverthe-
less. the ladies, who are the best Judges in
these matter, thought him god-like, and
paid him Hero worship. Mr.. Lincoln, not
withstandlng the cares of State, has much
improved IN his personal appearance since
he passed through Cleveland, in the spring
OF 1861, He is good deal indebted for it,
have no doubt, to the skill of the Wash,
iDgton tailors and the labors of his valet
As he stands near the passage way, and the
tide which has set towards him, falls off to
= single couple or an occasional individual,
he keeps lookingeut at the door, with eyi
dent interest and attention to business, to
see who is coming next, and be ready for
them. As you approach him. he extends
his hand to you, and with little awkward
stoop of the shoulders, and sort of dive at
your maniform member, gives it a hearty
shake, and makes cheerful response to
your salution. He wore a pair of white kid
gloves quite large for him and as I first
saw him holding one hand in the other,
thought he was suffering from felon or one
OF Jobs comforters, which he had bound
up ira white handkerchief, and was sooth-
ing it, The original pattern of these gloves
must have been large. Occasionally lady
pauses and says few pleasant things to him
or gentleman, soto Uoce, uncorks q little
joke which he has been keeping especially
tor him. The President receives these little
attentions in such way as shows q very
nice appreciation of the point where the
laugh comes in. He is said to be a great
wag, and as sharp at repartee as an ancient
Spartan. As he stands there talking with
his distinguished guests, now in grave, and
anon in funny mood, he would strike you
as man of sound abilities, amiable, cheer
full, and sagacious one who might possibly
have split some rails during his life, and Is
still full of hard work and good humor. As
Major Bagstock' used to say of himself
trough and tough, and dsvilish ely" @f''
Mrs. Lincoln is the next distinguished
person you will look about you to see. In
the early part Of the evening she is in the
same room with the President; sometime.
sitting and sometimes standing, conversine
with the guests---some Of the more favored
of fwhorn remain in the room, notwithstand
ing stsut gentleman keeps saying. like ,
Snowman, to those who are presented, "pas.
on, ladies and gentlemen, into the Eas
Room, and give others chance" For (,
description of Mrs. Lncoln's dress, ladies
you must see the New York papers, or thu
Court Journal. have no skill in that sor
of literature. The most can venture upor
saying is, that it was rich white satin, th{
skirt Of (which wasttrimmed with black lace
or something resembling it. Il thought i,
quito too long at the bottom, and too short
at the top, to be really tidy in all its pro
portions. q Her ornaments, l believe, wer.
pearls.afs'aH .iqFJ Dos 10 f.hS' t1s"'., =
The first thing noticeable in her persona
appearance, is her embonpoint. This i,
moderate, and she is neither gross nor club
by,7 She hasijust enough Of this kind O
Development, to give her apparent dignit,
|. | ~ aale 20 Oh e. IL.