Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-14


From a Washington Letter ia the New York sun.
day Times.l
Look at the ladies of the White House.
They are condemned to four years of i'm
prisonment. During that time they must
not pay a visit or attend an evening en-
tertainment. Miss Lane occasionally
went out to a ball or party, but very sell
dom; Mrs. Lincoln, never; and it has
gradually come to be considered undigni-
fed for the first ladies in the land u to
minglc freely in the gayeties of the sea
son.
Then, as for visitsng at home, twice q
week they must stand up and receive for
many hours the herd who flock to see
them mostly from the merest curiosity,
while at all times they are liable to visits
of importunate or impertinent people,
who will intrude upon their privacy. The
very house they live in is not their own
it is a Furnished house" of the usual des-
eription, without comforts, dreary, dirty,
and Just now dilapidated. If perchance
any member of the family appears at a
window, there are eager eyes TO watch ev-
cry EpVement and perhaps a scribler to
chronicle the operations of the toilet, rs
Nj. Willis did for Mrs. Lincoln.
The grounds around the house itself are
not more sacred. The ladies can not take
a step outside without being watched, and
every feature noticed by people who ex-
pect to see something very extraordinary
in the appearance of those temporarily
wearing the purple"
"If,' one of the ladies said to me, the
other day, 81 could only walk about a lit
tie with my children sometimes in the
grounds without being stared at, and really
enjoy the comfort of an old dress and a
little privacy, it would be very pleasant Y
And if they 60 out to drive or enter a
shop, mods and muttered words, indicate
that they are the observed of all OBJ
servers"
Mrs. Patterson has two little ones, and
Mrs. Slower three bright-eyed pretty chill
dren, who doubtless make these cherries
walls ring with their gay laughter and
merry shouts.
The ladie. of the Cabinet suffer in a less
degree than those of the White House.
They can visit ard go out as much rs
they please-indeed, with them an enor-
nous amount of visiting becomes a posi-
tive affection. Daily they are inundated
with cards. Every week at their recep-
tions strangers are presented, and all these
people must be called upon. 1 met one of
the Cabinet ladies the other day st Will
,,aris Hotel.
Il am here" said she, "for the purpose
of leaving sixty cards
l was somewhat appalled, at the num-
Der, and then went IN to ask if l might
inquire how large was her visiting lists ?
There are over fifteen hundred named
in it."
l shrank in some horror from this spec
linen of the duties of office"
So much is required of them, too. Not
only must all these visits be returned, but
an enormous amount of entertaining must
be done. There must be two receptions a
week-one day and one full-dress evening
affair. Then there must be innumerable
dinners, suppers and small companies.
Besides all this they must all go at least
once to each of the receptions and balls
given by other members of the Cabinet
and Senate. You may then form some
idea of the onerous character of this gay
ETY." An day visiting-all evening gong
from one house to another. No wonder
that they look jaded and worn.