Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-02-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
Society I'm Washington.


GEN. GRANTS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
THE PRESIDENT, MIR. coLFAx AND MIR.
STANTON RsAzIoNEs--FAsHIoN AND
RELIGIoN-PEhsoNAL.
A Washington correspondent of the New
York Tribune gives the following sketch of
society in that city:
1t is very difficult to stop long enough to
sketch life in Washington. 1t is as much as
one can do TO live it. Event follows event,
scene follows scene in such rapid succession,
like the pictures in phantasmagoria, one can
scarcely name them as they pass. One slips
into the tide-goes with it, and wakes up
some morning so tired. Yet the human tide
rolls on the same; and watching it from
ones window, say, is decidedly pleasant.
1t is reception day. All equlpages move
toward the West End The enumeed coach,
the liveried driver the thoroughbred horses,
the fine ladies in ermine, velvet, and Jewels,
all move on toward the West End. The
"hack," with its tattered trappings, its
shabby driver its dilapidated horses, and
its ladies in second drate, liked up" fnery,
jots on toward the West End Why not 2
This is democratic country, or ought to
be; and if Mrs. Clerk wishes to delight her
eyes with the sight of Mrs. Cabinets latest
costumes and refurnished salons has she not
as good a right, pray, as Mrs Congress
AS these rights are necessary to her peace,
happy for her that the Government of her
country gives her the privilege of enjoying
them, otherwise society would not. Human
nature is the same in Washington as in Lon
don, and yearns to exalt itself by priv-
lodged order, by the escutcheons of nobility
and the impossible bars of caste. These
yearnings are manifested by superior
air. and an exclusive devotion to the Corps
DtplO0atique.
Such aspirations are very amusing to i'm.
partial beholders, and tempt one to probe a
little below the surface, to see in what man
ner of soil the family tree took root. The
"humbe individual is not the only one of
our public men who from the smallest be-
ginnings has worked his way to place and
power. 1t is the glory of their country that
this is true. We doubly honor the man
who, against the odds Of fate, has struggled
up to success, until he begins to put on
airs :" then it is human nature also to begin
ITO take him down" The Hon. Mrs. -
taught district school once. And now in
her high estate she scatters the gifts of af-
fuence and of fame with lavish hand
fall upon lowly and lofty, and if she is not
reverenced it is because she is so beloved.
Another Hon. Mrs. - was chmbermaid
in her youth. Now this delicately nurtured
creature is unable to dress or undress her
self, or even to hang up her own clothes,
although perfectly able to endure any amount
OF dissipation. She is very aristocratic. She
appreciates liveried coachmen and coats OF
arms. We object to neither Only give the
real family insignia. Let the scissors, the
shoe-last, the broomstick, flourish where
they belong
Among the most popular of the day-re-
ceptions are those Of Mrs. Grant. Carriages
crowd the street for block from the house,
and gay cavalcades OF ladies are seen alight-
ing and returning through half the hours of
every Saturday. The spacious parlors are
thronged with beauty, fashion, and youth.
People like to come here for they are certain
of kindly welcome. No matter how great
the crowd, nor how brief the space allotted
for words, they are sure of receiving some
thing more than merely conventional well
come. Mrs. Grant does not receive" with
the air of martyr, or an autometon. She
evidently enjoys it, this elegant crowd OF
bright faced women, all lavishipg sunshine
aud kind words on her She is pleased
with SO much attention, and natural enough
to show it, in an unaffected womanIy way.
Every body feels kindly toward the Grants
An unwonted state of mind for everybody
to be in toward family raised from poverty
and obscurity to affluence and power. Yet
this is true, the spacious house, the costly
library, the snowy coach and horses, gifts as
they are, seem to stir neither envy nor ma
lice in anybody's heart. The secret of this
good will does not lie wholly in the fact OF
Gen. Grants military renown; that, if he
were selfish and exclusive and "set up,
would not make him socially popular. But
the Grants have a pleasant way of sharing
their good gifts with Others. If you see the
carriage on the avenue it is filed as full a.
it can hold, and is evidently rolling about
not for state, but for good time. You &c
to the house that too is full to overiowing
and whoever chooses to come, is certain mo-
! of an ostentatious, out sincere welcome. A
lady said the other day: ~ don't see how
Mrs. Grant can open her house to everybody
and receive people promiscuously."