Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-06-01
The Lady of ilse Capitol.

Mrs. Ames, in her last Washington letter
to the Independent, describes some of tn,
female lobbyists and their ways. The fol-
lowing sketch is thrillingly interesting.
Leaning back in deep chair, no one
near her, you see a fair woman, whose beau.
tifui presence seems at variance with the
many anxious and angular and the few coarse
women around her. The calmness of assur.
eu position, the serene satisfaction of con.
scious beauty, envelope her and float from
her like an atmosphere. We feel it even
mere. Pale plumes droop above her lovely
iorehead, velvet draperies fall about her
graceful form. We catch a glimpse of allur.
ing laces, The CLEAN of Jewels giitterinp on
dimpled, unglovcd hands. Look long into
this face its splendor of tint and perfect;on
OF outline can bear the closest scrutiny -
LOOK long, and then say if soul saintly as
wen as serene looks out from under those
Pehciied arches, through the dilating irises
Oh those beguiliDg eyes. Look and the
unveneo gaze which meets yours will tell
you, as plainly as gaze can tell, that adu.
ialion Is the life of its life, and seduction
tne secret OF Its spell. This beauty would
NOT pianch before the proiamest sight; it is
.ne peau'y OF one who tunes her tongue to
honeyeo accents, and lifts up her eycids to
n
snowy carriage. She glides through the
corridors, haunts the galleries and the ante
rooms of the Capitol oonsni.
cuous in her beauty. All who behold her
inquire: Who is that beautiful woman2"
Nobody seems quite sure. Doubt and mys-
terry envelope her like cloud "She is
rich ana beautiful widow !" "She is unmar
ried !" "She is visiting the city with her
husband" Livery gazer has different an
swer.
"Ihere are few deep in the secrets of
diplomacy. of legislative venality, of govern
ment prostitution, who can tell you that she
Is one OF the most subtle and most dangerous
OF lobbyists. She is but one of class al.
ways beautiful and always successful She
pays Tor large stakes; but always wins.
me man who says to her, Secure my ap-
po,intment, make sure my promotion, and l
VIII pay you so many Thousands usually
gets his appointment, and she her thousands.
Does she wait like suppliant2 Not at all.
Sne sits IKE an empress waiting to give au-
dience. Will she receive her subjects in
promiscuous assembage2 No. If you wait
long enough, you see her glide over these
tesselated floores but not alone. Far from
the ears of the crowd, in some ante-room
sumptuous enough for the Sybrites, this wo-
man, as beautiful as nature and art can
make her, will dazzle the sigh. of half
demented and wholly bewildered magnate,
and then tell him what she wants With
alluring eyes and beguiling voice, she will
through the outworks of his senses, and so
charm him on to do her pleasure. He pro-
mises her his influence, he promises her his
power, her favorite shall have the boon he
demands. Thus some of the highest prizes
in the Government are won. INSCRIPTIONS
men pay willy women to touch the subtest
and surest springs of influence, and thus
open secret way to their public success.
No longer the question is, Shall women par.
ticipate in politics; shall they form a con-
trolling element in the Governmen But, as
there are women who will and do exert this
power. Shall it remain covert, equivocal,
demoralizing, base or shall it be brave, and
pure, and open as the SUM-