Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-11-20
SOCIETY,S THORNY ROAD.
The wives Of our Public Men--The
Sorrows of Mrs. Andrew johnson.


Gen. Alfred Townsend, writing to the
Hartford Post, says:
If you would see how thorny is the
road Of public mans wife, look at
Mrs. Andrew Johnson. She taught her
husband how to read. lie went off i'm
mediately and bought a copy of the
Constitution, and kept reading it until
he was impeached under it. 1t made
made him everything from Alderman
up,and now bis house begins to wear that
hospitable look that all houses have when
we feel that moving day approaches. l
dare say that Mrs johnson, pleased as
she must have been in her ambition, to
see the father of her children ascending
into history, would have been a happier
lady had her husband adhered to his
goose. She is an invalid, who has been
seen by few during all these eminent
years, but in her conclusion she must
still read and feel most poignantly all
the bitter taunts of speech and para
graphs flung at her husband. While in
bis pubic absorptions. she, no doubt,
misses much of that endearment so sweet
and grateful to the sick OF her chill
dren, one daughter is a widow, the 9th
er the wife Of Senator, but not such
Senator as you conceive for your daugh-
ter's protector; while her son, who might
in private life have been fireside orna-
ment, is unequal to his dazzling situa-
ton, and source of disconsoation all
the time.
What happiness can there be, think
you, in this mngling of so much honor
and misery-to be unpitied because your
rank is so enviable, while in your wife's
and mothers heart you need more sym
pathy than the servant woman in your
great pantry. A lady informs me of an
interview held with Mrs. Johnson by her
friend during the impeachment trial.
"But for the humiliation and Mr..
Johnson's feelings" she said, 81 wish
they would send US back to Tennessee
if it were possible, give US our poverty
and peace again, so that we might learn
how to live for our children and our
selves
TO sympathetic remark, Mrs. John.
son further said
] hayo not seen happy moment
since / came TO the house. get none
Of the society incident to it, and desire
none. Ny daughters dislike all these
receptions and displays, and only consent
10 them at sasrifice. If life we're to
90 over again. sometimes think should
never marry public man."
The wives of Senators and Congress
men do not generally come to Washing
ton during the session. The pay of a
member is only $4,000 year and his
mileage, and this viii not suffice to keep
up the establishments, for the member
must maintain his State among the con-
stituents all the while. If the wife and
family come here, they must relinqush
their excellent home for the miserable
Imprisonment Of a hotel, or the associa-
tons of boarding house, and the few
who can afford parallel private establish
ments are run down with company,
made conveniences OF by constituents,
aud expected to rival each others par
ties and routs.
The children of such Congressman
must either separate from their parents
or accept the indifferent schools and as
sociations of an indefinite and uncertain
city, where carEet-bagging is the rule
and birthright the exception, and the
wife loses her neighbors, loses her pri-
vate rights, is dragged into the newspa-
pers, and seduccd to command her hus-
bands influence for adventures and
schemes. Heaven must be place of
insupportable scandal if the ratio increas-
es straight on from high life in Wash
ington, or anywhere at public court in
deed; for st. James and the Tuileries
are yet more newsy and uncharitable -
In this depot of schemers the good name
of beautiful woman is made the Jest OF
every eucher-party, and banded in faro
banks and committee-rooms. Criticism
is busy with her dress, her person and
her eraces. If she avoid society, it is
imputed to her boorishness; if she be
cheerful in it, she is said to be frivolous
or heartless. What higher purposes can
she subserve at the Capital than at home
among her husbands constituents (?
think hear your lady readers say,
"She can exert an influence" Perhaps
But this town is freckled into reformers
of every sort, aud the sort of questions
that woman lays to heart are invariably
the follies of legislation. / never knew
a woman to exert an influence" here
who did not become common, descend
to lobbying, lose her credit and increase
the scepticism of men. Emotional sub.
jects, such as ladies take to heart, are in