The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-05-12
The Inaugural Reception.

have discovered the utmost test Of
the powers of human endurance-it is an
'Inaugration Ball. / can understand
how one might 90 10 such place from q
"sense ofduty." from the purpose to please
another; but from personal pleasure, ney-
er. went on the high ground Of philan-
thropy. 1t is true expect you TO pay
me for it, Independent, and 10 pay me well
IA fact which casts Doubt upon my en-
tire iisinterestedness. Nevertheless, my
highest compensation comes from the
knowledge that Molly, and Polly, and
Susy, and Sally, and their sisters all over
the land may read everything about it,
while they are toasting their toes and
leaning back in their roeking-ehairs, with
out being as nearly squeezed to death as l
was, or without nursing their bruises for
week afterward, suffered for your sakes,
my dears When the committee wrote to
President Grant concerning this recep-
ton, he replied: Gentlemen, you will
please me best, if you dispense with it al
together" And all future committees
owe it to the people of the land never to
attempt to hold such national reception
again until Washington owns fit assem-
bly, hall in which to hold it. 1t is the veri.
est cant to cry out against this reception
in itself. 1t is the most innocent and nat
ural impulse possible that the thousands Of
people here, from Name to Florida, should
desire such an opportunity to see the
chiefs of the nation and their families.
They came to the Capital at great cost
and palms. and wish to carry back to their
remote homes rs many pleasant memories
as possible Then somebody was terribly
to blame for selling thousands Of tickets
at ten dollars each, to guests for whom
there was no possible accommodation. The
rooms in the new Treasury extension are
spacious and beautiful; and, if no more
persons had been admitted than could be
Accommodated. the reception would have
been most delightful. But with ten thou
sand persons making their ingress and
egress through the same doors, there
could be but one result-the most cruel
jamming that ever mortals endured. Yet
there were four floors used, and the halls
in each were ninety feet long by twenty
feet in width. The marble room, the
principal reception room, is perfect in it.
self Its walls and trimmings are compos-
ed Of six varieties oil marbe-the Penn
sylvania black, the Vermont dove, the
Tennessee chocolate, Italian white. Bar
diglio mottled dove. and the Sienna yell
low The pillars of the room blossom out
at the top into Corintnian leaves. Around
the upper portion Of the room extends
bronzed balcony, resting on white marble
slabs. The room was decorated with flags
and evergreens, blazing with chandeliers.
Here at half past ten P. NJ, the committee
received the President, Vice-President,
and their families. Before that time the
main hall leading to it had become hope
lessly jammed with tortured mortals. As
they were vainly trying to move in both
directions at the same time, imagine the
conflict. The heat was sitting. If every
body had smelled sweet, the close COM
munion" would not have been quite so
dreadful But, o dear perceived posi-
lively more than the seven distinct-odors
of the city of Cologne. One poor little
woman was compelled to keep her ehignon
shut against my mouth. ] assure you il
didn't send up a pleasant SAVIOR. 1t must
have been her own. Though you new
er come to an Inauguration reception again,
let me recommend TO you, my dear, puri-
flying wash of camphor and borax The
only chance we had for movement, was
when some lady tainted, and halEfrantIc
policeman beat a passage for her distressd
gentleman to carry her through. When
the pushers from behind crushed you on.
it was not only the utmost test of endur-
ance, but Of temper.-Extract fromsa wo-
mans letter.-Independent.