The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-06-04

A Day in the Ante-rOom of the White
H0uca

n A Day in the Ante-rOOm of the Whit
House. -
9 1t is the business of General Den
to receive all who seek the presenc
Of the President. When Andrew
Johnson was Chief Executive, ,all thos
waiting for audience with power wer'
left by themselves to pass the Ions
hours in waiting 1t is somewha
!, different now. The large reception
room, over the front of the Eas
room, is fitted up with tables as wei
as sofas and chairs, and all, from The
humblest to the highest, are admitter
to General Dents presence. In The
cosiest corner OF his reception room
beneath the window which commands
the uninterrupted view of the delight
full park which fronts the mansion
may be found the brad, long table
at witch General Dent sits, withihis
accomplished assistants by his side
General Dent is in the meridian o.
life, rather below the medium size
though the rich, dark blue military
1 garb in which he is encased diverts
the mind from size altogether. Now
add face, neither handsome MOI
plain, but benign, sood counte.
nance, through which the soul shines
likeflame through an astral shade, and
you have the picture of the man
through whose hand you are to pass
before you are consigned to the su-
gust presence Of majesty.
AT the same table, directly oppo-
site General Dent, may be seen the
assistant private secretary, Mr..
Douglas, eldest son of the late Hon.
Stephen A.. Douglas. Those who
can recall the features OF the departed
Senator will see them reproduced,
hut like the second edition of the
same book, little revised aud some
what corrected. Mr.. Douglas inner
its the broad shoulders, crowned by
the same massive head, so well re
imcmbered by the nation. His North
Carolina speech has made him IA
nous as a youth, and it seems GER
tain, at present, that he was created
to prove the exception to the rule
that great man never bequeaths his
talents to posterity. The social
manners of Mr.. Douglas are such as
would endear him TO sovereign rs
naughty as Queen Elizabeth, and, Just
as soon as lie eliminates as private
s, cretary, it would be for the honor of
the foreign service to send him abroad.
But, at present, he can not be spared
from certain ante-room of the
White House.
At the left of General Dent may
be seen Mr.. Crooks. one OF the few
men left who were bequeathed rs
servants to the people by our beloved
Lincoln. He mas seen the Inaugural
tion of four Presidents, and the in
staiIation of three different families
in the White House. His mind is Il
stOre-house of legend and story. He
is still young man, more than come
ly in personal appearance, and dis
tinguished by social manners which
admirably benefit court life.
And now we come TO that part of
the story which bears such n strong
resemblance to an eastern tale. High
and low, rich and poor, all shades,
all colors, iIom the blanched check
of the naughty Circassian belle to
the Ethiopian's polished ebony, may
be found waiting in the ante-rooms
of the White House. Yellow men
ars there, with skins like dead gold,
their large, soft, lustrous eyes re.
minding one OF a Moorish picture
The dash OF carriage is heard on
the stone pavement below. Two
elegant women alight in faultless
travelling costume. They are shown
by messenger to the ante-room, and
General Den. arises to receive them.
One of them is exceedingly beauti
ful. "We have Called" says the
beauty, ''to Pay our respects to the
President.' "Any business ?'' in
quires Gen. Dent. The dainty lips
curl perceptibly. "None whatever );
we are travelling; we wish to see the
President" Impossible, madam.
All these people you see are waiting
to see the President on business
General Grant would be pleased to
see you, but he has no time he can
call his own The great, naughty
eyes of the travellers wander around
the room. As the two are about to
TO depart, Gen. Dent asks them if
they .wOuld be shown about the
building? 7" A digniiied consent be
ing given, the two stately swans sail
away, piloted by the same messenger
who showed them up the stairs
The doors of the inner temple
tremble on their hinges, and the
form of u ponderous Senator
energies from the presence
of the sun of day. 1t is Henry Will
son of Massachusetts. lie strides to
Il centre table and shakes hands with
4 distinguished group of men, com
posed of Cole of California, Carpenter
of Wis, of the Senate, irrepreSSible
Gen. Butler and Gen Markland, the
personal friend of Gen. Grant, who
was nominated for third assistant post
master general. Very soon Mr. Go
bright, of the Associated Press, joins
hands with them; but the attention
of all eyes is drawn in another direc-
ton. Two strangers are announced,
and again Gen. Dent arises to receive
them. Two strange beings The
man wears the national costume OF
Burmah, the picturesque turban, and
the high colored shawl gracefully
draped about his person. The woman
has spoiled her identity by adopting
certain portions of European dress.
They are native Burmese, and have
been studying this country, but soon
take their departure for Burmah,
where they expect to act as missiona-
ries. They have called to bid Presi-
dent Grant farewell, and are at once
shown to his presence.
Every hour brings new arrivals. A
colored delegation from Alexandria
has arrived. 1t was promised they
should see the President at one O'Clock.
1t IS long past the hour but still they
wait patiently. 1t seems to be the
colored mans fate to wait. There is
solemn grandeur about this resigna
tion. 1t is like the march of the
centuries. Art has portrayed it in
tho raca of thu Enuntian SnhinY