Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-12-29
Henry A Wise's Book.


ades of the Union. The Humanities aud Mate
ralism, Illustrated by Memoir of John Tyler,
with "reminiscences Of some Of his Great
Contemporaries. The Transition State Of this
Nation Its Dangers and Their Remedy. BY
Henry A. Wise 1t has these two notices :
''Tis Liberty, or tbs DEATH from Logan,
and "Give me Liberty, or Give me D'aih,
from Patrick Henry The book contains many
very interesting "reminiscences. We give one
extract.
Jackson's temper. 'But. on another occa
Sion his ignorance Of language did entanglc
him in ridiculous mistake, and almost in Il
scrape During his administration, while Mr..
Louis McLane Of Delaware, was Secretary Of
State, France sent a certain dashing minis
ter to Washington, young man just elevated
above the grade of charge, whose passion was
display. His outfit of equlpagc, grooms, pos
tillions, and gold lace was magnificent: lie
called on the Secretary Of State to appoint an
audience with the President and Mr.. Mcllane,
an accomplished, easy gentleman begged him
to call the next morning at 10 o clock at the
State office, and he would accompany and pre-
sent him to the President.
Monsieur le Mnistre mistook as to the place
of calling. He thought he was to call at the
FreSlueQt 5 maUSlOu 1T ~, ~ VI. ~ANNo'Nii'S
ly, in full panoply of costume, in coach-and-
four, with attendants, grooms, postlllious, out
riders and footmen, at the hour appointed he
drove up to the front door of the White
House, instead of to the State Department,
where Mr.. McLane was awaiting his arrival.
Nt that time the President was served
Viseneh cook, and the celebrated lrlshman.
Jimmy O Neal, was General JackSon's pcttcd
major -domo. The hour Was about the time OF
General Jackson's finishing puff OF the pipe
after breakfast, and he smoked as he did every
thing else, with all his might His mode was
no Ilatakia curl, no dreamy thready line. from
harelv opeped lips: but full drawing and cx-
banding volume of white cloud, rising up Whit
after whiff, puff: after puff and bowl and stem
and pipe all smoked as hard and fast as they
could, and the fire was red and the ashes not:
and the whole room was so obtuscated that one
could hardly breathe it's atmosphere or see.
His usual mode of sitting while smoking was
with his left leg thrown across the right, and the
left toe brought behind the right tendo-
Achillis, and the long pipe stem resting IN The
fork or crotch Of the two knees, and reaching
nearly to the floor He smoked the old Pow
hatan bowl, with reed stem very long. In tins
attitude he was sitting and smoking, whilst
Mr.. McLane was waiting at the oIIte
Office for Mr.. Minister, and whilst MIR;
Minister was riding up to the presidential
mansion He arrived the French cook
in the kitchen, Jemmy O'Neal about
his business, and General Jackson alone
in his Office A hustle was made, bells
began to ring: Jenny was summoned
to the door. aud there presented itself
all this parade. The devil a word could
Jenny understand, and the best he
could do was to run up stairs to the gen.
eral and announce somebody very grand; but
JENNY winked that all didn't seem right, as
there seemed too much fuss for that soon IN the
morning, and it might an be imposition: Och.
there was no telling about the thing, 1t was so
unusual - 1t might turn out what afterwards
occurred-a Lawrence affair The general
quietly replied, "Oh, Jenny, show the stran-
ger up-we will see who it is. Jenny ran,
and Jackson sat smoking, when presently the
room-door was thrown wide open and mani
kin of gold lace entered. cooked hat, with bnl-
'Won and white feather, hourishcd in hand ma
king saluam to the right, aud sal laam to the
left with tremendous sweeps wh'zMng ana
whirring French with vehement gesture, and
approaching nearer and nearer: 1t seemed
threatening in the extreme
The President quit smoking, beat the pow! OF
his nine in his hand, rose quickly, took hold or
the back of his chair, and exclaimed: with
strong voice, by the eternal gods, Jenny
O'Neal, who is this p
Jenny, with eyes and ears open, and hands
ready. was amazedly looking on. when. fortll-
natey, he bethought him of the French cook,
and ran for him. There was no time to be lost
so the French cook, with hisshirt sleeves rolled
mn to his shoulders and Just as ne was, be-
sprinkled white with flour, ran up with y Jenny
arriving Just in time to save Mr. Minister
pate from being smashed by the chair IN uch-
eral Jackson's hands.
''Mon Dieur' exclaimed the cook: 1T Is the
Grand Minister of Louis Philippe
ooh |" said the General, walk in, sir; there
Is no ceremony here - And he was about ta-
L;nr the Minister by both hands Just as MIR.
McIane entered to see the mistake, to witness
the prevention of the catastrophe, and to ENJOY
tLe Joke which made him thousand times
afterwards ''shake' with jolity like Il bowltul
of jelly"
WHOSE HAIR WAS lT?-A novel trial is re-
norted TO have taken place in London. ~ lady
want r. hall. and when preparing to return
to her home in the evening, before gong &c
her carriage took off her coitturc and tleu II
nm in q Handkerchief to keep 1t fresh Tor
marty she was to attend the following night
and that she might the more conveniently pt't
wormer wraps on her head the evening being
cold When she reached her dwelling the
coiffure was not in the carnage. She dSs
Matched messenger for it, but 1t could not DC
found. Some days after she met an acquaIhl
ance, whose hair was the same color as iei
own-rather peculiar hue-and was S'!!Sneo
she wore her coifure. She taxed her WIN vi IT.
OF OF course it was Indignantly denied. So Ger
tain was the lady that it was her hair the other
had taken from the ball and wa; wearing, she
sued her for it. When the trial came on the
defendant struck the prosecutor dumb and con
yinced the Court by letting down her tresseS
and showing they were her own, thereby pro-
curing Judgment in her favor; oubseqncnt!!!
she quarreed with her hair dresser, when II II
came out that the hair she had so dexterouSil
exhibited as having: grown on her head hae
grown on some other head, but had been i; art,
fully and artisticolly arranged for the pulling
down process by the hair dresser