Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-10-17
fair face of the ambassadors wife was

fair face of the ambassador wife was
too happy for utterance.
Madame Cataeazy's beauty was the
theme Of newspaper writer's, and the
gossip Of West End. Her parlors on
Franklin Square we're thronged on re-
ception DAYS with West aristocratic resi-
dents and sojourners of the capital.
They had been in Washington but
few days when they rode over to Bladens-
burg to see the beautiful vineclad cot
tage, where years before she had spent
so many happy hours. Every nook was
exanined, and, as the enthusiastic wife
recollected the hours Of love aud conf
dence she had spent there, she said she
would be happy indeed to live there
again.
Plucking bouquet from the little yard,
as beautiful to her as was Claude Al
pine home. she rode back 10 Washing
ton; but not before some old Bladen-
burg Mrs. Grundy had recognized the
old sweetheart love of the Russian Sec
retary.
She reported the fact to the qutd-nuHcs
Of Washington.
SOCIAL DESTRUCTION MEDITATED.
The hereditary Washington gossips
now set to work-those ancient female
military and naval barnacles who live in
West End boarding houses, wear long
black dresses, and subsist on gossip
about what Miss Lane and Mr.. Buchan-
nan used TO do. They talk about Cap
tain Mcclellan and Colonel Lee, and
only aspire to marry daughters TO higher
titles than Lieutenants end Captains in
the army. They don't know that Cap
iains and Lieutenants never get above
Blocker street in the exclusive society of
the metropolis. Well, this set, who hut-
ter around the Carols, and Riggses, and
Corcorans, began TO breathe mildew
upon the fair fame Of the beantiiul vile
of the Russian Minister.
Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Fish, who had
received more than once, and who had
more than once been the recipient of her
warm Russian courtesy, were taken in
tow.
1t is dreadful said one.
Perfectly horrible!" exclaimed an
other, with her hands out like great Y.
You ought not to receive her. said
all these female West End lucifers at
once. "It's an insult to send her here.
As il she who had been honored at the
Russian cOurt-she who had been kissed
ia the Imperial white room of st. George
by the Czarina and Dagmar and Grand
Duke Constantine, could soil the charac-
ters Of few gossiping Washington West
Enders, who become self appointed
boarding houTe guardians of the nC-
tional honor.
Yes, women were at the bottom of it,
lust as they have been at the bottom OF
more than one White House squabbl2,
from Mrs. Eaton down to Kate Sprague
and Mrs Lincoln.
THE WEST END ANGELS ACCOMPLISH THEIR
WORK.
The gossip carried the day, and at the
dinner given to the High Joint Com
mission Mrs. Fish opened the barrel
of powder, which mayyet blow up war
between Russia and America.
Mr.. Catacazy is an excitable man, and
when his wife was cut thus publicly,
what wonder that he aew into n passion
and called Fish an old sardine, and
swore by the big bell in Kremlin that
FISH ana MIS-. FISH, anu eNeTyDO ~
Washington, could be brought up like a
load of cueumbers in the Moscow supera-
boskney2 Madame cataeazy has simply
played the role of Mrs A. d. Richardson.
She comes from profigate court. She
comes from where both the Russian and
French traditions are loose on the subject
OF divorce and marriage, and from where
many women think they are saints if
they are true to one man, married or not.
In Russia / have often been invited to
dine with, perhaps, a member OF the
nobility, when / would have to ask the
question at which house, for the man
kept two houses.
Now that we have got into the diplo-
matte muddle, it will be hard to get out.
But, whatever transpires, remember
Madame Catacazy is beautiful womani
nobody questions her purity, and nobody
doubts the mutual devotion, the absolute
worship of love which exists between
the Russian Minister and his wife,