The Portland daily press., 1872-02-01
The Augusta Correspondent Of the Press.

PEN-SKETCH OF "PERCIE.
Look out for another of Percie's racy letters
in few days. Meanwhile the following neat
sketch of our correspondent, written, we sus-
suspect, by one of our rising young lawyers,
will prove interesting:
Augusta is very interesting spot just at
present The hotels are filled to overlooking;
the parlors at night look like hospital wards
with their long rows of little white cots. Rail
road magnates jostle each other in passages,
corridors, and in the State House lobbies; &C
tive vigorous, sharp-looking lobbyists dart hith-
er and thither amid the groups, apparently with
the weight of empires on their shoulders, and
the whole crowd seems pervaded with some
what vague and nebulous sense OF Importance,
and is dubionsly conscious OF the existence OF
subterranean operations concerning whose ex-
act import all sorts of rumors and guesses are
prevalent
In spite of all these pre- occupations and dis
fractions there is one person here for whom all
visitors first enquire, and who attracts more
attention than any other individual-not even
excepting the railroad Kings in all their majes-
ty This is Percie, the viyacious interviewer,
and pen photographer of all men here whom
she thinks worth working up. She is a pleas
of the Speakers chair at a little desk, some
times writing with her back to the House, but
oftener turned around, quietly looking the
House over as if selecting victims for i'm
placement upon her sharp pen. She has very
light brown hair, quite abundant, massed on
the back of her head and tossing about over
the front in those bewildering little fluffs
wavelets and sprays SO much affected by
the sex in these times and SO damaging to mas
culine peace of mind. Hence. curls of moder-
ate dimension depend from beneath her
chignon. She has steady true-looking grey
eyes, a Grecian nose, a square, firm, well-cut
mouth and a pretty chin. She is OF medium
size good form, wears a black dress with velvet
trimmings in bows on the shoulders and bands
around the sleeves and skirt, snowy linen cuffs,
a lace collar with q black tie or scarf in which
are figures in bright colors crimson and green
while around her neck is a, very narrow green
ribbon tied little at one side of the front in an
elaborate bow whose construction is entirely
beyond masculine comprehension. She wears
a long gold chain with a suppositious but invis-
very agreeable. She is a great favorite here, all
the members particularly those who are likely
to be done in ink by her, wing with each other
in paying Their court In fact. the business of
the House seems to revolve about Percie as a
sort of pivot. Every member on rising to his
feet seems uneasily conscious that his picture
may be in process of construction at that mo-
rment and talks at Percie while ostensibly adj
dressing Mr.. Speaker. ..r, -...,.er ,.,s44
If his front face be best, he stands squarely
with front to Percie; if he looks better in pro-
file he stands with his side to Pereie; while
those few unhappy wretches who don't look
well at all, stand defiantly bolt upright and
make the most of their clothes, Every man
gets himself up in the morning with direct ref
erence to Percfe, and gives the final touch to
his necktie and the last dash at his hair, with
the latent prayer that Percie may like that
style. Amid all this legislative alteration she
carries herself with.a modest dignity worthy
of all commentator, and merits approval and
respect for the energy and power shown in find
ing work for herself in this busy world and in
doing it so well. l973q2 1t4'4i zaqriD SHifG