Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-29

Win their Baltimore SAStorb-Tne
Proud Position which Tennessee la
dies Occupy-Tennessee not Back
woods COuntry-WhatF Fashion Does.
for the Wives OF Cabinet Officers.
Correspondence of the Union and American.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %, I872.-Nothipg
can be sweeter or more expressive thanthe
music at the pleasant little cathedral of ST.
Mathews In this city, corner Of Il aud Fif-
teenth streets. 1t is the church at which
ali the Catholic foreigners of position at
tend, and unlike many Catholic churches
in many cities In this country, is truly neat
and well attended to. We saw some very
elegant and handsome looking women at
vespers on Sunday, who bad all the air of
boa-tOn and foreigners. At the church of
the Epiphany, on G street, although the
night was intensely cold, the ladies were
out de rigear, and it is somewhat of a mis-
take to say, as many do and have, that
Washington can boast Of her handsome
women. Washington ladies suffer by be-
ing in such close proximity to the universal
beauty of the ladies of Baltimore, and 1t is
really amusing to listen to some of the
Washington ladies proper run down their
fair sisters of Baltimore. There is great
rivalry between these two places. We
must acknowledge that ourpreference is for
the former place in many respects. At.
though this, the capital of the nation, must
always be the focus to which all rays coz
centrate.
We were much amused at an officer in
the regular army, now retired. His ideas Of
Tennessee primitiveness would cause many
fair dame or dsnsel of our City of Rocks
both mirth and chagrin. He did not seem
to be aware that We were up to the "mod-
ern improvements" We think he still
considered that we all warmed ourselves
before immense "back-logs,, in fre-plsces,
twelve feet by six. That there is a house
in Nashville heated by steam, would seem
him maircle. Do I'VE not pity his igno-
rance? And yet, Tennessee has always
played an important part in the society of
this place. Many persons speak to JUS Of
the elegant and sumptuous manner in
which Postmaster General Brown lived,
of the elegant and recherche dinner parties
given By himself and his generous and am
liable wife. They often ask US of Mrs
President Polk, and tell US that Tennessee
ans should be proud Of so elegant and ac.
complished are preventative as she was; and
speak of the quiet dignity displayed upon
all occasions by the family Of ex-President
Johnson. We have met some individuals
who remember the intellectual Mrs. Wilcox,
and how great belle she was in the Fede-
raj capital. Many persons in society who
have read "The Queens of American So
ciety" ask us if we know Mrs. W. A.
Cheatham; and some persons who have
met her here in former years, speak of
her amiability, her elegance and exceeding
refinement, to all of which we instantly as5
sent. There are many Others who are no
forgotten. So you see that Nashville, al
though small place is one OF some i'm
portanee, and does not at all resemble
Hoods description of village:
''And toy shop, but not a whole one, for a vii
lage can't compare with the London shops;
One window sells drums, dolls, kites, carts,
bats, clouts, balls, and the other sells
malt and hops
And Mrs Brown, not to be bit behind her bet
ters,
Lets her house to a milliner, a matchmaker, a
rat-catcher, a cobbler, lives in it herself,
and it's the postottice for letters"
Which description somewhat answers to
this place, for on Pennsylvania Avenue one
can see in the same store-On one side G
window full of "Paris bonnets," and in the
other the most fancifui of rigs and all man
nera Of false hairs; and in another shop,
one window full of "Paris bonnets" and
the other fell of 'sGeneva Watches" and so
on. We were tempted to ask if we could
not 6nd regular out and out "Bonnet
Store"
So many men of talent have figured here
from Tennessee, and so many women OF
beauty, elegance sad intellect, that one is
naturally proud to hail from so fine State,
even if a few raw army officers do believe
that We ara still in q state of pristine igno-
rance. We generally tell we'll away from
home.
Although the "season" has begun, still
the ladies of the White House and Cabinet
have not yet thrown open their doors, and
consequently the "season" is not in full
force.
Washington bids fair to be one of the
handsomest cities in the Union, on account
of the immense breadth of the streets and
on account of its public buildings. But,
with all justice to its ladies, we must say
that we do not meet with that style, that
':je ne SGis Quoi,n or nGneleSS something,
that we have met with in the ladies' of other
cities. Sometimes, you know, the Cabinet
ladies, ETC., ETC., are raw recruits, and not
posted-but this is sub rosa. If they only,
some of them, had little touching Of
French polish. But, upon the whole, off
cial society is always amiable, courteous
and well-bred.
Mrs. Slidell, from our native Crescent
City, is spoken of with much admiration in
Of har hor7f hnlI ab.I
ments. Mrs. Gen. Gaines, from New Or
leans, and a. celebrity, is now in that
city. A lady friend of hers told
mo that she spoke in great
bitterness Of her native town, and that
when she "gains" her suit, poor little wo-
man, she intended TO build palatial resi-
dence here in honor of this good Govern
ment; that her house should have an ayiary,
q conservatory, an observatory, a MENACE
RE, ETC., ETC., and that she intended to ''cut'
her Southern friends. Alas! poor Yorick
o, fashion! thou wonderful coDjurer,
that canst make white seem black and
black seem white, stupidity seem dignity,
and vulgarity seem ease; thou canst make
plain Mrs. Attorney General Williams seem
a most beautiful woman. o, thou wonder
ful, wonderful conjurer!
Washington society proper is undergo
ing many changes, we are told. There are
very few Southern people here, and con-
slant Influx of Northerners make the CITY
every day more Northern in aspect and SEN
timent. In this respect it is very unlike
Baltimore. A Washington young lady said
to US, "The Baltimore ladies pretend to be
great Rebels, but they did not go out of the
Union"
tis bitter cold here. Au reU0ir,
EMMA NASH.
A NEW AND SHREwD FRAUD.
The latest dodge in the market line, says
tba Nhillioofba /Obia\ Com of;tstfsoa IL