Middletown transcript., 1872-02-03
raEsiDEsr sAcksos.s rsarsn.

From General Henry A. wise's i" Seven
Decadcs Of the Union Ne take the follow
ing rcminiscenco Of the days Of Jackson.
told in the auihor's inimitablc style:
But. on another occasion. bic Ignorance
Of language did cnisngle him in ridicu-
Ions mistake, snd almost in . scraps.
During bis administration. while Mr.
Louis McLanc. Of Delaware, Was Sccre.
tnry Of State. France sent = certain DASH
ing minister to Washington. . young msn
just clevsted above tho grade Of charge.
whose passion was display Ills outfit Of
cquipage. grooms. possillions. and gold
lace. was magnificent. He called ON the
Secretary Of State to appoint an audience
with the President; aud Mr.. McI.sne, mn
accomplished. easy gentleman, begged him
10 call the next morning at 10 o'clock st
the State office. snd he would accompany
aud present him to the President.
Monsieur 10 Minis,re mistook as to the
place Of calling He though, he wss 10
call Mt the Presidents mansion at 10 A. NJ.
Accordingly. in full panoply Of costume.
IN coach. and. four. with attendants. groons.
pnstillions. outridrrs. and fpotmcn, ut the
hour appointed he drove up to the front
door Of the White House. Instead Of To the
State Department. where Mr.. Mcl.ane
was awaiting his arrival
At that time the President was served
by French cook. and the celebrated
Ir;.hnan. Jenny O'Nenl. was General
Jacksons pettcd major. domo. The hour
was nbou. the time Of Gen. Jackson's $
finishing puff Of the pipe utter brcakt FAST
and he smoked MS he did everything else,
with al his might. His mode va. no
La.akia curl, no dreamy. thrcady line
from barely opened lips; bu. full draw
ing and expanding volume OF white cloud
ris sng up Whit after Whit. puff after puff
and bowl and stem aud pipe all smoked as
hard sud fast as they could, and the FIRE
was red and the ashes hot. and the whole
room was so otfusca,ed tha, one could
hardly breathe the atmosphere or see
His usual mode Of sitting while smok
ing was his left leg thrown across the
right. aud the lcf toe brought behind the
right tendon 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 Powhstan
bowl, with reed stem very long lu l,i.
attitude he was sitting and smoking willis,
Mr.. McLane was waiting at the State Of
flee for Mr.. Minister aud while Mr. Min
lister was riding up 10 tho presidential
mansion. He arrived--the French cook
in the kitchen. Jenny O'Ncal abou, his
business, aud General Jackson alone in
his Office A hustle was made bells be-
gan To ring. Jenny was summoned 10 the
DOOR aud there presented itself all this
parade The devil word could Jenny
understand. aud the best he could do was
10 run mp stairs to the general aud an
nouncc somebody very grand but Jenny
winked that all didn't seem right. as there
seemed too much fus for that soon in the
morning, and it nigh, be an imposition
Och, there Was no telling about the
thing, it was so unusual" |, might turn
out what afterwards occurred. Law
renee affair. The general quietly replied.
oh. Jenny. show the stranger up; VIC
will see who il Is Jenny rau aud
Jackson sat smoking. when presently the
room door was thrown wido open aud
nanlkin of gold lac. entered cooked hat,
with bullion NJ d whit. feather. honrished
in hand, making = salaam TO the right and
-alaam to the left with tremendous swceps.
sbixzing and whirring French with sehe-
meni gesture aud approaching nearer and
srarer ; i, seemed threatening in the ex.
IRENE.
The rrt.iden. quit smoking. beat the
bowl Of his pipe in his hand. rose quickly,
took hold Of the back Of his chair. and c1-
claimed, with strong voicc. !" BY the G.
ternal gods. Jenny O'Neal. who is thiss"
Jrnmy. with eys and ears open. and
hands ready, was amazcdly looking on.
when fortunately he bc,hough, him Of the
French cook, and ran for him, There
was un time TO be lost, so the French
cook, with his shirt sleeves rolled up TO
his shnlders. and just as he was bcsprnkl-
cd white with -four, ran up with JENNY.
arriving jus, in time to save Mr. Minis
ier's pate from being smashed by the chair
IN General Jackson's hands
i" Mon dicu." exclaimed the cook "it
is the grand minister Of Louis Phlirpe."
"uh, said the General: +" walk in, sir,
there is no ceremony here" Aud he was
about taking the minister by both hands
jus, as Mr. Mcl.anc entered to SEQ the
mistake, to witness the prevention Of the
catastrophe, aud to enjoy the joke. which
made him = thousand times afterward
/" shake" with jolli.y like bowlful Of
ielly."