The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-04-09

being compelled to exchange calls and
receptions with n colored lady, had more
to do with your misfortunes than any 9TH
er one cause"
CORROBORATION.
g Yes, that's fact, Pinchback," OBJ
served the Hon. Mr.. Rainey. Il was
told the same thing by member of the
house, but | never said anything to you
about it before, because | did not know
that it was common gossip, and hardly
believed il when | heard it.
Il had heard some such thing myself, ?"
said Pinchback, but | never took the
trouble to trace the report to any source,
because | did not think it amounted to
ANYTHING, and besides it was no more
than | expected from some of them"
THE REASON WHY.
There is a reason why the advent Of
coloIed senator should be an occasion OF
social trepdation The social etiquette
Of the senate j. somewhat delicate as well
as quite infexible. Now, on the house
side there is no formal official etiquette as
regards the intercourse of members taml-
lies, They are governed simply by the
ordinary regulations of society and are
free to choose such associates as they like
and avoid such as they do not like. But
upon the families Of senators devolves the
execution of social programme whose
rules have become, by custom, almost, if
not quite, as binding as the rules Of the
legislative body itself. To begin with,
thesenator's family must receive calls from
the entire diplomatic corps, and the diplO-
matte corps is duly bound to make formal
calls upon the family of each senator.
Where a senator has no establishment,
the diplomatic cards are simply sent to
his room. Then the senator's families
must interchange formal calls in the same
manner. This not being a mere matter
of choice, but Of fixed social law,
THE AWFUL CONSEQUENCE
OF the advent Of Mrs Senator of color
agined. Now, if the colored senator
would betake himself and family to some
obscure lodgings, and not make any social
pretensions, the thing might be worried
through in some way or another, though
the presence and the attendant possibilities
Of such disturbing element, likely to
break out with y reception or a call any
day, would prove a skeleton in the closet
of many thrifty '1eader of society"
Pinchback, however, had no intention
of burying either himself or his family in
social secusion. If he had been seated
in the senate he would have rented
house in an eligible locality, or he might
have bought one for that matter, and
then he wonld have set up social estab-
lishment befititng a senator and
A GENTLEMAN OF AMPLE MEANS.
As far as color or gentility of appear
ance is concerned, Pinch back himself
would readily pass for a member of the
Spanish or South American diplomatic
corps, while as conversationalst and
an entertainer he would not reflect par
ticle of iscredit upon the average of
the senate as it is now constituted. In
deed, his complexion is lighter by about
two shades than that of the immortal Lo-
gan, not to carry the comparison any fur
ther.
THE SPECTRAL WOMAN
But the bulk of the society duty would
have devoived upon Mrs. Pinchback, so
that the American people would have
been more deeply interested in her than
in the senator. She is an octoroon, the
Caucasian seven-eighths being part French
and part Spanish. | am not certain
whether she was ever held as slave or
not, but my impression Is that her moth
er was the slave mistress OF Il Creole gen
tieman, and that the children were all
manuInitted at his death. She is about
twenty-eight years old, rather under than
above the medium size of women, beau
tifully nodded, has very small, prettily
shaped hands and feet, and by all odds
the finest gait and carriage when she
moves about that | have seen In Wash
ington She is the mother of three or
four children, and her face shows the in
dications of the early decline which is in
variable with her race and the climate
she was bred in. But is still very hand
some. Her complexion is a bright bru-
nette, her skin is just trife tinted with
olive, but perfectly transparent, the eff
feet similar to that of transparent or
"clear" horn. Like many of her class
under the old regime, she received ''in-
shed education" in a convent, and being
very sprightiy and ambitious by nature,
she has improved upon her early culture
by every means that came in her way,
until she is now what you would call
rather uncommonly vivacious, intelligent
and cultivated little woman.
oDIoUs COMPARISONS.
l suppose it was very bad of me
though quite natural-to institute COM
parsons In my own mind between her and
the wives of several truly loyal senators