Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-02-27
Our washington Letter.
SOCIAL LIFE.-NofICEABLE WOMEN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18th, 1874.

repent, but to.take a long breath and gossip
. little. The city is absolutely full of people.
The President, we hear, attributes this to
The panic, and says as far as he can Judge |
every individual of the crowd is here tor an
office. As can be imagined. the social cal
iron has bubbled up and boiled over, dur
ing the past three weeks. Society has de-
manded Of us everything short of life ITSELF
We can tell the President of one poor soul,
at least, that pines for consulate TO the
Fejee Islands. To have friends is well, but
when it comes to ten thousand Of them, it
is simply an abomination. As Il child, we
were inclined to think We should not like
angels, but Just now We are so desperately
tired of people, of purple and fine linen,
and all that,we think that wings if nothing
else. would be blessed change. Talk about
panics There never has been such dressing
among wOmankind as here in Washington
this winter 1t looks as though poor but
pious parents " had put all their available
funds into laees and diamonds, before max
ing final assignment to their creditors
The bellies have been mostly stout women,
who could carry off most of this toggery
Some have been pointed out to Us, that ac-
tually made US sea-sick. Your petite, spiri-
lucille women count as nothing to the carnal
mind, longing for avoirdupois. The notice
able women here, this winter, have been,
many of them, from the South, and their
beauty is of the luxuriant type not COM
mon at the North. A Mrs. Jef'ries,a poe
tess Of some merit, has attracted good
deal Of attention. She is blonde, with
yellow hair and magnificent shoulders. Mrs
Jourdan Westmorelani, also an authoress
Of some note at the South, has her train OF
admirers Sne last week delivered lecture
upon Kisses to a crowded audience, com
posed mostly Of grave and reverend legis-
lators She explained to these wise men in
pursuit Of knowledge when to kiss, where
to kiss and how to kiss. In view Of the
present state of financial distress, and the
many serious problems before our distract
ed country, you will be glad to learn our
statesmen listened spell-bound, and will
doubtless be free in future from the shame
ful ignorance they have heretofore mani
tested on this all-important subject.
Among the noted women here, l must not
forget to mention Mrs. General Gaines, who,
with the loyeiest golden hair (all her own,
Of course) and the eye and laugh of girl
of sixteen, has fitted about everywhere, as
though there were no such things as old age
or troublesome lawsuits in her world. Also
Madame lie Vert, who, a distinguished
and reliable admirer of hers informed u,
could carry on conversation in twenty
seven different languages, with twenty
seven different people at once. She / a
rather iatigUed looking person, on the
shady side OF fifty, but with an interesting
face and manner. Then there Is Madame
Bertinatti. a magnificent creature, who
would weigh a ton. with all sorts OF small
men dangling in her train. What chance,
think You, have graceful, brown-eyed glrl-
ike Edith Fish or Bessie COnkling, OF
pretty brunettes like Miss Van Rensselaer,
or Miss Bradley, fresh from the hand oil
nature. against these fine old creatures
with their blonde wigs, their rouge, then
fine necks, and diamonds?
TIE SEASON.
The season has not been a brilliant
T one. in the matter Of entertaining. The
Young people have had their Germans
and there have been numerous gay
parties. but the day receptions a
the White House have been missed
and the ThOrntOns, the Cooks, the Stewards
/ Mrs. Williams, ard several OF our private
citizens. have failed TO open their houses a
usual The social problem i fast becoming
a ve1ed one TO invite all ones friends /
10 crowd any ordinary house to sufocatlon
to exclude i to give offence. Otlclal lie L
but part OF the social feature Of Washing
ton. Wealthy people, men and women o
elegant leisure, are c0ngregatIns here
better than that, persons Of literary taste
are coming to Us; literary parties are
counted part of the entertaining and bookisl
people are lionized Musicales are in high
fashion. During Lent. Mrs. Dahlgrer
opens her house fo- four entertainments
etc, with invitations at $500 each, toward
a fund for the poor. As the tickets are 10
be offered only to the friends Of the COM
nittee in charge, the poor have the felicity
l Of having their bread passed to them through
taper fingers. Think how delicious
Human nature i dr0ll enough. There Is
Grand chance to study 1t here, Of all places.
The old citizens look down in supreme
scorn upon the new corners. official or other
wise: the nOureaur riches make vast
display and think their iudifere nee sheer
envy las doubtless it Is, in part). The new
hedged official, fresh from the rural
districts, doubts his senses, when he
discovers DO soul here turns to look after
him. 1t i funny enough TO see these
starchy men grow limp, a. they discover
wha, atoms they are among the vast crowd
of Honora6les. The house Is ike a town
meeting no member commands much at
tention, unless he have the roar Of a tGurO,
the prestige of an ex-rebel. or perhaps a
weakness for spoons Ia good many Of them
have 7hat). In the Senate we look in vain
for Websterian heads, though we sec
plenty Of Clayey faces among them We dc
| not count
SENATOR'S EDxUSDS AND MORRILL,
They are both scholarly-looking gentlemen
and compare favOrably with any statesmen
of them all. Mr. Edmunds, particularly
ranks high as logical, clear-headed de-
batter, while Mr.. Morrill, Is perhaps the best
worker. Both are gentlemen whose er-
mine is unstained. and that Is much in thi:
degenerate age. Vermont has always beer
specially Lappy in her representation, not
only Of men. but Of women a. well They
are quiet, refined, cultured ladies. Mrs
Morrill, and Mrs Edmunds are the only
ones who entertain at all, but they do il
with charming grace. Only last week
we attended a small party at Senator Nor
rill :. and had fair chance of testing this
Mrs. Edmunds secludes herself this winter
on account Of the death of Mr. Eimunds
father. We miss her sweet, intellectua
face, but feel sure it costs her no sell-de-
NAL to give up that for which she never
had any taste the gay, fashionable society
Of Washington.
NELLIE GRANTS ENGAGEMENT.
We cannot close this cosby letter with
out abiding to the announced engagement
Of Miss Nellie Grant 10 MIR. Sartorius, o
England. He Is one of family renowned
for its wit and intellect; young man o.
wealth and fashion. 1t seems Miss Nellie;
intellectual graces are too much for the
brainy society over the water, and thii
family ofpoets, Authors and statesmen, fell
itself incomplete without the addition of a
little Dent blood to its blue veins. IN. W
GRANGE ITEMs.
The Changers need to cultivate unity
According to the Washington correspond
ent of the Utica Herald, the managers a
the capital have fixed on Eliza B. Wash
burne as the grange candidate for pre>i
dent in in 1876, and the excellent old gen
tleman has encouraged the scheme. Bal
here come the oranges of Marion Qnd }
county in convention at Indianapolis. anc
Of the organization should be directed Il
the educational and commercial interests Of
those engaged in agricultural pursuits
that no effort should be encouraged to give
the votes of this organization to either poll
teal party, or for the formation of new
party that We will resist and discounte-
nance the effort of any one inside or outside