Smyrna times., 1876-03-01
Olive Logan in Washington.


deriding Washington, scoffing at the man.
ners, customs, andappearance of the White
House, and holding the national capital up
to scorn generally? Mrs. Calhoun-Runkle,
of the Tribune staff, sent to that paper some
years ago ascathing burlesque of Washington
its life, its manners, its public edifces,
and its homes-which caused all who read |
it, think, to blush with shame at the |
rampant vulgarity displayed at the nations |
headquarters. Mark Twain's novel of
infested with thieves and other lawless
creatures; fit only to share the fate of
Sodom and Gomorrah, if indeed it were
worth its salt and correspondents gener-
ally present the physical aspects of Wash
ington in such an unpleasant light that it
is a real delight to come here and see for
oneself how greatly this lovely city has been
belied. | have travelled far and wide in
Europe, and l have no hesitation in saying
that no city except Paris can compare to
Washington in various forms of beauty.
Certainly this continent can show no other
town so beautifully paved, so picturesquely
built, so richly furnished with squares and
parks. As for the national edifices-decry
them who will; say they are grand.
SOCIAL LIFE.
And the social life here, when one can
penetrate the inner arcana, is refined and
brilliant beyond comparison. 1t is possible
that things may have been different in Mrs
Lincoln's day, when, it is said, the poor
lady's one salutation to all who approached
her at the White House was, " hope see
you well = when homely and humor-loving
Old Abe infracted the conrenances by COM
mitting constantly such .taur pas as that
one of addressing the Marquis of Harting-
ton as " Mr.. Partington;" )" but doubt very
much if the surroundings of even President
Washington were more elegant and refined
than those of President Grant, and the
ladies of the courtly Madison himself could
not have been more graceful and polished
than those who preside at the White House
to-day. l say these things with pride
which | think pardonable; they are true,
and | am glad they are true. Our news
paper press as a rule is so vile in its vitupe-
ration, so bitter in its invcctive, that it is
, a real pleasure to be able to truthly tell the
American people that their Presidents wife
is graceful, charming woman; his daugh-
ter-inlaw as afiableand almost as handsome
as Eugene herself. And the White House,
which we have been led to believe is a
hideous, unsightly barn lit is a beautiful
palace, furnished in exquisite taste, and the
very air is heavy with the perfumes of the
sweet flowers which bud and bloom in the
, neighboring conservatory. A more delight
full abode could scarcely be imagined
The critics may say what they like, but nc
: no foreign potentate who ever presented
his credentials in the White House could
have conceived contempt for the nation
;, on account of the appearance of the abode
!, of the Executive.
4 WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION.
4 Mrs. Grant receives on Saturday after
e moons, and last Saturday the sight of hun
9 dreds of ladies and children vending thei
IS way to the Mecca of the Blue DRAWN,
a Room was very pretty one. The day wa
e like summer as to temperature and tn
q visitors to the lady of the White Hous
r where caparisoned in their best. Some O
e that best was very handsome, indeed, bu
IS some was imperatively suggestive of Frencl
Is millinery of Oshkosh and Poker Flat Blu
for each and all who approached-wel
N dressed or ill-Mrs. Grant had q pleasan
N word and bright smile, and venture tn
lie belief that not one who came but liked hel
is For my part, the cordial hand-shake" " sh
in gave me pleased me more than Eugenie
n pretty assurance, years ago, that was til
of Jienvenue at the Tuileries. Mrs. Grant wG
lie assisted by Mrs. Fred Grant, and it was
tn "Colonel Fred's" ear we whispered OF
N, names as we approached his mother. CIR
Dr. cious heavens What an enormous dire
d. tory Of names that young mans head mu
to be How many Smiths, Joneses, Robinson
ks Higginsons, and Thompsons must be bu
ra- zing in his cranium
ms To the right of Mrs. Grant stood h
nd daughter-in-law, becomingly attired in
be delicate pink silk, while at her right W
or seen her sister, Mrs. Potter Palmer,
IN, Chicago, lovely brunette, with soulfl
ire poetic eyes. just the prettiest recepti'
he toilet I've seen this season was Mrs. Pi
, l mer's-faintest blue silk with sheen
ges white bugles as the trimming. Mrs. Ora
ep- wore the always appropriate black silk,
81 lieyed by pipings and sash of pink. Al
do for three mortal hours these ladies sto
nee on their feet and smiled welcome to t
as stream of visitors who defled before the
ges This is one Of the fatigues of the positi
ing they occupy. 1t must be about as firing
low a good big turn Of household work. I
pta- Empress Eugenie once spoke of the fatigt
pom of an imperial station TO her kins.wom
ak by marriage, Clotilde, Of SARDINIA. "Wh
his one has been born to the position" 81
ing the naughty blue.blooded Italian to I
Use. beautiful Spanish parvena, tone feels
fatfot,a laso - a etafafnant which I eboIl