Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-11-07
rhe oId T,n,e

Il MRS. GEN. GREENS RECOLLFcTloNs,
1 A few days ago there came up from
2 plantation near Raleigh, N. c., Mrs
Ten. Green, a lady years ago well
known in Washington society. She
has not been in the capital for many
j years. She is crippled with rhcuma.
tlsm, and poor as Jobs turkey, She
says, but never had more cnjoya.
Bile conversation than with this yete.
ran of fashionable life. She took me
into the past with her. "This old no.
4 tel" referring to the National, s.is d
historic place. Here have been the
great men Of the past. have seen
Clay and Webster walk arm III arm
up these stairs, and in a room on this
floor Henry Clay died. Those rooms
opposite the parlor were the presi-
dents rooms. Buchanan is the last
one who lived there. lIamlin occu.
pied them awhile. These dark.
quaint corridors, and circular lights
over the doors, look just as they did.
When bride, first saw them. The
irescoing, the painting on the walls is
unchanged. The fruit and flowers
above the chandelier on the brown
ground, and the painted cupids in the
hall. Every face in the house is
strange to me. All my old friends
are dead and gone. Mrs. Crittenden
l can see now standing in tho hall re-
ceiving her friends after her mar
riagc. Her shoulders wore superb.
her dress elegant, her manners charm
ing, and by her side that little ugly
man, with tobacco juice running from
one corner of his mouth, and his cra-
vat twisted around under his ear
And Nine. La Vert was in her glory
here In those days. / was so iii one
time that my life was despaired off,
Into my room came Nine La Vert.
II could not go, Mrs. Green, without
showing you my lovely shoes She
lifted up her party dress, and danced
about in her pink satin boots, asked
If they were pretty, and at last danced
of like o fairy to her ballroom. be-
gan to mend from the time l saw
those pink shoes. Poor Mime. La
Vert died last year, in poverty 80 bit
ter that she had not cent to call her
own. Mrs. Crittenden lost her beau
ty, was paralyzed, and died not very
long ago. Mrs. Mills was habitue
of the hotel. She was very rich
Her daughter married Fernando
Wood, and for this reason became so
bitter that there was no communica-
tion between mother and child, and
she willed even her pictures to q gal
lery, SO that Wood never should have
them to adorn his walls. Once she
sat in her carriage while I went in
to call upon her daughter. The car
riage stood at a little distance. The
elegant house was crowded. 1t was
reception-day. When / reached the
carriage Mrs. Mills said excitedly,
How is She? How does she look
How did she receive you? What did
she say?' why don't you 60 and see
her yourself!' said, 'your own child
--how can you be so hitter?' Il will
never go to see Alice SO long as she is
that mans wife. 1t is nothing to me
how she is,' she said coldly, drawing
her fnrs about her neck. Mrs. Wood
is now insane, and Mrs. Mills fell
from q hotel window and killed her.
self one 4th of July--two years ago or
three. That very 4th was on the
plantation far from any neighbor.
made the negroes take turns ri ging
the big dinner bell that hangs in the
yard. l had flags on the house and
bonfires at night, and the servants
said, la, old miss done gone crazy
shure, keepia' up that clattcr all day.
But felt lonesome, wanted to cele-
brate some way. The next night
three young northern men came in
the darkness up the lane to the honse.
l had been sitting alone, yawning,
and waiting until the clock should
count 8, so could go to bed, for there
is nothing going on at night in thai
dismal great house In the swamps.
was surprised to have visitors, for
anybody that knows the country
don't go ont after night if they can
lhelp 1.-THE roads are so dangerous.
But these man had not been long in
the country, and they rode up. They
sald they had heard me speak of Mrs.
Mills, and they had got news that she
was killed, and they started over
rights away to tell me. They stayed
all night. How remorsefnl + felt.
had been ringing bells and burning
fires in the cypress brakes while my
old friend was dying, mashed and
bruised beyond recognition. They
said Fernando came to sec her just be-
fore she died, but she would not have
him admitted. In this hotel also
lived Myra Gains, poor as q mouse,
running up bills to be paid when she
came into her inheritance. She owes
Charles OConor about $4,000. She
owes board bills every place in Wash.
ington, and her store bills have been
running for twenty-five years. One
nigh ght she had been put out Of hotel,
and took her in with me. That was
long after my husbands death. N.Y.
ra was bright as cricket. Her hav-
ing been turned out made her even
gayer than common. We were dress-
ing to go to a hop. Mrs. Gains had
n handsome large bfeast.pin con.
tanning Gen. Gains picture, surround
ed by pearls. She was stirring over
things in her trunk and dipping
them up by the handful--she was a
most untidy thing. oh :! Mrs. Green,
have you seen Gen. Gains 2 said she.
Gen. Gains3' 'Yes, his picture.
have lost my pin.' | smiled at her
expressing her loss in that way, but
while she was still rumaging / dis
covered that / had mislaid similar
picture of Gen. Green. 1t was valua-
Gains, I have lost Gen Green 1 said.
We both found our brooches at the
same moment, and I don't suppose ii
seems very wifely when l say we sat
on the bed and laughed till the tears
came, over the loss of Gen. Green
and Gen. Gains. Gen. Scott was al
the hotel great deal. l never will
forget compliment he paid me. He
told Gen. Green that was the hand
soonest and most richly dressed lady
at ball. My husband was so proud
that he couldn't keep it, but had to
come and whisper it to me. Now
have come back to the house, an old
decrepit woman. Nobody remember.
me. Children are grandparents, and
the gay old crowd that lived here
before the war are all gone. Then
champagne flowed like water. Six
boys were kept busy in the wine
room. Now q popping cork is sel.
dom heard. Then the ladies all made
grand dinner toilets; wore low
necks. jewels, pink and blue silks
or sheer lilac organdies. The
gentlemen waited in dress suits
and gloves to conduct the ladies with
ceremony into the dining-room. Ev
cry family had negro servants, coach.
mon and maids. Those were time,
of splendor which will never return
Then wore a white brocaded sill
and diamonds and was led in to din
ner by Lord Baltimore. Now, ! 6,
in alone in plain, black waterproof
dress.
or many other distinguished per
sons Mrs. Green gave me interesting
"reminiscences, but l must save then
for another letter, and turn to tn
present age, and the present day. an
mention bright little Amrsira
4 working woman.
To Credit, and no Discredit.
(From the Kewanee M, Courier.l
; Tha Draosdov,& 70 vano,tnL L. a,