The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-23
Men and Women,

Ine washington corresponding Oh tuo OF.
Louis Globe-D Democrat, in describing Mrs.
Hayes's first reception, says of the President:
'gThe august head of the nation, like all bis
predecessors, has grown fat in Office. The full
whiskers can scarce conceal the roundness OF
his face, and his swallow-tail is stretched and
wrinkled across the back in tell-tale manner.
He stands and talks in straightforward tone,
says he enjoys the hand-shakings, and utters
every chatty remark with the earnest convic-
tion of doing his moral duty."
Mrs. Louise Chandler Moulton writes thus of
Mr.. Swinburns in Lippincott's Magazine:
"When Swinburne is at his best he has won
derful look OF inspiration. He is not very
tall, and is rather slight than otherwise in fig
ure. His forehead is almost disproportionately
large as compared with the rest of his face.
Under it glow his great, luminous eyes, uncer-
tain In color because forever changing with
his thoughts. His hair is OF that dark red
which Titan loved to paint. His complexion
is fair, and his mouth rather small and ex-
tremely gentle in expression. He prefers read
ing his own poetry to hearing it read by others;
aud certainly his reading is most characters
tic. There can be no difference of opinion as
to his wonderful mastery of words and OF
rhythm. No poet more honestly loves his
brethren than this one. I thiHk he rejoices as
frankly and heartily in the good work of other
men as in his own"
General Diaz lives unostentatiously in neat
house adjoining the palace, as the building
contains the different departments of the gov
ernment is in Mexico designated. He lives
like man of moderate means, and such he
really is The republican simplicity" of the
White House is regal splsndor as compared
with his residence and it's surroundings. II
has, like all Mexican houses, large courtyard
and is two stories high, with broad porch sur
rounding the upper story. There are no SOL
diers or hunkies to bar the way, and a simple
announcement by servant brought the Her
aid man into the presence Of the chief magis-
trata of Mexico. General Diaz is a man Of
fine presence, every inch soldier, tall and
straight, rather spare than corpulent He
wears his thick, dark hair closely cut, med-
um-sized moustache overshadowing a clean
shaven chin. He is mau of about forty
years of age, bis manner is cordial, and
bears, like his face, the impress of boldness
and frankness. In fact, there is magnetism
about the man, which, perhaps more than any
thing else, has raised him to his present emil
nence aud is the cause of his great popularity.
Many time, says writer In Appleton's
Journal, have committees of ladies and COM
mittees of gentlemen, delegations from reform
societies waited upon" Mr.. Jefferson and
urged him to make change in the last act Of
"Trip Van Winkle." 'If,'' they have said ear
nesty and imploringly-"if, Mr.. Jefferson you
would only decline the cup that Gretchen Of
fers, and announce your solemn purpose never
to drink any morep' To all these entreaties the
actor has turned a deaf ear, arguing that 1t is
the province of the drama to hold the mirror up
to nature, not to sermonize, and that the unity
of the impersonation requires that Rip should
take the cup, and not that he should reject it.
One of the trancsndentalists of Brook Farm,
being recently beguiled to talk about his expe.
rience there, said among other things that it
was "funny to see Hawthorne. He began with
great zsst, st,-choppiuz hay for the cattle, milking
the COWS, hoeing potatoes, s,-everything was en-
tered into at first with sort of fresh belief
that there was going to some real
enjoyment from the labor itself. But very soon
he became disgusted, and declared that manual
labor was part of the prmeval curse, and that
it brutified whoev,r, had to do with It, He did
this all, however in quaint, humorous fashion,
and did not Immediately act upon it, to wit b.
draw. The most that recall of Margaret Fall
Ter was that she talked. I think Margaret
liked to talk better than anything else.''
At the caucus on Monday Isabella Beecher
Hooker, Beeoher-like, made a tremendous inn
preston. She is a tall slender, refined ooking
woman; with pals blue eyes and grayish curls
about her face. Shs dresses handsomely, bat o
little peculiarly. cannot get is out of my
head th at magnificent tragic actress was lost
to the world when Isabella Beecher didn't take
the stage. never heard woman say any,
thing at all like what she said Monday. L can't
for my life make up my mind whether ii was
swearing or not. 1 will tell you exactly what
il was, and may be you can tell Mrs. Hooker
complimented the Democratic Gov. Hubbard,
told how, without solicitation from women, he
had caused a married womsn's property bill to
be passed, which she had caused to be draw u
up FIVE years before, without any hops that il
would ever be passed. She gradually warme d
up to her subject. until, fixing her eyes, blsz ing
with excitement, upon her audience, she raised
her arm solemnly toward the sky and in q
voice which rang like thunder said these words:
1--WE have come here to gain our freedom, an
by God we'll have itp' The effect was stupen'
dous. They cheered her vehemently after a
moment, but many women looked scared, and
some men looked as if their breath had been
sAken away for second. can't tell how it
was, but somehow it didn't sound either bias
phemous or wicked to me- 1t sounded like a
Beecheri- Wash. Corr.
Qaeen Victoria hiss instituted new order for
the decoration of her own sex and for the pro-
motion of loyalty among the beauteous Begums
Of India. 1t is to be called the imperial Order
of the Crown of India, but it seems to be a pity
that it should be extended to English ladies not
of the same exalted rank as the Begums. for