The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-11

ran N0WcR, &c, ETC.,
tFrom regular Correspondent
/ What are we doing in Washington during
the coolest weather in the memory Of Mrs
Mvra Clark Gaines or Ex-senator Simon Cam.
eron: Simply trying to keep warm and wait
| ing for the return of Congress, Dearest Con.
grcss, thou hast left us and art perhaps block
AIDED in snow drifts, and may be unable to get
back to the capital at the appointed time, to-
day at II O'Clock, in sufficient numbers to
make quorum
The freezing holidays have been very trying
to the large loating population of Washington
who have not been able to find their accustom'
cd warm snOozing place in the galleries OF the
House and Senate, But now the capitol will
be heated from dungeon to dome, and, like "A
mothcrly hen, Will gather tramps chiefly col
ored, under her capacious warm wings. The
weather has been intensely cold for ten days :;
the ground is frozen to adcpth of thirty inches,
and this being the average depth Of water
mains, many of them are frozen, causing great
inconvenience and making the calamity of
fire doubly dangerous In many houses the
bursting of water pipes makes 1t necessary for
families to go two or three squares for water
This scarcity is felt chiefly in elevated local.
ties, especially on Capitol Hill, and the ques.
ton rs to what Congress will do without its
habituaI beverage is becoming very serious.
This week the wOman's rights convention
will assemble at Washington, and Lincoln
Hall will resound with rcitcration of the
same old familiar speeches Cruel, despolic,
tyrannical, domineering man will be shown
up in his true and infamous light; Congress
will be waited upon pctitioncd memorialled i
and then the convention will vamoosc the!
trcad-mill for another year II may he all
very well to allow women To vote but the bal
lot would be accorded them much sooner if
these sclfclccted champions OF woman suffrage
would only cease, for century or two, maxi
ing the absurd and silly speeches that convict
them Of utter untitncss for public life There
is, think, wide and spreading opinion
among thinking classes that there is already
too much voting, and that political purity and
national safety lies in The direction of restrict !
fled for its precious trusts if it were only pos.
sihlc to draw the line. But, at present, the
brute has the bit between his teeth and must
run until he hurls the car against lamp post
Then there will be repairs, amendments, re-
construction, and, perhaps, an abandonment
Of emotional rabbc ideas in government, and
IA return to the phalanX of principles.
This is not quite the style for Washington
letter, which should be conventional, combining
itself to men, measures, women and events
But sometimes the stock is short The only
event since the adjournment Of Congress has
been the LIST of January 1870 1t was marked
by the usual receptions, official nonotllcial, :
diplomatic aud military. Every man arraycd
himself in his best clothes and called on the
adies wherever they were prepared TO receive.
The ladies were all dressed most exuusltcly,
md many Of them stood under gasllghtcd 5
chandeliers with the blinds of their parlors
'Ioscd. instantaneous photographs Of the rl.
llcnuX Of presentation on that day would be
interesting to those who delight to study mod.
I'm manners, and who discern in bows, and
smiles, and dress and attitude the material that
: the basis OF so much psychological reilec.
ion in the modern novel In the evening, at
many houses, receptions were concluded with
dance, and the delicate American woman
Who, Psychologists tell us, is degcncratngI ,
physically, whose waist they say, is so slender )
hat she has not sufficient room for lungs, liv.
r, heart, and other convenient visccra, after ,
landing on her feet for six hours bowing, {
milling and prattlnG, continue for six hours y
onger TO skip through the mazcs OF the Ian.
crs, or to whrl in the more violent waltz t
Talk of the ieats Of Bertha Won llillern and
VI adam Anderson! physical culture" Bah
t it is desired to see prodigies of female en-
lurancc, gaze upon the course of II ball room
inc of our fair country women was shocked
asst Summer when We saw woman in IIol
and, built like tub drawing canal boat p
oadcd with two tons of hay, her husband and
amiy. And yet this American lady had
Known women in her own country who were
lot built like tubs, slender, irailouking speci.
mems, do the cooking, washing and sewing for
large family, half the time balancing big
'aby on her hip To such IA woman | think
I would he rest and recreation To Tug a canal
'oat. Not To create wrong impression. do p
lot think it is habitual for the male navlga. )
ors Of the Dutch canals tu ride while their \
wives walk the ow-path She WAS simply
aking her turn al THEN common lannr %
G. a. s. 4