Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-20
The Women Of the white House.

The American respect for women has al
ways protected the lady of the White House.
She always goes in with acclaim and her ''ad-
ministration" is almost always respectfully
spoken of in its time, and her domestic and
social virtues are not little celebrated. II
takes an interval of time before the presi-
dentesses get their historic place, sometimes
greater, sometimes less than that conceded to
them temporarily. Dolly Madison, for in
stance, has become the highest type of wom-
anly demeanor in that elevated station. In
this generation, up to Mr.. Hayes's time, old
habitues of Washington looked back to Miss
Harriet Lane, Mr.. Buchanan's niece, as the
belle hostess of the American court. 1t was
with great reluctance that the fond public
were dsillusionized as TO Mrs. Lincoln, and
they are scarcely ready yet to be got through
the same process as to Mrs. Grant, who was
much lauded in her time
When Mrs Hayes came in, bright, attract
i've and not unaccustomed to society, there
was naturally the old acclaim with redoubled
violence. Now, in almost the last year of the
administration, it is therefore worth saying
as a matter of sober chronicle that no woman
since Harriet Lane approaches the success of
Mrs. Hayes as the lady of the White House.
1t is an important fact in the local situation
OF Washington, for the Hayes administration
on its male side is one of negative social
qualities rather than of positive. In the last
administration there was always local salts
faction in seeing ''old Grant" moving about
the streets like any other man, with his
moody cigar. Mr. Hayes is q less familiar
and less sympathetic figure 1t is Mrs. Hayes
who receives the guests of the White House
with such grace and show of personal inter-
est, and gives a color and character to what
would otherwise be the pale and frigid socia-
tion of the executive mansion. 1t was not
easy at first to do this, to throw of the sim
plcity and provincial air of life and dress
''out West, and step into the place of the
first lady in the country. In fact the trial is
more difficult for the woman than for the
man of the White House, for men meet men
vastly more than women meet women But
Mrs Hayes has bloomed forth into real and
agreeable representative of the best and
most attractive in American womanhood
The tact with which she has carried through
her opposition to the Offering of wines to
guests evidences her strength of character
both as a lady and Christian. Mrs. Glenn
mer compares Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. General
Sherman as the two leading women in Wash
ington society, and as fifty representative of
the two great divisions of the Christian body
in this country.
To speak of some matters in which Mr.,
Hayes also has a share: One of the most
agreeable features of the American court,
however embarrassing and onerous it may
sometimes be, is its democracy. At the most
distlnguG presidents reception" many of
the guests will come on foot There are peo-
pie of wealth at Washington rich congress-
men, like Levi P. Morton or Chittenden,
whose entertainments will be in the highest
style of the period and regardless of expense,
but the rich cannot aud do not thus establish
any peculiar claim to regard. The restricted
amount of public salaries keeps the majority
of our longtime public servants in very mod
crate circumstances and they can, if thew
please, exercise the liberty of o correspond
ingly moderate style of expenditure Expen-
sive entertainments like Mr.. Morton's are re-
sented rather than looked upon as setting the
fashion. With this instinct of democracy
and moderate outlay, the present administra-
ton is in complete harmony. Hence the
southern men, who are mostly limited in in
come to their salaries and are not able as a
rule to have their families at Washington, are
pleased with the Hayes housekeeping. This
administration is also noted for its friendli-
ness to newspaper men. At the White House,
and in the offices of all the cabinet sesreta-
ries, newspaper men are well treated and civ
lily received, while through the greater part
of Gen. Grants administration they were
snubbed and made to feel dislike. Leading
resident journalists were invited to the presi-
dents reception to the diplomatic corps on
Tuesday evening
Who will be the next lady of the White
House Mrs. Blaine and Gail Hamilton,
perhaps, both ladies of decided views and of
no hesitation in expressing them. Or Mrs.
Sherman, whom "Olivia" describes as ''tall
and divinely fair" occupying the middle
ground between blonde and brunette, with
tawny hair wavy and gathered in Greek
coil" Mrs. Edmunds, who is spending the
winter at Rome, is described by those who
know her as surprising falr.-SprinaJied Re
publican.