The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-04-22
SCENE IN THE SENATE WHEN MA
HONE SPOKE.
[special to Cinciunuti Comm,

o.
Especial to Cincinnati Commercially
| On the floor of the Senate, between
| Logan and Ferry, stood the new ora
tor-thin, with peaked face, pointed
| beard streaming over his breast
and gold-rimmed glasses on his nose
He had been speaking then over ar
hour, and was husky-voiced, and his
words came in explosive gusts. He
looked veritable Liliputian. Back
Of Senator Ferry sat Senator Conger, as
much at home AS if he had been there
for years. On the opposite side, Davis,
of West Virginia, With snowy white
spot on his dark chin beard Wade
Hampton's military waXcd moustache
and naughty countenance, beside the
genial face of Senator Pendleton ; next
the round head of Senator Beck, with
close-cut curling hair.
ingalls,, OF Kansas, tall, slim col
legian-the blnejay of the plains
clad in blue from head to foot, and
slender throat, stood somewhat back of
the seats. Senator Voorhees, form
lowered in the shadow of the cloak
room. Senator Conkiing sat in the
middle aisle, dressed in a mixed
brown business suit, with bit of red
handkerchief showing above the
breast pocket, and a taiismanic red
ribbon tied In the button hole. The
color is peculiar deep crimson, and
on the fair throat Of q wan beautiful
lady in the gallery, a handkerchief of
exactly the same shade was tied.
The lady, whose name has been so en-
tangled with Senator Conklings, has
changed so much in the past few
months that old acquaintance hardly
know her. A year ago she was stout
and rosy, daring and untamed now
she is very thin, her eyes are sunken,
cheek-bones prominent, and her face
as white as chalk. She walked into
the Senate with the old proud poise of
the head and tho magnificent carriage
for which she is noted, and took her
seat with naughty grace. She looked
neither to the right nor left. All the
old gaiety had disappeared her face
settled into thoughtful, pensive lines,
broken only by the chatter of the little
daughters, the eldest of whom-a girl
of twelve-ieaned her head on her
mothers shoulder, and played with
her mothers cloak buttons. The
children are as plain as their mother
was beautiful. They are dark little
things, with big eyes and turn-up
noses and large mouths. Their
mother is blonde, with auburn hair.
They seem at1ectiOnato ana bright, and
several times in answer to their uucs,~
tions she turned to them and smiled.
That the woman has suffered, her hag-
gard face shows. That she Will make
no sign of her distress, those who
know her are sure. That she is deter
mined that the public shall sec no
change in her habits, her coming as Of
yOr$lntO the Senate chamber shows
and her looking over the daily papers
that have the "Sprague divorce suit"
in big head lines was AS cool a perfor-
nance as Il woman ever attempted in
public, but the wear. of her proud
heart in this fight shows plainly in the
paitid cheeks, in the sunken eyes, in
the weary droop Of the mouth. There
are those who assert that she is dying
by inches, and that a few more months
will close the life of one of the most
noted and beautiful and miserable of
the women of America.
Ben: Perley Poore, broad, snowy
headed encyclopedia Of knowledge and
reservoir of "reminiscences, sat near me
in the gallery, and in the interim after
the conclusion of Mr.. Mahone's
speech, said !: "I remember when this
Senate chamber was full of cots and
soldiers; all the seats We're
taken out, and it was turned into a
hospital. That was just after the bat
tie of Bull Run. l was here with my
regiment of Massachusetts soldiers, and
often I climbed into the dome of the
Capitol, and saw the line OF tho enc
my's camp-fires over on the Virginia
shores. Who thought then that we
should ever see the audience and the
men in this chamber that we see to-
day"