The Osceola times., 1882-07-29
Washington Society Bellies.


Washington Society Bellies.
The enquiring editor of the Milwau'
kee Sun says One ofthe queerest things
that people throughout the country en-
counter in reading the Washington pa
pers is the fact that every LADY who
visits Washington as a member of the
family of a congressman, and attends
party of any kind, is perfectly Dowilder-
ing in her beauty, and is arrayed in the
most costly apparel, and is ornamented
with diamonds. 1t seems 50 singular
that these people should so suddenly
acquire beauty. Three fourths of the
members Of congress are poor men, poll
ticians who invest nearly all their ready
money in campaign, many OF them
lawyers with limited practice in country
towns, and their wives and daughters
have never been distinguished at home
for mere than ordinary fair looks, and GER
tainly they have neverbeen loaded with
diamonds. The wives may have done
housework at home, and cleaned up the
ward in the spring with a rake. and
WON Shaker sun-bonnet, and vet the
description of them and their toilets by
lead the people to believe they were
born countesses, and had never known
what it was TO sew carpet rags or quilt
a calico quilt.
The daughters are often fair scholars
in q district country school, never looked
upon a smarter than their neighbor girls,
and vet when their father becomes a
member of congress, and after getting
tbs run of things SO as 10 get a railroad
pass for the girls TO Washington, they
90 down there in gay travelling dress,
feeling as though they were awful green.
They stay there for few weeks and
| finally there is some free-for-all, go-as'
you-please party or reception, and they
attend with the only party dress they
| have got, and the Washington papers
write up the affair and state how the
| charming young Miss Gilligan, of Pent'
rwater, or southern Illinois, daughter oi
| the representative, captured all hearts
with her winning ways and stunning
| toilet, when the chances are the poor
girl got behind stuffed chair and
| trembled all the evening for fear she
should he addressed by some duke
across the room, who would no doubt
/ y
ator or a department clerk, and wht
would be as scared rs the girl. The girl
sees the papers the next morning anc
/ they almost take her breath away, but
she sends her father few hundred
copies OF the paper, and they are sen
| all over the district at home, marked
and people expect to see the green CIR
come nome too stylish for any kind o
use, but when she returns after a "con
tjnued round OF pleasure" which means
one free-for-all party, she has the same
travelling dress on, and when she un
packs her party dress it is spoiled iron
ice cream spilled by trembling hand
or coffee that has tipped itself over, an,
after that the girl is too Zig for her boots
and will not associate with her neigh
bors. Her fathers term finally expires
she has become an old maid, and al
ter awhile she marres a bald-headet
| bachelor chambermaid in livery sta
bile, and brings up family of childrei
with the idea that ma was once so
ciety belle in Washington.
Constituents all over the countr'
laugh in their sleeves at the sensation
some congressman's wife or daughter il
making in Washington, and they car
only think of the wife as they saw he
a few years ago boiling soap with
| checkered sun bonnet on, or going dow
the village street with market baske
after meat for dinner. There are wive
of congressman who are sorry TO Sc
the papers speak Of them as leaders q
society at the capital, when they retieC
that they have always lived over gro
Gerry store and done their own cooking
They are good wives, aud noble women
and follow their political husbands un
der protest. and get from Washington a
l quick rs they can, and they never want Z
90 back there. They never owned
] diamond and never expect to, and woul,
be contented all their lives with a came
breast pin, or a pair Of coral earrings. |
makes some women proud 10 so to
presidents reception, but when they re
fleet that many years ago they wer
washing beer glasses or boarding rall
road hands at three dollars a week,
makes them sick to see the parade IL
/ the papers about their mashing propensi
tics. and their distinguished appearance
and their witty and entertaining conveI
cation, when they can feel the warts Of
the inside OF their number eight gloves
and the callouses from washing bah,
clothes. Many good women who woul,
simpiv be content to 90 10 Washington
and see the sights and come home an
l let their congressional husbands do al
I the rest, wish that there was no such in
strument of torture as a Washington
newspaper to make them appear ride
I CuloHs.