The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-09-16
THE WIDOW STEWART.
Reappearance OF tho Widow or tho
Dry Goods King I'm society.

Saratoga Letter in Globe-Democrat
The garden party, as the grand midsummer
fete of fashion, stands supreme in the eastern
world, and toilets are prepared and treasured
up for this event. as Parisians do for their
Grand Prix races in June. Guests prolong
their stay for the garden party, and hundreds
come on specially to be present The ladies'
90 to show their dresses and to see other
dresses, and there is grand saturnalia and
wild orgie of dry goods that confuscs the eye
for week after The fashions for the year
are set, the novelties introduced and tho
specialties emphasized The lions Of this last
occasion were Mrs. A. T. Stewart and the
party of guests she Is now entertaining That
great American widow crossed the courtyard
in the afternoon on the arm OF General
Grant, and Mrs. Grant, Judge and Mrs.
Hilton and Colonel and Mrs Fred Grant fol-
lowed to the angle of the upper balcony,
where they could look down upon the scene.
A crowd, of course, swept in the wake Of the
company and gathered on the lawn, and 81
lently looked up at the face Of the ex-presi-
dent who vainly pulled his hat down over his
eyes and attempted 10 hide behind post IL
was a quiet hero-worshipping, rather embar-
even the children on the dancing floor kept
looking up between the steps. One little wee
maiden was lifted up in her nurses arms to
have a look at The hero, and ~ she kissed her
hand and screamed with delight, good Grand
father Grant took notice with return
ing salutaton. Mrs. Grant put herself
in a corner where large pillar partly hid her,
and only her face, framed III large poke hat,
could occasionally be seen by the loyal legion
below. Mrs. Cornelia Stewart, rclict Of the
great dry goods king, came bravely to the
front and sitting between General Grant and
Judge Hilton, evidently having al enjoyable
time of it The widow Stewart is not nearly
so aged in appearance as her years would I'M
ply, aad for a little past 10 is unusually gay
and vivacious. Her countenance Is pale ana
well marked with wrinkles neither nobly ex-
pressive nor at all handsome, the luxuriance
of her dark brown and waTy tresses IN
kindly suggesting the Thompson
waves at the greatest distance, Her toilet
yesterday was heavy lavender satin brocade,
with the customary point lace and diamond
ornaments, for the Widow Stewart is fond of
dress and gratifies every whlm and passing
fancy in the way Of toilet She retains her
great suite of apartments at the Grand Union
every season, and while entertaining steady
round of guests, never mingles with the COM
pany in the house. The Hilton family ex-
hibit reverence mixed with atfectionate con-
sideration in their attitude towards her, and
besides being benefcent fairy godmother to
them, she is also in measure reigning SOW
ereign. One of Judge Hiltons daughters
stays with her constantly, and Mrs
Stewart is consulted in all their social plans,
although the great widow seldom goes into
general society. Mrs. Fred Grant, who sat
near Mrs. Stewart on the balcony yesterday,
grows prettier and prettier with each year OF
her life, and was particularly lovely on this
occasion in a costume of blue and white, with
q little saucer of lace bonnet tied down over
her head with bnle ribbons. Admiring gaze
conferred itself on her after wandering from
the rudy face Of General Grant, and in many
ways she was the beauty and belle OF the gar
den party