The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-27
Mrs. Douglass Teacups.

The Clever Manner in Which She Set
an Awkward, but Influential Guest at
Ease.
A story has been going the rounds of the
press lately. attributed to Mrs. Senator Bing-
ham-if any historian can remember such
Senator-that infringes too closely upon an in
cident in the life of Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas
to be let pass unmolested. The tradition tell
ers and the legend lovers of Washington, have
always remembered the pretty and graceful
ways of Mrs. Douglas, and never ceased to
hold her up as the model of a statesman's wife,
Her tact and her amiability were boundless,
and although when she married the Little Gil
ant she was very young and much his junior,
she adapted herself to the position from the
start SO thoroughly that no wife of twenty
years experience in public life could equal her
For every friend, for every constituent, and
for every enemy of Senator Douglas she had
just the right thing ready to say, and, with her
wonderful memory for names, faces and Places
she was never without some personal inquiries
to make of each stranger. Her social instinct
was as marvellous as the gift of second sight,
and when she accompanied Mr.. Douglas on his
famous journey through the South to visit his
mother, there was not a person encountered in
all that tour that she could not have recog-
nized at sight and called by name, had they
Sut6r0u u6r pdriOT uuduuOuuC6u % year idI6f.
Mrs. Douglass popularity was wonderful at
that time, and her face and winning ways
made friends right and left for the Senator, at
that time candidate for the Presidency.
At one of her receptions in Washington
great, shy awkward constituent from the most
rustic region of Illinois, presented himself in
Mrs. Douglass doorway, sent M shere from
the Capitol by Tao Senator, who assured him
that his wife would be delighted to see him.
The visitor was anything but parlor orna-
ment a rude, unpublished son of the prairie, un-
used to any of the ways eff society, but power
in the politics of his home, and man whose
influence could be of vast assistance to Mr..
Douglas Entering the room gave him a ner-
vous chill, Mrs. Douglass pretty greeting threw
him into fever, and her inviting him out to
the refreshment room completed a case of
palsy. ignoring his trepldation she chatted
away to him herself, paid no attention to his
stammering refusals, and poured out the tea
into some miraculous little cups of eggshell
Sevres. Grasping the fairy calyx in his fingers
for first sip, the delicate bit of Sevres was
crushed to pieces and the hot tea poured in
stream over Mrs. Douglass silken train.
With gay laugh the lady said, Glow brittle
they arel just look at mine," and with a Nigh
ty effort she broke another cup between her
fingers. Reassured, the constituent drew his
breath and found himself at ease, while that
incompatible hostess talked to him, asked
about his mother, his wife and his children, all
of whom she remembered SO well and called
by name. That man went home to work for,
vote for and swear by Stephen A. Douglas, and
way back of his political convictions lay the
pieces Of those two broken Ieacups.
Some ladies were discussing the incident at
lunch party the other day, establishing Mrs.
Douglass right to fame and routing the myth
cal Mrs. Senator Bingham, of whom the per-
verted story has lately been told. Said one
pretty woman: II wouldn't break my best tea
cups for any constituent in my husbands dis
trict." Out of the group there was only one
who courageously said, "I'd break my whole
dinner set, If it would send my husband to the
Senate-and buy new ones when I got to
Washington" she shrewdly added.