McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. II, 1888.

Though ''the season" in the official
social circles of the capital does not
open until the first of January, there
have been few informal receptions,
ETC., and on some days the door-steps
of certain residences have been pretty
well Uttered with the little tissue slips
dropped from packages of visiting cards.
1t must be an awful bore to be the wife
of an official and receive this stream of
callers on certain days, yet the ladies'
seem to like it and are even more am
bilious than their husbands to occupy
the positions placing them high in the
social scale. There being no Mrs. Ar
thur in the White House, and Senator
Anthony, who is to be President of the
Senate, and really Vice President, be-
ing a bachelor, Mrs. Carlisle, the wife
of the new Speaker, will occupy the po-
sition of society-leader this winter. At
all official dinners Mrs. Carlisle, like
Mrs. Keifer last year, will rank her
husband, and if the President is present
will take the position corresponding to
his. This official etiquette seems very
strange outside of Washington, but
here where so many guests at enter
tainments are official il is absolutely
necessary that there should be some rule
of precedence, or else there would be
bitter jealousies. At dinner the old
est Senator in point of service takes
precedence of all other Senators pres
ent, even though he may be the dullest
and most uninteresting one present. In
the same way the Members who have
served the longest take precedence of
the younger ones.
Mrs. Carlisle is a woman who will
grace her position. She is Kentuck-
ian, her father having at one time been
Mayor of Covington, and she inherits
the splendid physique for which Ken
lucky bellies are famous. She is
blonde in complexion, with blue-gray
eyes, and figure as 1.-THE as a young
girls. 1t is difficult to realize that she
is the mother of two grown sons She
is dignifed, but unassuming in manner,
loyal to her friends and kind to every
one. Her great faith in her husbands
success was well illustrated in her cool
confidence during the Speakership con-
test. No one showed less excitement,
and whenever the subject vas preached
to her she said calmly: II am just as
certain of his being Speaker as | am
that I'm alive. Of course no one can
beat John. He has never been beaten
yet when he was a candidate for any
thing"
Even had Senator Edmunds remain
ed President of the Senate Mrs Ed
munds would not have taken her place
as society leader, as she is in mourning
for a daughter The President house
will be unusually gay this winter, it is
said. Mrs. McElroy, of Albany, the
Presidents sister, will be here with her
beautiful daughter to do the honors
there. They say Mr.. Arthur is remark
ably fond of music, though the stories
about his banjo playing and jig dancing
are not quite true. One of his friends
says that es'en Well4tuned hand organ
has charms for the President, and re-
dates the following incident: lone
day a few weeks ago he was driving in
from Soldiers Home accompanied by
Miss Nellie and myself We had just
turned into Fourteenth street when q
hand organ was heard playing lively
air near by. In an instant the Presi-
dents face lightened up, and when we
reached the spot where the organ grim
der was standing he ordered the driver
to stop. For fifteen minutes we remain
ed there until the Italian had exhausted
his repertoire and his monkey had
|,ciimbed into the carriage twice. Each