The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-04-11
President Adams, Wife.

Abigail Adams, the Presidents wife,
was undoubtedly the most conspicuous
American woman of her day, whether
by position on by character When
writing to her husband she often signed
herself, "Portia" in accordance with a
E, stately, and perhaps rather high flown
habit of the period; and she certainly
showed qualities which would have done
honor to either the Roman or Shakes
pelian heroine OF that name. In her
letters we see her thoroughly revealed.
While the battle OF Bunker Hill was in
progress, she wrote that it was dreadful
but glorious;" and in the depression of
the battle of Long Island she said, Ii
all America is to be ruined and undone
by pack of towards and knaves, / wish
to know it." and a6Gad, Don't you
know me better than to think me o
coward?" When, first among American
women, she represented her nation
at the court of ST. James, she met
with equal pride the contemptuous de-
meador of Queen Charlotte, and when
her husband was chosen President she
wrote to him: My feelings are not those
of pride or ostentation upon tho occasion; !;
they are solemnized by sense of the
obligations, the important truths and
numerous duties, connected with it, =
When finally after four years, he failed
of reelection, she wrote to her SON
1.-The consequence to us is personally
that we retire from public life. For my.
self and family have few regrets.
- If did not rise with dignity, i can
| at least fall with ease" This was Abb
! gail Adams. Inperson she was distin-
| g1lisled and noble rather than beauti-
full, yet it is satisfactory to know that
when she was first presented at the Bri-
| tish court she wore a white lutestring,
trimmed with white Grape, festooned
with lilac ribbon and mock point lace
over hoop of enormous extent, with a
narrow train three yards long, looped
up by ribbon. She wore treble lace
rufiies, dress cap with long lace lap
pets and two white plumes, these last
| doubtless soaring straight into the Oil
above her head in the extraordinary
| style, familiar to us in Gillray's carica-
lures of that period.
Tt was in those days no very agreeable
! task to be the wife of the president.
Mrs. Adams has left on record graphic
sketch of the White House, where she
| presided for three months. The change
in the seat Of government had been de
cided upon for twelve years, yet the
building was still vast unfinished bar.
rack, with few rooms plastered. no main
stairway, not bell within, nota fence
without; it was distressingly cold in
winter, while the Chief Magistrate o.
the United could not obtain for love OF
money man to cut wood for him u
the forests which then surrounded
Washington. From Washington tc
Baltimore extended IN almost unbroken
growth Of timber, varied only by some
small and windowless huts. Ther,
could as yet be in Washington no such
varied companionship as had given OF
traction to the seat OF government a
New York and then at Pkiladeldllia
yet at Georgetown there was a societ,
which called itself eminently polite
and Mrs. Adams records that she re
turned fifteen calls in single day.T
1 w. Higginson, in Harper's Magazin.
for March.