The Washington critic., 1886-12-27
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

jected dancing parties at the White
House is declared to be untrue. Mrs.
Cleveland Is young and charming
woman, who doubtless would not only
herself enjoy this harmless pleasure,
but also by encouraging 1t In her own
home, would afford vast deal of de.
light to the attractive girls who will
aturally be her chosen companions.
The pastime Is harmless one, though
there are some people who look upon
it as a device of the devil, aud the
rooms of the Executive Mansion would
be all the more charming by the
introduction of the pleasant
feature of youthful entertain.
ment 1t would not be an innovation,
and Mrs. Cleveland would not have to
search the records so far back rs JEFF
ferson to find the precedent. Except
during the term Of General Grant, the
families, by right, occupying the
White House have not included young
people, but while he was there we be.
lieve his daughter more than once Let
her friends have the advantage Of the
good music at the command Of the
President by giving informal dances.
Mr. Cleveland himself would probably
not indulge in the waltz or the polka,
but he would cut mighty fine figure
in good old-fashioned Virginia reel.
x*s
People very often ask, says the New
York Mail and ErprosS, what becomes
of the Presidents Messages. The Pub
lie Printer, after the Message Is in type,
and the proofs are all corrected, re.
turns the Mss. to the White House, but
as 1t Is in the usual grimy state of Mss.
after passing through the printers
hands, it Is then destroyed. In early
days, however, the Message was written
out and submitted to Congress in manu-.
script. Stored away in the crypt of
the Capitol are several of General
Washington's Messages, written in his
peculiar, clear, bold hand. Upon more
than one occasion, General Washington
took his own Message to Congress and
read 1t himself to the assembled
Houses. This, which would seem a
very natural and dignifed proceeding,
has fallen into an unexplained, but
perfectly innocuous dcsuetude.
~
The swell thing just now, says Dana
Boardman in the Boston Records Wash.
ington correspondence, is terrapn--
tcrrapin soup once heard Massachu-
sets girl call it, She knew more about
books than terrapin-which was wholly
to her credit, seeing that she was not
born and reared in these parts-which
the terrapin was. Yes, this delectable
morsel is now moving about upon the
hospitable boards of our great and good
with an alacrity and numerousness to
which the animal in its natural and un-
cooked condition is totally unused.
This means that society is reassem.
bling--I do not say awakening-for
the social magnates of Washington
never sleep. Our gay birds of
society fly away northwards-th
entire flock-when summer begins,
and we see naught of them again
until the frost comes and the ma
tional solons reconvene. Then we re-
assemble, commencing with measured
pace and slow--as becomes well-bred
people-the social round of winter life.
In course of time we move at llvelier
rate, and before the season is ended we
are very world of whirling dervishes
though worshipping at far different
shrine, rs those who have danced the
season out can testify. At present we
are In the lunch and dinner perio l.
the epoch of the terrapin. Most of the
great masculines are here, nearly all of
the leaders of fashionable life are ar
lived, but the terrapin overshadows
ALL
~#~
When General Sherman entered
Goldsboro', N. c., after his march to
The sea, on his way to join Grant be-
fore Richmond, there dwelt in that
town certain Colonel X, says tho
Detroit Free Press, who was one of the
most rabid secessionists that could be
found. His house was situated in the
north end of the city, and at the end Of
street, so that one coming into the
town from the south would sGe his
residence rs soon as he would enter the
south end of the same street. When
General Sherman and staff came into
the town they came up this street aud
stopped just In front of Colonel X S
residence. The Colonel, who was ont
on the porch, greeted them, and an
officer saluling him, asked him what
his sentiments were In regard to the
war. II Am a strong Union man" ."
answered the Colonel with n dry smile
"Ah, indeed" said the officer rather
sarcastically, "and how long have
you been Union mani" II have
been Union man." said the Colonel
slowly, and ms II considering his words,
"ever since ! saw you and your stall
come into the end of that street, about
fifteen minutes ago" The caudor Of
the Coloneps reply pleased General
sherman, and he ordered guard
placed around Colonel KS property,
and during the entire stay Of the army
In Goldsboro' not n thing was molest9l
in or around his premises, although n
great many of the tiuo private rs well
as public buildings were burned and
pillaged.
~
Senator Mcpherson of New Jersey Is
big gun of the Administration, says
the New York sun, and Is mentioned
for all sorts of new honors. Twenty
odd years ago John r. Mcpherson,
then thriving butcher, lived in an un
pretentiOus brick house at Palisade aud
Iioboken avenues, in what was then
&ludson City, now known as Jersey