The Washington critic., 1886-01-11
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
The Sweet Singer Who Aspires to
be the American Laureate.
SOME OF HER POETIC GEMS.
The Romance Of a Lady Clerk and Bel
gian Baron.
THE CHRISTMAS PRIZE CARDS.
One the Latest Jokes Told by Senator
Evarts on Himself.
THE CHRISTMAS PRIZE CARDS.
One ofthc Latest Jokes Told by senator
Evarts on Himself.

quiet salies is thus told 7'riJuRC cor
respondent by one of his friends. The
Senator's library in his house on Sec.
ond avenue, at the corner Of Fourteenth
street. is full of costly books, ongrav-
iDgs, pictures and works of art. lie
had visit there some time ago from
one of his law clients, who had al
ways supposed the Senator to be not
any too luXuriously supplied with this
worlds goods. He looked the room
over with critical eye and remarked
| that he did not see how the Senator
| could afford so many fine and costly
| things. The Senator mentioned the re.
mark to lawyer friend day or two
afterward, with the dry comments Gle
will know when send him my BILL"
#*a
The story going the rounds of the
press about the pretty Boston girl who
became the wife of the late King of
Portugal finds parallel, though in n
less degree, says Washington letter
in the Chicago Ne,cs, in the marriage
of pretty Government clerk of this
city. About ten years ago the name Of
Camilla Woodford was borne on the
rolls of the Treasury Department as
clerk in the Redemption Division. AT
| that time Miss Woodford was scarcely
eighteen years old. She was the
| younger member of an old Southern
| ing the war, and was gentlewoman by
| l,iyth nnI n1pnat,A,,
| Baron van Havre, the Belgian Minister,
who was visiting the Department,
chanced to enter the room where Miss
| Woodford sat. 1t was case of love at
first sight. The Baron inquired her
name, and, through the chief of the
bureau, requested an introduction. lie
| called upon her several times, and at
last proposed marriage. The lady then
informed him that she was already be-
trothcd to fellow-clerk in the Depart
ment. He urged her to cancel the en-
gagcment, but she declined, although
admitting, had she met him first, that
her answer might have been different.
Finding her obdurate, the Baron
resolved to leave America, hoping in the
distractions of some European court to
forget the pretty Yankee girl who had
refused his suit. He went to st. Peters
burg, but within ninety days returned
to Washington again. This time the
lady smiled more graciously upon him
and, in the end, consented to become
the Baroness van Havrc. Shortly after
their marriage, which, l am told, has
proved remarkably happy one, they
removed to Brussels, where they still
reside. What became of Miss Wood
ford former sweetheart / have never
heard, but he probably accepted the
situation philosophically, as what poor
devil of Government clerk would not
when he had for rival a young and
handsome nobleman with an income of
$50, 900 year.
e@a
Christmas dealers inform "Carp" of
the Cleveland Pldindeolor that millions
of Christmas cards have been sold this
year and that the sales of the frat prize
Prang card have reached the hundred
thousands. The designer for this card
was c. ID. Weldon, an Ohio man, who
is rapidly rising as an artist. He re.
ceived 81 900 for the sketch from which
it was made The card is about six by
eight inches in size. 1t is printed in
colors and it represents Il little girl sit
ting in front of an open fire and looking
into the red Goals, out of which in q
great steam-like stream floats hci
Christmas dream. There are Chinese
dolls, Christmas tree, n thousand and
one child's toys, and "Dashcr and
Prancer' galloping away with old
Santa Claus into the night. The child
Is in her night clothes, and was appa,
rently just preparing for bed, when she
sat down with one hand upon her bare
ankle and the other beneath her chin
and began to dream of this gorgeous
Christmas. 1t is an exquisite piece OF
work. Charley Weldon, its author, Is
still considerably under forty He is
a slightly built young man of less than
medium height and very dark hair and
eyes. His father was a merchant OF
Mansfield, Ohio, who frowned upon his
sons early tendencies toward art, and
who, when he became n young man
established him in one of the Western
cities in the shoe business. Young
Weldon, however, did not like selling
shoes, and perhaps it is good thing
for the world that the shoe busincs;
did not pay, He sold out after timt
and went to Chicago. There he en-
gagged in lithographing, and was doing
very well at the time of the Chicago
fire. This destroyed his establishment
and left him poor. He then went tC
New York and applied for position
upon the New York GiWphic They
asked him for sample of his work
and he got up II page on Castle Gar
den, which was hit, and which gave
him an immediate position on tht
paper. After sketching for some time
here and for other New York papers
he went to Europe and studied for {
couple of years in Paris. Shortly af
ter his return he made little waite
color sketch which took well, ant
which was noticed by the leading ar
magazines. His paintings since thel
have sold for high prices, and his en-
cravings for the magazines and Illus
uqted books are among the best made
anywhere.
Nv
Mrs, Sarah Kelley of lIonesdNlc, Pa,
who has Il petition before Congress
asking that she be appointed the INA
tional Bard" is the widow of Ser
geant Horace j, Kelley Of the INA
Pennsylvania Volunteers, She base
her claims for recognition as tn
American laureate upon the fact tha
she is lone widow, and lost nine rcla
tives in the war for the Union, includ
ing her husband, father brothers
brothcv.in.law, cousins and mcles, anC
says she cried because she wasn't
: man so she could go into the army her
self She further claims that her hus