The Washington critic., 1888-01-21
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
win the President and Mrs. Cleve-
land Go to FlOridaS
"POMPEY AND 'POSSUM."
The Daughter of an ex-Cabinet Of
hcer Creates a Social sensa-
ton.

New York Iribune's Washington
correspondence: ''That speech of
Brother Hale's attacking the Presi-
dent for turning all the offices over to
the Democrats" remarked "Joe"
Blackburn in the Senate cloak room
the other day to group of sym
pathizing patriots who consider that
they haven't come within smelling
distance of the Offices yet, "that
Speech" said Joe, reminds me of
that story about Pompey and the
'Possum. There was an old darkey
once who caught possum one cold
Thanksgiving Day, and taking IL
home to his cabin built up the fire
and put IL into the pot. Then he lay
down. tired out, with his feet TO the
fire, darkey fashion, and went to sleep.
AS he lay there snoring while
the 'possum simmered in the pot,
his son, a timber, bright-eyed youth,
glided into the cabin. He took in the
situation at a glance. The 'possum
was ready to be eaten, and its strong
aroma filed the room. Stepping
softly TO the fire the graceless youth
took the 'possum out of the pot and
rapidly devoured its gamey flesh,
chuckling softly to himself as he did
so. When he had eaten all there was
to eat he gathered the bones in a little
pile beside the fireplace and then
smearing little Of the 'possum grease
on the mouth and nose of the Sleep
ing man, he softly stole out.
By-and-by old Pompey awoke.
The air was redolent of boiled 'possum
the old mans mouth watered. Rising
slowly to his feet, he took off the lid
of the pot and looked in. 'Jerusha
mighty ? he exclaimed, it's done
gone = Then glancing down at the
fireplace he saw the whitened bones,
and passing his hand over his mouth
he felt and smelled the 'possum
grease. A broad smile spread over his
puzzled face. Good Lawd = he OK
claimed, i done forgot | ate him"
Shouts of laughter greeted Blackburn
as he rose. "That speech of Hale is
enough to make us believe we had a
fair show at the Offices" he said.
"Right you are, Joe," came from
dozen patriots. And then the meet
ing adjourned.
~
We are becoming more and more
English at the American capital, says
the New York Suns Washington cor
respondent. The latest illustration is
associated with a marriage engage
ment not yet announced. The young
woman is the daughter of q former
Cabinet officer. She is clever and ac-
complished, but, strange to say, has
been in love with young man who
is in "trade." He lives in a neigh
boring city, where "tradespeople" to
put it Every English" are large part
of the best society. The engagement
was made over year ago, but the
young woman's family made so much
fuss about it that she had no peace
until she broke the engagement. But
while this brought relief to the family
pride, 1t made the daughter more un-
happy, of course. There was but one
objection to the young man-only
one. He was in business-a respect
able and prosperous business, but then
it was "trade." They could not get
over that. The young woman
endured the broken engagement
all summer, and then in the
autumn made up her mind to
marry the "tradesman." In spite of
her family she renewed the engage
mept, and the wedding will take place
in, the early summer. Official society
is bound to be surprised, and there will
be the nine days talk and all the usual
exclamation points resulting from the
shock. Thus far she has kept the Sc
cret from her set. Once married and
away out of hearing, she will not
mind the clamor of tongues crying:
"Ohl how could she marry that
tradesman? She, who was one of the
first at the White House, and more
than all, was actually at court" Her
father was also Minister abroad, and
the court" is the most grand and
ceremonious of all European courts.
1t is sure to be regarded as come
down by her set, for no other
reason in the world than that the
young man being in trade" instead
of in official life, or living on the
money his father or grandfather made
in ''trade." When "trade" is rele-
gated to the past, leaving visible only
- the proceeds, it entails no disgrace.
Wv
Writes "Causeur' in the Boston
Herald: 1t was in Washington, the
day that Richmond fell. Some rumors
of the news, too good to be true, had
reached the camps south of the Po
tomac. There was mounting in ho
haste, and party of officers, followed
by string of orderlies, started fol
Washington on the run. They clat
tered across the long bridge, raced uI
Pennsylvania avenue, and never drew
rein until they reached General
Augur's headquarters. The genera
came out to greet them, and in the
excitement Of the moment forgot II
frame his sentence just right Gen
tlemen," he said, 'it is my pleasan
duty to inform you that Richmond
has been taken by order of the Secre
tary of War" Then, after a laugl
and an exchange of congratulations
an adjournment was had to Willard s
where the regulation dose of whisky
and quinine was taken, emitting tn,
quinine, however, doubtless "by orde
of the Secretary Of War"
~
The presence of the Corean En-
bassy in Washington lends interest Il
the following by Frank q. Carpente
in the New York World: The Coreal
race is Mongolian, and it seems t
partake of the character of that O
China and Japan. It's people ar
more progressive than the Chimes
and less animated with the spirit O