The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-17
MARY JAMES LETTER.
jSHE WRITES OF LIFE IN THE
CAPITAL CITY.
Something About the Average Wa hing
ton Boarding IIonsc-The Hotels Are
Not Much Better-Soinc stories Of Some
Public Men.
Special Correspondence. ]

under the trees IN the delicious june tWl-
light. when. as the Iloosier poet says,
"Onc naked star has waded through the
purple shadows of the night
"Dickoy." said |. inspired 10y the time
and our environments, what is so rare
rs a day in Juney'
We'll. Mary Jane. said she discord-
antly emphatic, II cant speak for others,
but for myself think decent dinner at
a Washington boarding house after the
season is
OF course. after that hadn't anything
more to say in poetic strain, and went to
thinking of more practical things and the
more thought the nearer ! approached
Nckcy's conclusion.
There is no use attempting to conceal
the fact a dinner that is at all appetizing
is a rare thing at a Washington boarding
house when business is duh Nor is it
much better at first class high priced
hotels In the winter people are plenty.
rooms are full. tables are crowded. and
the generosity Of landlord or landlady eX.
pauds as the purse grows fat and the hope
Of more increases; but the very day the
exodus Of visitors begins that very day
does the bill Of fare begin to dwindle
and the stay at home club people
have to pull N their wristbands and
take reef or two in their capacities.
The complaint on this score is general,
but it is OF annual recurrence and has
become one Of the institutions OF the
national capital, 50 that little or no atten-
ton is paid to it. The rush in this line of
business may be said to cease when Lent
begins. in the season many prominent
people in official circles board because il
is cheaper, in that they do not have to
entertain. O. because it is more convent
ent. or because il is advantageous in in
creased associations or for manifold other
reasons, but when the season closes these
people take furnished houses for three or
four months. or the men send ,he women
away and live at restaurants and hire
cheap rooms, utterly regardless Of the
fact that landlords and landiadies must
live, and that all the year round boarders
must live. too. and can afford To live at
restaurants. where stomachs are filed in
the proportion that pocketbooks are
empticd -
Speaking Of that rare as q day IN June
quotation. / heard q right good society
marker the other day one of our young
men. vino is nothing if not Dude land
almost that. of course. If he isI was call
Ing Oh tie daughter OF congressman.
who is q very bright l.rl The converse
tion ran "a little slow after The current
gossip had been disposed Of and the girl.
ia iii of abstraction. asked. in semi
solloquy.
What is eo rare as day IN juno.
The voung man galcd at her and into
the far away intensity of thought for as
much as twO minutes.
well. really. MIS- Nellie" he replied.
II must give 1t up ! was never very
good al couundrums anyway don't you
know What is the answer.
The girl was thoroughly aroused by
this time. and it was her turn 20 look AZ
him He was in dead earnest. and actually
had taken the quotation for O. late society
couundrum, and the girl never told him
ans better.
ltsa little funny how mans greatness
Gwindles u Washington. and low much
more imprc -iyo the lesser qualities aye.
at least To women. For instance. ] was
talking 20 young woman about states
man who figured well a. the ST. LouIs
convention And was T. the mans record
as q statesman and his fortune as e. c.ti-
zen az Boston that impressed hcr most.
Wei. not hardly
ooh. yes. She said confidently. u re-
member Lim lies the man WHO wears
his trousers so short ass 10 make au en-
barlassine display of his sock"
Now. did you ever bear Of the ike Of
That before!
OF another who is statesman and at
home i'm that field but who is disposed 30
be foolish in his dattery Of women.
heard "a girl say:
well. of al the driveling idiots ever
met, that man heads the list.
No doubt TO her he YVES exactly that.
And Of a congressman, who is master
hand in politics and chairman Of Z com
mittce, one woman said.
"He is worth $4,000, and has his sal
airy Of 5000 year, but half dollar.
clinrs closer to him than Aunt Jemima
plaster-the more you try TO get il of the
tighter it sticks the faster
4 somewhat amusing story unaccom-
panied by af.idavitsl comes 10 ne concern
inc Mr. Tom Reed the Republican leader
Of the house. 1t appears that on one oc-.
casion Mr. Reed was stopping at hotel
lust where is not stated. and about an
hour after he had retired for the night !.e
heard knoc., at his door.
Who's there he asked, starting up
and peering into the darkness.
Hello, Sham! SAM came tie inquir-
ing, uncertain voice OF loaded man, look
ing for somebody
Mr.. r. got up and opened the door.
My name isn't Sam, he sand, in 70
pleasant humor What do you wantf
Skushe me, muttered the visitor,
making a staggering bow Amt Sham:
'Skushe NE, and he stumbled along down
the hall.
The Maine statesman retired. and as he
dozed of another knock shook the door.
"Sham Oh, Sham carle ;he same
thick voice.
MY name amt Sam. ! just told you,
yelled the disguised congressman through
the door
'Skushe me. " came back the answer.
b." 'Skushe me-" and without further re-
mark the intruder withdrew and the
sleeper tried 10 sleep again.
But not for long. Again the knock
and the call.
"Shaml Oh. sham plaintively.