The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-06-07
WOMEN IN WASHINGTON.
That Is to say, the Wives of Con-
gressmen.
From an Occasional Correspondent

gressmen.
From Occasional Correspondeetl
WASHINGTON, ID. c., June 4th.-
There is ''the other side" to all these
things. People are mistaken who
think that the wife of the average
member of Congress leads delightful
existence here at Washington. There
are several things that it becomes the
duty of the wife of statesman to do.
Besides having an extensive CORES
pondence of her own, chiefly with peo-
pie who try to reach her husband
through her sympathies, she often has
to help her husband in his letter
writing, if he is not a rich man. Many
members wives read serious works on
political economy, &c, which are sent
to them from the Congressio 1al libra
ry, to assist their husbands in their
official duties. Many wives, too, while
the public believe they are circling
ments for their husbands. They sit
in the back parlor Office, surrounded
by hundreds of books done up in yell
low paper, printed IN one corner:
"Part of Congressional Record-free"
and IN. c." in the other. They write
their husbands names over the an. c.
and address the packages to infuen-
tial constituents at home.
The wife of Representative Breck-
inridge, of Kentucky, does this for her
husband as pleasure to herself But
she is only one of a great many who
, assist their husbands so.
WIVES OF NEW MEMBERS.
But all this is merely pleasant
pastime to what the wives of some of
the new members have to endure.
They feel a thrill! of Joy on being cal
E led for the first time "Mrs. Represen-
tative," and they look at letter for
half an hour before opening it, and
, their pulses beat high when the address
, is "Hon. Mrs. -" But there
is a compensation for all these joys.
There are many things to make the
, lot of a new members wife not hap
DIV one. No one outside of the m9ni-.
Iy knows the history of great srE,
a delivered on the floor of the Hodse.
! If the public knew there would be q
! spontaneous outburst of sympathy for
| the patient ane oppressed "Mrs. Rep
resentative." People make the mis-
. take of thinking that this lady's time
. is taken up by calls, receptions, din
: ners, and the whole list of entertain
, ments designed to shorten life. They
do not stop to think how much is in
\ volve1 in an hours speech on the tar
r if, the silver qu-sUlon, or civil service
v reform! The history of this speech
= begins at home. A domestic tragedy
stands behind it Much noble self
4 sacrifice and forbearing philosophy
Q have attended its preparation. The
!. Cougressman's wife has been the vic
s. tim. Perhaps it is humorous speech
is Heavens how much domestic suffer
as ing has been caused by each wei
!, "worked up" joke! The secret history
a OF the manuscript is sad. 1t is wisely
= concealed from the public The wife
X alone knows it. The pinched anC
q. pale expression Of sad resignation oI
ty her face alone tells the story. No on'
ne else knows how those jokes or thos,
ic barsts of eloquence wear upon the tie
ne of domestic happiness.
n. TT Is TERRIBLE TEST.
in of the devotion of wife to sit ant
E. listen to her husband, while, with vii,
lie gesticulation and varied tones, h
On reads over and over again some high
sounding sentence, committing it t
I'll memory and practicing its effect:
ct What deep and settled sorrow sink
or into the woman's heart when she mus
iel listen to a joke her husband is memol
of izing? But this is not half 1T. O
ge dinarily the preparation of a speech
ty the result of many days'-perhaps'-
Ill work. During this time the wife is
gal thing to be practibed upon. Nigl
rn- and day, at all times, some fragmel
of that speech, either in sound or
ge, manuscript, is somewhere about Il
BE- house. When the husband is at hon
for he is either reading it, talking abo,
it, or repeating fragments to himse
40 aloud. When he's away the childr,
80, take it up, and at every turn the wi
rb | rups upon q hit of uanuscrirt