Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-19
GALLERY GODDESSES.
Women Who Watch the PrOceedtmgD 81
Congress.


Women who Watch the Proceedtnss u
Congress.
THE BLUE STOCKING AND SPRING BONNET cLAssHs-
WOMEN WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE rR0cRRD-
INGs AND IN THE sPEAKRRs-rRR CUSTOM OF SEND
ING FLOWERS TO MEMBERS.
Ihey look down from the galleries while the
statesmen talk tariff and wonder why spring bon
nets are never mentioned among the necessaries Of
NE mat must so on the free list. Women make
up the chief audience at the House Nearly every
oay greater number and variety OF hats
ana ponnets than would stock fashionable
miiliners shop for spring opening are assembled
IN the galleries, and great variety OF faces look
from under these studies" In head dress. The
very prs;Sy faces, If not as many as the pretty
oonneSs, are not few. Women are the most con-
slant visitors at the capitol A speaker who
can clear the galleries OF nearly all of the
male population is apt to ind an appreciative
audence 10 the ladies' gallery. II he Is at all good
quarter; however bare the other galleries may
W, tne ladies' galleries are never empty on any
occasion While the House is in session. When
lnemoer In any way noted for his gallantry is to
speak The seating capacity Is apt to be taxed.
IneIe are some ladies who are at the Capltol
n nearty every day, no matter what may be going
On Iney Slt In the 'front.' row and watch the pro.
Ceeulnss WIN equal interest, whether 1t Is roll
eau or wrangle. They are always there.
HABTTUAL VISITORS
oIherS come only when something especial Is
going on There are certain members whom they
always come to hear. They never miss great
speech, and are always present when the fate of
some especially interesting bill Is decided. They
are hapitual Congress gOers. There are two strtk-
ngy opposslIe classes Those OF one class are
glasses They often carry pencil and scraps OF
paper, upon which they sometimes take notes:
They are looking for an 'Intellectual treat" and
THESE DTS OF paper are to take some home on.
some or them care only for the eOQuence that
drops from the tongues OF the statesmen, taking
DOWN 10 De preserved many OF the striking words
ana expressions Others are politicians, and get
excited over everything that is going on before
they haven't the natience nn sn re roll a,s or
70 SIT out dull day. They are the congressional
Dlue stockings, and when there is nothing "intel-
iectual' In the House or Senate many OF them 60
inIo Inc library TO commune with Old volumes.
THE OTHER CLASS WEAR
ta1lOr-made suits and display the spring bonnets.
They are younger, or look so, and add color and q
freshness to thetscene. They are much more con-
slant than the others, and appear lust as well
pleased, whether 1t is dull or a lively day. As
long as the House is In and the members are
on the noor, they find something to interest them.
Al times some OF them are joined by members In
tnelr earnest attentions to the floor. They are
The pretty girls; the spring. bonnet girls bunch
OF theIn In flowers and laceS and bright cOlOrS Is
the Hover garden OF the great waste Of galleries,
whereupOn the eyes OF the members love to rest
There Is one corner convenient the ladies' dress
lng-roOm where there are mirrors, &C., and they
can see 10 stra1ghten their bangs. Here they sit
and look sweet, more interesting than interested.
After prayer in the morning they come one or two
al Time, out OF the dressing room, and take seats
In 'front.' They are not all the same girls, but some
OF them are.
THE EYES OF THE MEMBERS
on the floor turn to that corner and IL the spring.
bonnet girls are there, business may go on-they
are content! Some OF these gallery gOddesses
carry books in their hands-schOol books or
music books; big geography or history. One
or two occasionally carry little prayer books and
hymnals, such as are carried in the hands in neat
little cases to church on sunday. One beautiful
creature with the face OF the Madonna, carries a
small Bible which she often reads during rOll-cal,
or even during burst OF eloQuence from some
memOer who does not interest her.
THE AUDIENCE OF AN ORATOR.
Members who have fame as orators always have
good audiences when it is known that they are
going to speak, The audience is made up largely
OF ladies-some who know him or his family in
society and Others who know merely his fame
The wife and daughters OF q member-ir he has
any-are generally present when he makes a
speech. The ta1lor-made girls are always there.
The wives OF some OF the members are very con-
slant In their attendance upon Congress-. Some
OF them spend all the time they can spare from
social and domestic duties in watching the doings
or Congress. In some cases this is because they
Ike to be near their husbands who often sit with
them In The Speakers gallery, and sometimes
IL Is because they are natural politicians and love
to watch public affairs. There are several men,
bers Ia the House whose wives are accredited with
being the best politicians In the family When
member Is going to speak he generally braces
himself for an extra effort II he feels the eyes of
his wife upon him from the gallery. Most OF them
would rather be criticised by any one in the world
than by their wives.
FLOWERS FOR MEMBERS
The habit OF sending flowers to members is less
common than it was. The members discourage it.
II at The close OF speech member gets bunch OF
flowers sent by his wife he is pleased, but II his
wife is in the gallery and he knows she did not
SEND them 1t Is embarrassing 1t used to be quite
the custom OF women who wanted favOrs from
congressman TO send them large and gorgeous
baskets OF flowers on the slightest provocation.
But no woman who has any tact will do now.
She knows it will lose to her whatever influence
she has with him. No member ever knows Just
what TO do with a bunch OF flowers too large to
pin on the lapel OF his coat. The only thing open
TO him Is to hire page to throw them away, or to
send them home to his wife, The latter frequently
involves him in an embarrassing explanation
The average member will dodge bOQuer as he
will vote on the labor problem.