Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-05

When Mrs. Morrill, came to Washington in 1856
her half-sister. Miss Swami, came with her. and
has been member of her interesting house.
hold ever since. Miss Swami, since her long
residence at Washington, during the congress
sional and fashionable seasons, has figured
prominently in social life. Being possessed of
an observant mind and retentive memory, she
is one of the most entertaining ladies at the
capital. Her recollections of society in the
days of Presidents Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln,
Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and
Cleveland are intensely interesting. Her
friends have long been urging her to preserve
this valuable material in the shape of reminis-
csnses as a contribution to the social history Of
the capital.
PRESIDENT PIERcH's BROTHER.
The experiences of President Pierce's
brother, who was a New Hampshire drover,
upon his first visit to the capital, as told by
Mss Swami, presents most amusing picture
Of the contrasting conditions of the two broth
ers. Drover Pierce boarded in the same house
with the Morrills, and, though not Of the same
political faith, they were all very friendly. The
supplemented New Hampshire drover made
cmfdant of Miss Swami. His woes of reflected
cnspicuousness, the harrassments of syco-
ptantic office-hunters, the perplexities OF con-
ventional etiquette, the torture of polite
''doings," nearly drove the drover Of the
granite hills out of his senses. He was ogled
and pointed at and followed by the crowd to
his clearinghouse as if he was somebody. He
was particularly incensed that he couldn't eat
q neal of victuals with his brother Frank with
out seeing all about it in the newspapers, just
az if eatin' war somethen new" The Troubles
OF Benjamin Pierce, Drover, New Hampshire;
or The Trials of Presidents Brother on a
VISIT to the National Capital as rendered by
Mss Swami, would make a roaring chapter OF
experiences.
The style Of living Of Senators and Repre-
sentatives in those days, the society Of the
tines of James Buchanan and Harriet Lane,
the anxious months of the war; with the vary
ing fortunes of bloody combat; the establish
mint of the new regime in politics and society
uron the return of peace and the expansion OF
the fashionable life of the capital into its
present scope of magnifcence, opulenee,
culture, diversity and attractions have had an
aypreciative observer in Miss Swami. Her re-
markable gifts of conversation enable her to
utilize this fund of interesting information for
the benefit of her friends. The only son and
child of Mrs. Morrill, has been somewhat of an
invalid since serious illness two years ago.
In their young days Mrs. Morrill, and her
sitter were great bellies, admired not only for
their beauty but for their conversational gifts.
Fer the past few years Mrs. Morrill, has not been
very strong. She has therefore been much re-
lived in her household and social duties by
Mss Swami, who still retains her womanly
beauty. The name of Miss Swami is also ASSOC
chted with charitable work in behalf of the
colored people at the capital. Senator Nor
ril, who will be seventy-nine years old in
April, is still vigorous and attends to his sena-
tGial duties with all the enthusiasm of men Of
fewer years in life's march from the cradle to
the grave. In his palmy days he was one Of
the brightes speakers in Congress. and at the
dinner table he had few peers. DEB. Il. h.