The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-09

enforced as the opposition was, by the
nleadincs OF Mrs. Davis. a friend OF
mine was telling me Of q call he made at
Senator Davis house one night. In the
hall he met Mrs. Davis just going to her
carriage
The senator was found upstairs in his
library, sitting in his shirt sleeves,
cigar between his lips, his feet perched
mon chair. the whole picture OF PLAIN,
nlacid comfort. It was obvious that there
had been domestic discussion about the
social duties Of n senator Of the United
States. carried on in executive session,
and with the senator emerging as victor.
Nv friend. who had urmised all this,
and who is very artful, asked the senator
II he were going out.
"Not much" said Mr.. Davis, putting
vigorously at his cigar and pushing the
box over TO his caller. Not much. The
fact is, this society business is the great
est nuisance Of the day. a dress coat
abominate. lam thinking Of introducing
a bill 10 have all swallow tails abolished.
II | had known that a man had TO wear
one OF thoseinfernal things three or four
times a week in Washington, I'm hanged
il / would have come to the senate"
About the first thing public man has
to decide on coming 10 congress or other
official gtation in the'capital is this ono
Of society. Shall he 90 out and give up
all his cherished plans Of work and study,
all his ambition 10 be a great and useful
statesman, OF remain at home and miss
the pleasures Of dinners and receptions,
7 IL is a more serious question than the
reader who knows not the situation
would be likely to judge it. Once started
i'm the social whirl it is not so easy 20 stop.
/ In fact. it is almost impossible, and the
first thing the victim knows he will find
himself so pressed for time that he can
not even read the morning newspapers,
and as for writing speeches or giving
careful study to any Of the great ques-
tions Of the times, that is not 20 be thought
Of. l was talking about this TO veteran
newspaper correspondent, one who has
been here twenty years and kept his eyes
and ears open 70 good advantage and he
( laws down the rule that the men who
eschew society are the men who make
! successes in public life. Social pleasures,
even moderately INDUCED, sap the cncr-
eics and undermine the ambition with
surprising rapidity. As Secretary Win
dom walked through the East Room my
friend pointed to him and said:
"There goes one Of the most evenly
balanced, one of the most capable of our
public men. lie has phenomenal ca
pacity for work. Every day the score
tary is at the treasury department till D
or o'clock; his dinner is not finished till
8: four or five times a week he is ont TO
receptions, and yet he comes into his
Office next morning thoroughly mp with
all the news Of the day and with score
Of important matters all ready 90 go into
/ the hands of his subOrdinates. How he
could do that was a mystery to me till
one night last week, when CHANGED TO
pass his house on Massachusetts avenue
about o'clock i'm the morning. There
was a bright light in his library, and
then | knew how he kept up with his
work. He burns the candle at both ends.
4 little further down theavcnuc another
library was brilliantly Illuminated, not
withstanding the latencss Of the hour,
and through an open blind / saw the
little chief Justice of the United States
bending over his desk. That explained
how he was able to devote so much time
TO society. of which he is very fond, and
at the same time to keep up with the
enormous amount of work which his po-
sition throws upon him. And thus,
dare scy, you'll find it all over the city
Of Washington.
"To the man Of affairs and success and
conscientious effort 10 do his whole duty
there is but one way TO make up for the
time lost in society's gay whirl. and that
is by consumption of the midnight oil.
This does for a season or two, but the
man who settles down to it as a regular
thing will fail sooner o. later. This re-
ception is given in honor Of the supreme
court and congress. 1t is the one social
event of the year which senators and
representatives are in duty bound to at
tend, yet not one-half of the leading men
Of those bodies are here. Many that are
here viii not go out again this season.
They need their evenings i'm their libra
ries OF "dens" for the purpose Of writing
letters, reading bills, studying public
questions or conferences with friends
and colleagues. They have made their
choice between pleasure and success IN
favor of the latter"
WALTER WELLMAN.