The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-24
TALES OF WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
Two Favored Young Women-Mme.
de Strive and Her Tipsy Guest.
From the SprinQ1leld RepubItcan.

From the Springfield Republican.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10-There are two
young women in Washington whose line,
have fallen in pleasant places-as pleasant
indeed, that, in this age of growing snob.
bishness, they are unique. They are iu
official society, and not only in 10 but of it.
They appeared on New Years day one at the
white house, the other at the Vice Presi
dents house. In the blue room, among the
many young women asked to assist back of
the ''linen was one of pretty white crepe
gown, whose bright, smiling face and
clever talk would have distinguished her
even out of a less fascinating at
mosphere. Though her first formal appear
ance was on New Years day, she had been
a guest with the Presidents family early in
the season at the home Of the postmaster
general in Philadelphia. At the Vice Presi-
dents house one Of Mrs. Morton's most &C
complished assistants on New Years day
was young woman, the daughter of q
former cabinet officer afterward minister
at the grandest of all the foreign courts.
Again Wednesday, at the first formal
cabinet day receptions, this young woman
was distinguished as the one and only as
sistant chosen by the Vice Presidents wife,
presiding at the tea urn, while Mrs. Morton
herself received the visitors.
Now, you ask, why not? Two young
women. clever, accomplished, and person.
ally attractive. Why should they not fill
these position? At the white house Miss
Sanger is a stenographer for the President
and private secretary for the Presidents
wife. at the Vice Presidents house Miss
Hunt is private secretary for the Vice
Presidents wife. The two young women are
working women on salaries, and, as
- -
department clerk. But, You say, Miss
Hunt, the daughter of former cabinet
officer and Minister to Russia, a
young woman who is a fine lin
quist and fine musician, in short,
fully equipped to grace any drawing room
All, yes, true enough. But all that is of
the past, with her fathers death and the
going of his friends. Mrs. Morton has now
brought her to the front. That Miss San
ger is in official society, is the pleasure of
the Presidents wife. In the entire history
of the white house, dating back to the first
administration there, no such unique bit of
democracy is chronicled. Young women as
private secretaries have not been rare
instances, but they have been strictly rel
egated to the sphere and duty of private
secretary, and no record is made OF one
presuming not to "know her place"
A well-known social leader in past cabi-
net circle paid her private secretary a mu-
nificent salary. But it was not too much
for the brains, culture, and marvellous
memory, to say nothing of the personal
attractions, musical and linguistic accom-
plishments. What is more, she belonged to
a good family, and high in the social scale,
and known long before the leader had any
family to know. Did she ever appear in
I the leaders drawing rooms9 Neverl When
I refer to the status of department clerk
It is in no disparaging sense. On the con-
trary, it is in praise of women who by
birth. education, and association would
race the highest social position, many
~ whom have filed high places, but who
now are working women and doing the work
az clerks. There are women at desks who,
as wives or daughters Of cabinet officers.
wives or daughters Of senator's, wives or
daughters of army officers, once helped to
make official society. They not only earn