The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-04-24
WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
Girls Who Earn Their Living Adj
mitted in The Cabinet Circle.

4nCiC aAO WV y0ohS
Washington whose lines have fallen
in pleasant ~places-so pleasant, in
deed, that, in this age of growing
snobbishness. they are unique. They
are in official society. and not only in
it but of it. They appeared on New
Years Day, one at the White House,
the other at the Vice Presidents
house. In the Blue Room, among
the many young women asked to as
sist back of the s'line,' was one in q
pretty white crepe gown. whose
bright, smiling face and clever talk
would have distinguished her even
out OF a less fascinating atmosphere.
Though her first formal appearance
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 Presidents house one OF
Mrs. Morton's most accomplished as
sistants on New Years Day was a
d woman, the daughter of a
former Cabinet officer, afterward
Minister at the grandest of all foreign
courts. Again Wednesday, at the
first formal Cabinet day receptions,
this young woInan was distinguished
as the one and only assistant chosen
by the Vice Presidents wife, presid-
ing at the tea urn, while Mrs. Morton
herself received the visitors.
Now, you ask, why mott Two
young women, clever, accomplished
and personally attractive. Why
should they not fill these positions?
AT the White Hose 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 working women,
their status is that of a department
clerk. But you say Miss Hunt, the
daughter of a former Cabinet officer
and Minister to Russia, a young
woman who is q fine linguist and fine
musician, in short, fully equipped to
grace any drawing roomi 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 Sanger is in official society is the
pleasure of the Presidents wife. In
the entire history of the White House,
dating back to the first Administra-
ton there, no such unique bit OF
democracy is chronicled. Young
women as private secretaries nave
not been rare instances, but they have
been strictly relegated to the sphere
and duty of private secretary, and no
record is made of n presuming not
to know her place.
A well known social leader in a past
Cabinet circle paid her lprivate secre-
tary a munificent salary. But it was
not too much for the brains, culture
and marvellous memory, to say moth
ing of the personal attractions, musi-
cal and linguistic accomplishments.
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 the leaders drawing rooms?
Never! When | refer to the status of
a department clerk it is in no dispar-
aging sense. On the contrary it is in
praise of women who by birth, educa-
tion and association would grace the
highest social position, many of whom
have filled high places, but who now
are working women and doing the
work of clerks.
There are women at desks who, as
wives or daughters of Cabinet officers,
wives or daughters of Senators, wives
or daughters of army officers, once
helped to make official society. They
not only earn their bread now, but
earn the bread of dependent relatives,
and they do it with q lofty devotion,
4 -e.I - Af1raa and cyuQntnaas fho+
make their lives a daily religion of ex-
ample and of deed. Are these women
eyer seen in the drawing rooms of
women whose official places they once
filed? Very seldom. Almost never.
Now and then one is asked to assist at
an afternoon reception, or asked to an
evening party. And yet some curious
neouIe are seen in official drawing
roolns-ssshady'' people. | do not
mean unlimited guests. They are in
yited, and more is the pity.
/ shall never forget an incident of
the beautiful Mrs. Brewster. 1t was
at one of her Cabinet receptions that
a visitor, new in riches and new in
official position, said:-"Do tell me.
Are women in that department re-
ceived in official society,"" .:Oh, yes,u
replied Mrs. Brewster in a tone de-
lieiously sweet and r~eassuring, II
give you my word they are. Mr..
Brewster married me out Of the de-
partment, you know If the visitor
ever prayed that a floor would open
and drop her out OF sight she then
did.
This is in striking contrast to the
weakness Of a lady in a later Cabinet
circle. She gave a tea very early in
the season, and desiring to ask q
young woman whose return she was
not quite sure OF she inquired the adj
dress Of a mutual friend. sShe has
lust gotten back said the friend, and
gave the address.
Later, meeting the young woman,
the friend said.-s'Of course you are
going to Mrs. Blanks tea next
week. "Oh. I've not been asked.
I doubt if she knows I'm back to
town. replied the young woman,
Ives, she does. ! told her and gave
your number, ? said the friend. And
/ know she means to ask you" But
the young lady did not receive the in
vitation, and, of course, was not at
the tea. Later, on meeting the wife
OF the Cabinet officer, the latter
said:-"I am sorry you were not back
for my tea. Had l known your
address. should have sent a