Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-04

House and Why He Did Not Remode
nt-Mrs. GIadstone's Devotion TO the G.
o. M.-Lots of stories About Washing.
| ton.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Mays g.
MRS. HARRISON does not shake hands wher
she receives with the President. She die
at the first reception she gave In the White
House. and it tired her arm so. causing hel
downright and acute pain, that she discontin
ued the practice. Nobody will blame the first
lady of the land in this case. 1t would
not have been SO much noticed but Tor the
fact that Mrs. Cleveland's handshake was a
very attractive feature of her receptions. Mrs
Cleveland gave her hand generously and 1t was
a very positive grip that her guests enjoyed
In this matter, as in other ways, it has been
| somewhat unfortunate for Mrs Harrison that
so young, vigorous and popular hostess pre-.
ceded her at the White House.
1t should be clearly understood, however,
that Mrs. Harrison entertains with no little
| grace and dignity, and is deservedly held in
nigh esteem by those who understand the diff
| culties of her situation.
MORE than once, am told, Mrs. Harrisons
habit of Withholding her hand at recep-
tions has given rise to annoying incidents. Re-
Gently among the guests at one OF Mrs. Harrl-
sons receptions was Western Senator's
wife. 1t was her first visit to the White
House since the Harrison regime began.
She is a stout-heartsd Republican, like her
husband, and she carried with her into the
Presidential presence a loyal determination to
be pleased with the Presidents wife. There
was good deal of a crowd, as usual, and Mrs.
Harrison confined herself to bows for bows,
with word or two to favored few. When
the Senator's wife reached Mrs. Harrison she
held out her hand, looking the first lady OF
the land full in the eyes, and preparing
to give her cordIal greeting. Mrs. Harrison
held in her right hand large bouquet of roses,
and the right hand of her guest, cropping with
out exact aim, clut ohed the stem of the bou-
uuet. The look of embarrassment which fitted
over Mrs. Harrison's face apprised the other
lady that all was not right, and of course
second or two later she saw what she was
doing. Then the wife of the Western Senator
moved rapidly away. 1t is sad to relate that she
Is not pleased with the Presidents wife. Her
displeasure has not been kept secret, either.
AS everybody knows the Hon. James q.
Blaine lives IN the old Seward residence
on Lafayette square. 1t is house OF the old
style; square and PLAIN, of red brick, sobered
into an indefinite tint by age and most COM
Portable withal The old house has little in
common with the many structures OF forid
style, whose turrets and gabled roofs rise be-
hind the trees near at hand
The other night at a reception lady with
rare and most laudable taste complmented
Mr.. Blaine upon his abstainng from the
practice-common in Washington as elsewhere
of grating new architecture upon old.
"The house as it IS is good enough for me-"
Mr. Blaine replied. 1--WE did not remodel it,
because we have no desire to have, as the boy
said, Queen Anne at the front and Mary Anne
at the back"
WE were talking about Mr. Gladstone. and
my friend, who has had good deal to do
with the Pan-American Congress. told me the
following story of Mrs. Gladstone, which hap
PLY illustrates her devotion to her grand old
husband:
When Mr.. Andrew Carnegie was in London
not great while ago he was invited to a din
ner en- famille by Mr. Gladstone. OF course
Mr.. Carnegie went He arrived at the Glad"
stones house at the time set and was received
by Mrs. Gladstone In her wonted gracious man
per. 1t was impossible for him to fail to notice
that there was something odd in Mrs. Glad
stones attire. She had on a thick knit cape,
and, as the day was a warm one, Mr.. Carnegie
offered to help her remove it when she rose to
go down to dinner.
But Mrs. Gladstone with laugh, declined
his offer. and explained: Il was afraid of
keeping Mr.. Gladstone waiting-which he does
not like at all-and as 1 couldn't find the waist
of my dress slipped on this cape to save time"
And when Mrs. Gladstone rose to leave the
table after dinner it was discovered that the
missing waist was clinging to the skirt-band of
her dress.
"A took me to the suburb of Uniontown-
across the Anacostia last Sunday. 1t is not
sweet place. Doggeries, pigstyes and mud are
its salient features. There are some nice
residences on the high ground above the viii
lage. Fred Douglass has beautiful house up
there. A cemetery is there, too.
AS was returning 1 had for companions in
the bobtail car half-dozen colored ladies and
gentlemen. Two of the ladies were very large
and full of sprits-just good spirits, of course.
They had criticism to make or a joke to crack
upon everything and everybody the car passed.
BY and by near the bridge we met a funeral
procession. Some cnlorei person OF impor-
tance had evidently died, for score of carriages
followed the hearse. In the last vehicle,
buggy, was a small boy and stout matronly
negress dressed in red plush.
There goes Becky Thomas, 1 clare" said
one of the critics in the car: whats she doin'
at fun'ral without mownin' ?'
.Sbe do as she pleases" said the other, "wear
what she pleases, when she rides in her own
carriage, guessr p
There's a nice point of etiquette settled for
you.
THE other day Congressman Butterworth
came up to one of the elevator shafts in
the Capitol Just as the elevator, with Speaker
Reed on board, started to ascend. Mr.. Reed
smiled sweetly, and Butterworth called after
him: ''Go up. thou baldheadr'
To which Mr. Reed shouted in reply: "My
home is above-but you'll never get thereP'
A FTER staying week or so in Washington,
it is only slight exaggeration to say that |
three very strong impressions are made upon
the observer through his senses. Everybody |
knows how the Washington Monument is con-
stantly witness to all that goes in the city |
at its feet 1t is never out of sight. That's |
one impression. The overpowering presence |
of the Mckinley tariff bill is another phenom-
enon always IN evidence at the Capital. Your |
ears never get beyond the sound of tariff tink- |
ering That's impression number two. The |
third salutes the nose. 1t is the smoke from |
cauldrons Of tar now in use everywhere here in |
street repairing.
Inspired by a solution Of Potomac water and |
corn juice a visitor to this city to-day penned |
the following exquisite set of verses: |
OWED TO WASHINGTON.
Where 'er you roam in Washington.
On toll or pleasure bent
Your eyes will surely gaze upon
The awful monument