The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

and distinguished looking ladies of the
last regime. While her vigorous mind
takes in the shifting phases of this dizzily
progressive era like the other stately
white-haired ladies' who figured long ago as
principals in the drama of society, Mrs.
Semple loves to linger reminiscently upon
the past-her past-and its historic en-
relgned at the White House in her girlhOOd
IS like turning back to page Of entertain
ing social and political history. She
laughingiy refers to herself as interesting
only along with other antiquities, but the
readiness with which she not only recalls
the past, but enters into the topics of the
hour, the dignity and elegance of her
brightness Of her eyes, protest
against that term. She is one Of
the rare women who may bridge
over the two or three generations with
their perpetual youth. She is frequently
importuned for interviews, but ike all
these ladies Of old-time notions Of dignity
and propriety, shrinks from anything that
puts her name .'in print" While she
talks 50 brightly and entertainingly of the
old social life Of her fathers administra-
ton, one Is continually reminded of the
future OF the phonograph, and that con-
versation trap if set up in any of those
forty rooms, would catch an enormous
o'uouAS VI entertaining history.
AN OLD CHARACTER.
A quaint, familiar figure has vanished
from the Louise Home. Odd Miss Pannell,
of Norfolk, Va, is no longer seen on the
streets in the curious costumes that at
tracted smile from every passer-by. She
had been at the home for many years
and except for her extraordinary taste in
dress was woman of good mind and was
noted for her extreme piety. She was for
many years treasurer of the Society for
the Poor of st. Matthews, and when she
died recently DR.. Chappelle said that
one. of the saints had departed from
earth. She was a short, stout old lady
with round, wrinkled face which was
Frightened by small, keen dark eyes and
set off with most marvellous halo Of long
black curls. wig it was suspected. Then
her bonnets and gowns and shawls were
unlike anything described as in fashion
for fifty years. Her church costume would
possibly be pink or blue gown RULED to
the belt, broad sash of contrasting colors
tied at the back, and white silk shawl
embroidered in gay flowers would be
launtily flung over her shoulders. Her
bonnet, q huge black straw, fashioned over
models long since forgotten, was weighted
by masses of gay artiicials. To these add
gloves of white cotton, an ancient hand
satchel and tiny red parasol, and you
complete the array of this fanciful octo-
genarian.
A SOUTHERN LADY on THE RACE QUESTION.
Mrs. Calhoun, another resident of the
Home stately, dignifed woman, is among
the younger of the inmates. She bears the
famous name of Calhoun, and, as is ma
tural, regards the South with unchanging
admiration. In speaking of the race ques-
ton this lady, familiar with the old plan
tation life, was led to say:
"Only the Southern people know and
appreciate the colored people. We alone
understand them. The North dislikes the
negro personality loves him politically.
II We deny him. POLITICAL rights we are his
She then related q touching incident in
her experience of the after-war days, which
she said was repeated all over the South.
Said she:
AT the close of .the war, we were miser-
ably poor. We had nothing and no ability
to earn anything. Winter came on and
We would have suffered from cold had it
not been for the generosity of one of our old
servants who had been favorite house
servant, who hauled and split the wood
he gave us. Again and again he came
with his load until We had winters sup
ply. and when my mother died he came
again with his brothers and begged that
they alone might have the privilege of
preparing her for burial, of carrying her
to the church and covering her in the
grave. Do you not think"-and the lady's
eyes were bright with tears-"that there
is no affection between the races in the
South? Yet those very servants all voted
the Republican ticket because of their
gratitude
OTHER FAMOUS FEMALE BACK NUMBERS.
Mrs. Daniels, widow of Judge Daniels,
of North Carolina, is one of the popular
inmates of the Louise Home. During the
war the Daniels family lived on their great
plantation in Louisiana. Their wealth
was not lost in the war, nor until
after her husbands death, when the for
tune entrusted to relative faded away
and she, like all the other aristocratic in
mates Of this house, was forced to accent
the Inequalities she had once been so Law
ish in extending.
Miss Jones, another Southern-born LADY,
is among the youngest of the household
She was daughter of General Walter
Jones, well-known lawyer of the district,
and is a relative of President Harrison,
which fact Miss Jones has never brought
to the presidents notice.
An article on the home were incomplete
without reference to Mrs Hartford. of
Maryland, grand-aunt of Mrs. Francis
Scott Key. whose husband was the author
of the .'Star-Spangled Banner" or to Miss
Williston, who in addition to Virginian
birth and blue blood, has the distinction
of being the grand-nlece of Martha Wash
ington. These, together with Mrs. Irwin,
Mrs. Mcneil and many other lovely and
attractive old ladies and loyal adherents
TO the manners and customs of old South
ern days, have turned philosophically
from the vanished power and grandeur Of
the past to the rest and comfort and
security ofthe present.
Of the forty residents, in addition to the
matron, Miss Lucy Hunter. and her as
sistants, nearly all are Virginians. There
from Maryland, two or three from the Dis
trict OF Columbia and one from New York.
OF the seventeen admitted at the opening
but i've are living, and since the endow-
ment will continue to maintain the home,
it IS inevitable that in time it will lose its
distinctive Southern character. and that
the Union dag will supersede the Confed-
crate one.
HOW THE HOME Is MANAGED.
The Louise Home is managed by board
composed of eight ladies, under the advice
of the board of trustees, who are gentle
men. These directors, since Mr.. Cor
coran's death, found it expedient to make
one new rule. Secure in the possession of
lifelong home, several old ladies having
wealthy relatives spent most of the year
away from Washington, using the Home
as winter residence only. To follow out
the idea of the founder relating to home
for the homeless, it has been decided that
longer visit than three months is equiva-