Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12
LONG BEFORE THE WAR
What Washington Society Was in
the Twenties.
THE BELLIES AND BEAUX.
Intellectual Entertainment mt the Dinner
Table-The Introduction of the Waltz and
Polka Meeting With q Disting uished
Belle-Thirty Years After.
Written for The Evening Star.

dining room was the temple in which social
priesthood were accustomed to deliver their
| oracles. where the intellectual entertainment
was far more prominent than the devices of the
| cook; where there was not the profuse decor
alton of today but the social provocative of the
| choicest wines. which rendered conversational
powers attractive and. indeed in some measure,
almost professional, in its wit and wisdom and
reparte.
Just here let me recall dinner an in
| promptu dinner. given to that prince of wits,
| John Brougham. on q Sunday afternoon as the
| guest was to leave the next morning INTENDED
| to be On famiile. but in those DAYS Washing
| ton aboundod In the intellectual material for a
| delightful dinner and the guests hidden TO say
| goodbye to Mr. Drougham had increased
| until they numbered about twenty. AS a con-
cession to the day had an early dinner. 3
O'Clock. and. as remember them after thirty
! llve years, there were George Nanderhoff.
J BrOugham. of course. Mess-s. VIM. Hunter
! Hugh Capertor. Robert Oald Jacl. Savage
! Thomas Francis MeaGhcr VIM. Stewart Albert
/ Pike. Robert W. johnson. Heverdy Johnson,
! Anthony Kennedy, Mr. Buriupame Col. Nm
/ ShoIier of Boston. the Nestor of the press,
| hlngman anu, as Jack Savage called him. that
cemetery of dead languages Alexander
Dlmetry, and some others. whose names | can
| not at this moment recall. If all the good
things which were SAID on that one occasion
Could have been collected n In phonograph of
| today 1t would make delightful volume
| Song. jest and wit and repartee sparkled like
the wines which lent their aid to the normal
wit OF those whose names recall the flashes of
humor OF which they were capable. This is
only one OF the many impromt gatherings of
that day. Those who remember these guests
can Imagine what a feast of reason and
now OF sour was enjoyed.
ANTE-BELLUM WASHINGTON.
Some of those who WRITE cd IF he h
ington they never saw. and others who date
their "reminiscences from 1861. as sapient
critic writes to Sunday journal 'there was
no society in Washington until 1861" know as
little about the Washington of ante-bellum
days, and of that earlier period of which Mr..
Quincy writes, as they do of the social life of
Siam.
Mr.. Quincy says: "The evening parties we're
the social features of the place at the time of
my vlslt-lo26. The company assembled about
and began to break up shortly after H.
having enjoyed the recreation of dancing. card
playing, music and conversation. Everybody
IN the city vino occupied the necessary social
position appeared at these gatherings. My
first Washington party was at Mrs. Wirts (the
Attorney General 81. where L was taken by Mr..
and Mrs. Webster"
Referring to his journal Mr. Quincy saws:
HE enjoyed the conversation of Miss Henry
niece of Patrick Henry; the music on piano
and harp of Miss Writ and of Mrs. David
Hoffman of Baltimore. whom he describes as
pretty. learned and agreeable He was pre-
s2nted to lady whose beauty was the admira-
ton of Washington and whose name was conse-
quently upon every tongue-at least something
Ike her name, for society had decreed that this
fair woman should be known as Mrs. Florida
White. her husband being delegate from our
most southern territory"
MEETING BELLE.
t.,
of his introduction to young lady who at that
period was the acknowledged chief of the ele-
CANT and fashionable young women of our
county: February I6 1861 spent this even
ing att ball given by Mrs. johnson of Louisiana
(wlfe OF the Senator from that state). was to
have gone there with Everett (Edward): but
the death OF his brother prevented him from
appearing. / found a crowd in COM
parison with which all other crowds that
have experienced sink into nothing We were
jammed 30 closely that it was impossible to sec
the faces of those who stood at our sides.
had a striking eXemplification of this fact bv
hndlng lady hanging upon my arm, who was
unable TO look up and see who l was. l. on my
part, exerteo all my skill in craniologv in /,
vain attempt to discover who she might be. 1t
was only after considerable time that we
made each other out. The lady proved
to be Miss Atkinson from Louisville
and a good laugh We had together on
discovering the mistake. As there was
no dancing | contented myself with moving
IN the current round the room. first conduct
Ing Mrs. Florida White and afterward Mrs.
DAVID hoffman" By the latter lady / was in
troduced to Miss Cora Livingston. and / must
be able to paint the rose to describe u lady who
undoubtedly is the greatest belle in the United
States. In the frat place. she Is not handsome
i mean transcendeutly handsome. She has a
nne hSure. pretty face. dances well and
dresses to admiration. Ii Is the height of the
ton to be her admirer and she Is certainly the
belle OF the country. | suppress much that
might be SAID abou; my acquaintance with the
charming Miss Cora. That was greatly fas-
cin"ted with her, my journal confesses upon
nearly every page. At the public bail
at Carusi Assembly Rooms where all Wash
lnSton was present. | note my gratica-
tloa IN the honor done me by Miss Cora in
reservnS Tor me the frs. cotlilioE. and as a mat
ter Oh course every one gathered about our set
70 admire tAIe grace OF my fair partner.
And now she said. 4 am
going to perform enc OF the greatest acts
OF heroisln OF which woman can be capable
1 am going to present you to my rival SO
sayino Miss Cora divided g group Of gentlemen
VINO had gathered about Miss Catherine Van
RENSSELAER, OF Albany tail, geneel girl
says NY journal laconicaily. and said to have
fine mind and rich father"
Nhcu L took leave of Miss Cora on Leaving
Washington there was perhaps 4 little feeling
On Dotn sides. We had been much together
meeting nearly every day. III fact. We achuowl-
edged We might never meet again. Boston
and New Orleans were then far apart and SO
the lady turned, l suppose, to the scores of
young fellows who were coveting her smiles
and bore away an image OF loneliness and
grace never to be erased"
AFTER THIRTY YEARS.
But We did meet again, and if The reader will
kindly suppose thirty years 10 have elapsed
Will tell him how. From this she!i of old Jour-
mails l select the volume for 1886 and open to
the record of Saturday. the 30tn OF August. [
am now with some friends on the North river
and am taken to Montgomery place to see the
fine arboretum belonging to MIR. Barton, and
Mr. Barton himself meets at the door OF his
house, and although lam, from TIE govt walks
with us about the garden and points out his
choicest trees At last comes the invitation
which fills me with nervous apprehension
| VIII yoa come into the house and see Mrs.
Barton! les was to sec what remained of
the lovely Cora Livingston. The picture Of
what she had been was perfect III my minu and
remains 30 today. surely never lighted on
this ofb, which she hardly seemed to touch. a
more delightful vision Burkes famous
apostrophe to the Queen of FRANCE is none too
good. l will not describe the old
lady, in cap and dress of studied SIM
piicity. to whom l was presented by
Mr. Barton. My nap had lasted ten
years longer than Rip Van Wrinkles. and this
was the penalty. You would not
have known me, said Mrs. Barton. l could
. Han -. IL