The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-10-15

ators to aid her in her plan. In addi-
ton to her other qualities of thrift and
enterprise she was endowed withsa
wonderful memory, and had not been
around the capitol for more than a week
before she knew the face ap~ name of
every senator. She also made il her
business to know all the officers and
employees. Not man connected with
the senate end of the building could
pass her stand but he was saluted with
. polite Good morning. SIR" or "Mr.
Senator" as the case might be. Thus
Clara Morris kept herself ever before
them and had no hesitancy in calling
upon all her friends when she needed
| anything But the location for a
| larger stand was harder to find than
fshe had thought. Her senatorial al
lies did all they could to help her in the
matter. Their willingness to aid her
was apparent, but there really was no
| place suitable for her purpose on the
| senate side. Then she reluctantly
turned her gaze towards the other end
| Of the capitol, and continued her quest
on the house side. Here she was more
successful and an excellent place was
discovered in the antechamber leading
out from the rotunda into the statuary
hall. Out of the profits of her little
| stand in the senate corridor she pur-
| chased a counter and showcase and en-
larged her stock substantially. That her
selection of stand was good one was
evidenced by the fact that business was
active from the start and in even great
er proportions than her first venture.
Soon she familiarized herself with first
the faces, and then the names of the
numerous representatives. This, of
course, was more difficult than to be.
come acquainted with the fewer sena-
tors; bu; in a very short time it was ac-
complisl;ed auS the name of every mem.
ber of congress who passed her stand
was called out by the little old French
lady.
She was very effusive, and kissed the
hands, instead of shaking them, of her
friends. This was slightly embarrassing
at first to those of the more conserva-
tive gentlemen who made our laws in
those days, but in time every one be-
came accustomed to her ways and no
one thought anything of her demonstra-
tions.
She became warmly attached to Capt.
Bassett, tie gentle guardian of the de.
corum of the senate, who was even then
an elderly man. Every morning before
the meeting of the senate she would
leave her stand and proceed in her Pc
culiarly characteristic walk (some peo-
pie irreverently called it waddle) to
the senate chamber; np,, going up to
the venerable announcer of messages
from the presiQ INT, present him with a
little package of candy done up in the
shape of a cornucopia. The captain is
particularly fond of candy, as matto7
of fact, and then, too, it renders his
voice clearer when he stands in the CEN
ter of the main aisle and calls the at
tention of the presiding officer to the
fact that the president of the United
States, by his private secretary has some-
thing to say to the members of the
highest legislative body of America
These little visits and the accompany
ing gift were always looked forward to
Eby Capt. Bassett and, should anything
occur to prevent the little French wom-
an from keeping her appointment with
him, he would send page to her stand
to learn the reason of her absence. He
has always been friend to and taken
an interest in Clara Morris from the day
of her appearance in the senate gallery.
That she is eccentric he admits, but he
is very non-committal when questioned
as to his views concerning her mental
capacity. That she is smart in busi-
ness way and saving to degree, is made
apparent by the fact that since her resi-
dence here she has purchased several
houses on capitol hill and other prop.
erty in various portions of the city.
For many years she maintained her
, stand and her popularity in the ante
room between the rotunda and statu
ary hall. Other stands sprung into ex-
istence in all parts of the building, one
in her immediate vicinity; but she lost
none of her patronage by this competi
ton. Secure in the thought that no one
could deprive her of her stand she grew
, complacent and made little additions
in the nature of her stock. All went
, we'll until two years ago when Tom
Reed was elected speaker of the house
, His attention was called to the fact
. that numerous lunch stands thrived il
{ the great white building and were anv
thing but an ornament to the interior
After due consideration he decided tina,
the pastry and other stands, like tn,
, heather Chinese" and the trade dollar
Z must go. Expostulation and interces
sion by the friends of Clara Morris wer,
A alike of no avail, as the speaker fcl
! that he could not discriminate. So sh,
was informed that she must take he
3 goods and chattcls to another market
y and one fine morning everything wa
q cleared out and the corridors and re
: cesses permitted to resume their orig
a inal unobstructed uses as public high
d ways.
l. Since her eviction the old Frencl
d woman has wandered around like los
y soul, at last bringing up in the marbl
b room of the senate, where she daily sit
a and explains to curious visitors that 'Zi
A is de marble room and zat - noinfinor to