Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-11

cSSss. anu Soi hassion TAXED very interest,"
ingiy on that country and its people. This lady
Salty contradicted some statement be had made
and the colonel most blandly replied; Madame
has visited China1'' "No," she said Il have
nos, but have read all about it." "Ahl Mad
Game has the advantage Of me; resided there
eight years" II was the only time ever saw
silenced this time.
Here IL . letter from nv very dear friend
Gen John @. Breckinridge, dated Niagara, On
urio, January 8. 1862 He says: at was . con-
nderate and kind act Of the President to allow
you 70 INFORM me in advance OF the proclamation
received your letter on the 25th and the
Proclamation appeared the next morning
VIII De In Baltimore before long and shall not
tal TO come and spend some DAYS with YOU.
lou say some few survivors Of the past are now
IN Warrington. How shall anticipate q
biessant evening with Robt. W. johnson. Pike,
and the Others" In another letter he saws:
II was much grstiied ut the kind message from
.ne fresident, though not greatly surprised,
since from the time first entered Congress our
ponucai relations generally, and our personal re-
iations always, were more than usually cordial :"
sere Is a letter from Robt. johnson, the Presi-
dents son and private secretary whose sudden
death from an overdose Of choral caused the
deepest regret. note from Mr. Leutze. written
while he Was painting Westward the Star Of
EmPire. regretting he cannot spare an hour
OF daylight to accept an invitation TO some
1Mhg letter from the Hon. Robt c.
winthrop, dated Boston. Aprfl S, 1867. drsir-
ing to correct an amusing specimen Of mis-
ptint. In his address At the Peabody ban
quet the New York papers made him speak
OF fir. Nebsters loose and impressive lam
guage instead OF terse. In the same note
ne says: "You put no address on your card at
new York. As soon as Mr.. Peabody heard Won
were there he sent in every direction 70 find
you, with view Of inviting you to the banquet
we were sorry that you lost so brilliant an oc-
casion."
SENATOR BRIcE's NEW HousK.
Senator Brice has taken Mr.. Corcoran's house
on ID street. Extensive attentions are 10 be
made and il may be presumed there will be re-
v1ved some of the elegant entertainments which
nave heretofore been given in that celebrated
mansion. have before me an invitation to the
grand ball given there by the Marquis de Mon
tholan while French minister 1t was the mid
Lent Jerome ball and was one of great elegance.
The german began somewhere about 1 or 2
o CLOCK and kept up until nearly daylight. Gen.
Emory, Gen. Gordon Granger and myself not be-
ing dancing men and obliged TO wait fer the la
dies under our care, had 10 seek some relief by
repeated attacks upon the supper table, which
showed no signs Of the tresrass on Il, but n
all things human must end, the german ended.
ana then breakfast was served and we late
stayers went home bv sunlight Il l. not gen.
orally known that Senator Brice is a biblioina-
Mao. He has that disease, an epyiable
one, In no mild form. His library
Groliars and other splendid specimens
OF the binders art dating back TO centuries
when fortunes were spent in books and their
adornment Mr.. Brice, despite his large fnan-
clal engagements, IL an industrious and intel
hgent buyer Of rare books, and several in his
collection are only equaled in the great collec-
uons in this country and in Europe. Tho
Tad" Of 'enriching" books az i. is called tina;
Is, embellishing them with engayings, portraits.
autographs, &C., Is one which is being INDUCED
In by those whose means and tastes lead them
to that enjoyment. l saw in book store the
other day choice edition of Bancroft's His
tory, which had been sent to the Paris EXPOSE
ton. and that YVES being "enriched" with auto-
graphs OF all The prominent historical person
ages mentioned in the history. / also saw a
copy OF the London Stage" enriched with auto
graphs OF great actors. This fad is an eN-
pensive one, and I cautioned the bookseller
against its indulgence. 1t is carried 70 excess
sometimes, If such establishment can be ex-
cesslye. L saw not long since in New York a
copy OF "Hornes History Of Napoleon" pub
hshed IN two volumes octave, enlarged by en-
Cravings, wood cuts, paintings and every con-
ceivsble illustration until the two volumes
octave were swelled to six volumes
folio. To crafty this expensive taste
valuable works are sacrificed. A
copy o. the Versailles Gallery costing $3.50
was DESTROYED to obtain some portraits for those
volumes. In the same place saw a COPY OF
Forster lie of Dickens nd his works first edi-
ton, enriched by manuscripts. autographs. en-
Cravings, &c, until It was swelied into sixty
five volumes. With the rare edit Dns Mr. Deall
has on hand don't wonder be Yields 10 the
temptation. When Mr.. Brice lakes up his resi-
dence here permanently, for six wears ANYHOW,
il is to be hoped he will remove here his library
OF rare books. that our lovers Of such luxury
as only wealth can obtain may enjoy them.
RUINED BY WORD.
An invitation TO dinner is before me from
Mr.. Hammond of South Carolina. He WAS
a Senator and the misunderstanding OF an ex-
preston he made use Of in a speech led to his
retirement from public life. Mr. Hammond
was a verv able man and one of the hsndsomest
men l ever saw. In speech in the Senate on
the relative labor Of the north and the south, of
free and slave labor, he spoke of the white
laborers as the ''nudsills" Of society, His an
pication of the word was intended to express
the idea that society rested on the labor OF the
country for its support, and in the part Of
built on huge logs, cut and laid on the ground
no digging for foundation-but these logs are
laid on the ground and houses built upon them
and they are called "mudsills," and thew sus-
tain and support the houses bnilt upon them.
The phrase was misconstrued and he was
4uotcu hil ONcr tut country as as5alllng the
white labor OF the north and south as .1mud-
stills" He retired from public life, and when
his state seeded returned TO his estate. took no
part in the war and died before its close.
Here is . note from Thomas B. Thorpe,
author Of Tom Owen, the Bee Hunter" and
one from Lieut.. Overton Carr Of the navy,
dated navy yard, and here is a huge envelope
containing 3 copy of a challenge, dated Novem-
Der 4, 1865, sent by Louis r. Tasistro to Alex
ander Dimitry. 1t is q regular old-fashioned
letter, Ia code duello, Offering to meet unat-
tended or with friends at any place outside Of
the District or at any point in Canada,
where, he saws, 1--WE could easily pro-
cure the services of some British off,
Gers" And last Of all. except some personal
notes. is one from Artemus Ward, inclosing
program and tickets for his lecture. IL is not
likely that The STAR will be called on 10 deny
any Of these epistles, as with but very few ex-
ceptions the writers have gone over to the vast
majority. JOHN F. CoYLE.
BACKED BY UNCLE SAM.