The Washington times., 1894-04-02
Dimity Writes to Her
Darling Mother.
WASHINGTON, March 80, 1894.


DEAR MOTHER:
am sorry you have been worried because
/ did not write. but have been SO busy COW
ering the magnificent distances Of this mag
nificent city in the search of "genteel en-
ployment befitting a refined young lady"
and one which would quickly yield large
fortune, that have not taken time to do any
thing else. In my peregrinations, though, 1
have seen many interesting things and had
several notable experiences.
The first thing / saw on my arrival here
was tn estar in the floor of the depot where
Garfield fell. / should not have seen that ii
a beautiful, white-haired old Congressman
had not been pointing it out to number Of
his constituents who are "doing the town" ;"
A child had dropped piece of banana skin on
the star and man kicked it off. He might
have known better. but he seemed glad that
the guard did not arrest him for trying to
drive it through the floor with the back OF his
head.
The DAY after reached here I went to the
Capitol. and soon decided that it was little
more than a stamping ground for lovers.
Every alcoye contained newly-marr1ed
couple and every window a young woman
with a suspiciously fine complexion and an
old man with a worried look in his eyes. One
person told me that some OF these men are
Congressman, but OF course they couldn't be.
/ visited the House and Senate, and in the
former heard moderate-sized man with an
immoderate-sized voice calling names, to
which there was an occasional weary and
plaintive response, and in the latter dreary
old man with more senatorial courtesy than
apparent knowledge of his subject make a
speech, but / was not more impressed with
hon, shaI NJ a ~
building. In the galleries of both sides the
odor of baked apples, which, by the way,
seems the staple of all eating in the Capitol,
foated up from the restaurant and mingled
with frying ham and other delectable prepara-
tions. One would not object to the smell OF
oil or tar where the machinery that runs the
nation is located. but to saturate mans
clothing with kitchen odors and then expect
him to properly represent his people is quite
too much. Don't you think so?
But, then. have not told you how / am
getting along in my search for work, and the
silence you may have noticed Is very ex-
pressye of the true condition of affairs. They
tell me Washington is ''great place for
young people," and think me brave to come
here alone and live on the fifth floor of a
boarding-h house. where l cook my own wheat
ena and eat bakers pies, but they don't want
a young woman who is willing to teach the
young idea to shoot in the direction of French
walked blisters on my feet. and to my horror
and dismay last night discovered hole in
the bottom Of my right shoe, all the result of
answering advertisements for everything
from childs nurse to the agent for an i'm
proved garter buckle warranted absolutely
trustworthy.
The child's nurse woman lived on Con-
necticut avenue in n glorious house. She
had four children. the youngest six weeks
old. was to wash and dress daily, have their
entire care, keep them during the summer
while she was at the sea shore. teach the older
ones two hours day. have no followers"
whatever they maybe, all for the renumera-
tive salary of so cents week. She told me
at some school near she could have the chill
dren taught in all branches for that. and
when | told her that she would do well to
send the children there, and as for me l had
too much respect for Lincoln who emanci-
pated the slaves some time since. to take such
a position she had the butler eject me-
At another place the wife of a prominent
politician. and both well known in society
here. met NE in the most distressing-looking
gown l ever saw. The gathers were torn
from the yoke. and u rent in the side dis
closed brilliant red flannel petticoat. She
explained to me that she had not yet dressed
for the day. and aiterward dismissed me. be-
cause, among my other accomplishments,
did not possess the ability to wash and
iron neatly"
The garter buckle man wanted me to go
around assuring women that If they used this
buckle they would be exempt from catastro-
phes. deferred my decision until / could
decide whether l should take the agency
and give up saving prayers or give up the
agency and continue my ''Now lay me-"