Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-01-28

holds in esteem above all the rest. In
this assemblage of goddesses who ait
in judgment there are almost as many
factions as there are goddesses, and it
has come to be well understood among
them that any thoughtless expression
either of praise or of censure of any
particular statesman, uttered above
whisper, is liable to fall upon offended
ears and provoke mild controversy or
an avalanche of ugly looks of resent
ment.
There are many old women and chill
dren and strangers within Uncle Sans
gate in this gallery from time to time.
but the preponderance is of mature
youth, with beauty, style and gay and
tasteful toilets. Occasionally a note
finds its way from the gallery to the
floor, or from the floor to the gallery,
and now and then a statesman will sit
in the gallery and instruct one of these
fair students in the mysteries of state
craft. 1t is fact of note among we'll
informed people that notes and signals
once passed between woman in the
gallery and statesman on the floor
previous to 1880, the statesman being
one of the leaders of the house of rep
resentatives,who subsequently attained
a high and proud position; man who
to-day sleeps the sleep that knows no
waking, and in history his name is pure
and noble. Well, let it be so, for the
sake of his children unto the third and
fourth generation.
The designing girl of the gallery is
type unto herself. She is modest
enough not to attract attention when
she does not want to do so, and she rs
sufficiently Independent to attract just
as much attention as she wants. She
smiles sweetly upon the elevator man
and always has pleasant word for the
man who tends the gallery door. She
knows nearly every member on the
floor by name and is acquainted with
his most marked characteristics. She
is fully capable of discussing a knotty
parliamentary problem, and knows
each day what is expected to come up.
1t is very interesting sometimes to
quietly sit in the gallery and hear the
chatter of the girls. They talk in stage
whispers about the appearance and
characteristics of the men on the floor
of the house and they pretend to know
how each statesman will vote on any
pending bill. They also affect 70 know
which are the most amiable and gallant
among the members and when they can
best spare time to go to lunch. The
gallery goddess may not be beautiful,
but she is sure to be attractive. and,
whether she dresses plainly or richly,
you can depend upon it she is always
stylish. She is session girl. No one
Knows what becomes of her when the
session closes, and when the new ses-
sion begins she is as punctual and as
numerous as the claimants who never
die and never get old.
Strange as it may appear there are
scores, if not hundreds, of new faces in
the gallery this year; and they are
drawn hither by the hope of office, in
spite of the fact that the civil service
law acts as complete barrier to their
ambitions. Wives and daughters have
come with aspiring husbands and IA
theirs. They frequent the galleries at
the capitol. At first they are sedate,
hut soon they fall into the custom md
habits of those around them; that is to
gay, a majority of them do. The office
seekers who are already here are they
who expect to receive distinguished
recognition; but some of the seekers
after chief clerkships are making their
appearance, too. After Inauguration
day the class will be largely augmented;