The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-01


BentoRs family At their mess. We
boarded In the same house, and. after.
drinking the toasts of the time We sud
denly, espied the children, Jessie Ben
ton, Mary Linn and Mary Donaldson
the President 3 grand. niece, seated at
'af:uall able drinking toaEts In inilta-i
ton OF their elders, n =
The next Precedent. Van Burer,--
may he beStnuch beloved, = said Jessie,
holding her glass alott iSi5i q,
Upon being observed. The small Mary
Donaldson. then about 10. hastened 10,
explain. & 3 ;. q
=. oh, we are lust drinking toastessss.,
1--WE were further entertained that
evening by some MINISTRIES. an italian.
harpist and his daughter. whom Colonel
Some one asked Mrs, Dawson a ques-
ton concerning the code OF etiquette
followed In those days, 10 which she.
replied: "A, Sd = ~
The same forms which were intro
dueed BY Mrs, Madison, and which still
obtain, governed oil social intercourse
Our calls at the white house were OF d
ather Informal character, We Went In
the evenings. usually, and were re.
eelvet In the red parlor' by President
Jackson and his niece, Mrs. Donaldson,
who was then doing the honors at the
while house, Mrs. jackson having died
after the Presidents nomination and
before his election. The President was.
outlet, though always cordial. A better
idea OF the personality and character OF
the man could not be given than that
eulogy which says:
Lake o giant he strobe into the
white house and sat down in the pres
dental chair and, lifting his bony I'm
ger toward heaven, while the hair stood
on his head like the name OF a lion, he
postponed the civil war for q quarter OF
a century with the exclamation, By the
Eternal the Union must and shall be
preseryed!"' g &
During my first visit 10 the white
house l ! asked 10. sec the new East
room. General Cass. the minister OF
war, the great defender OF slavery, au-
thor, soldier and statesman, was there.
He volunteered to escort Mrs. Linn and
me, ard the great spacIousness OF the,
room, proving very inviting, the gem
eral whisked me around unceremoni-
ously In a waltz without music"
While on the subject of the white.
house Mrs. Dawson related the story of
ousy known as Campaign lies ,,s}A
1.-THE Presidents wife" she said, was
known 10 be the most cultured, refined
woman. But some one started Their re-
port that she was crude and smoked a
pipe. and further rid.culed her by call
ing her Aunt Rachel How would she
look. they said. sitting in the white
house In q corner, smoking her pipe.
coughing: Ahem! ahein! the general
kicked the kiver off last night ard !
kotched cold!." q a
Here Mrs. DAWSON gave US in MINI
terry the Imagined Aunt Rachel" an
admirable piece OF acting.
Another interesting campaign story.
Mrs. Dawson told, this one about her
meeting Tlth the hero OF "Tlppecanoe
and the Thames x
When Harrison and Van Buren, were
candidates for the presidency Judge
Caldwell was invited to make the speech
Introducing General Harrison at Wheel.
Ing. On account of holding office under.
the government he declined. but with
his daughter he assisted In entertaining
the general at q reception given by some
friends. h 2 3
The young people dared Miss Cald-
well to propose Van Buren, In
toast drunk witt General Harrison.
When that old warrior gallantly led
Miss Caldwell TO the slGeboard and
poured out tile glasses OF MADEIRA she
touched his glass and surprised him by
saying. WIZ; much hesitation. wan
Buren, ST,
The general was not inclined to ac-
cept it as a joke until he saw her con-
fusion ard heard the ringing laughter
of her young friends.
Il asked about the fashions and she
admitted that people are now more
rlrJ1 fort hft. vurhnd q Sha add al
Our dresses were nearly all made
aiike-that was ore satisfaction. For
evening wear light colored silks cut
short waisted with sleeves OF large
puts in which We frequently wore pill
lows to give them the requisite size.
SermorlziEE upon that vanity people
said there was q verse: In the Bible,
which ran: Woe unto the women who
sew pillows In their arm-holes.' Our
skirts cleared the floor about six Inches,
ard we wore white silk stockings and
satin slippers. For day wear our gowns
were Of dark silks, tdecolette. with de-
tachables long sleeves to slip under the
pufls. Over the shoulder We wore n
cape Of the silk ard We substituted
black stockings and slippers for the
white ones. One Of my bonnets was, a
coal SHUTTLE shape of cream velvet, SUR
piunes. The men wore colored coats
with brass buttons, fancifui waistcoats
and soft white Byron collars with black
silk stocks.
Every one OF Mrs Davlson'S children,
OF whom she has eight living cher home
Is with the eldest, DR.. A. c. Davison)
and nearly every one among her grand.
children, has some trophy Of those by
gone days. Brocades. laces. berthas,
old fans, u cable chain OF gold with
mouocle attached, her wedding gown
waist, in which her granddaughter and
namesake has been photographed, q
garnet and turquoise bead redcule
which she bestowed upon me-ail are
preserved with great pride and care.
At the conclusion OF the chat upon
styles =! carelessly mentioned that she
had said nothing OF President Buchanan
excepting to mention his name casually.
What about that little romance,
Aunt ANN" chimed in her niece. With
rosy blush ard a pretty smile, she
preserved the most unbroken silence.
Not even when we coaxed her to tell US
how he did his counting would she Yield.
She admitted that she did hate to miss
going to the court OF st. James even
more than being Mrs. President. HE
was not handsome man, my DEAR"
and we all knew she liked handsome
men. What she did tell us was merely
an incident which occurred at q recep-s
ton given by General Casa, where Sena-
tor Buchanan escorted her. "
II wore a new gown OF pink silk. my
hair done in one OF those wonderful un-
comfortable coiffures. composed OF up
standing loops OF hair. puffs, feathers,
ribbons and jewels. I was in CONVEX
sat!on with my escort when. I felt q diz-.
Ziness and the room appeared to be
wh!rling around. tried TO move quick
ly toward Mrs. Linn. but before could
reach her swayed and tottered SO that