The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-11-25
CONVENTION ECHOES.

EN- MUTE, november lS.-The sc
clal side of the recent convention c
United Daughters of the Confederacy
at Richmond, was so highly develope
as to seriously interfere with the officia
or business side, but truly delightful
proved to each and every one of the Wis
ltors. The governors reception wa
the inaugural of a series of brilliant en-
tertainments. The crush here was a
least distantly related to the presiden
tial jams. Ones complacency over he,
personal appointment soon collapsed
into an amazed acceptance of the indu
bltable conviction that she was a mere
atom, infnitesimal at that in the fem
mine economy. Save for sort of flash
light, made up of spacious rooms, glow
ing chrysanthemums, electric light.
and well-gowned women in kaleido
scoplc tlnts, with really encouraging
smattering of the sex masculine, one
saw little upon this occasion. By the
way, this was the first and only time
the men honored themselves (?) BY
showing at any of the weeks festivi.
ties. The Daughters of the Confeder.
acy were evidently of mien too warlike
to invite closer inspection.
A charming occasion was the after
noon tea rendered by Mrs. Taylor Eli
son, and another given by Mrs. Clai-
borne was delightful. These, as ex-
pressed by one of the hostesses, were
run in on a temporary side-track;" for
the time was brimming over with every
conceivable engagement. Of course
the event socially was the Wednesday
night reception at the Jefferson, ten
dered by the Richmond Chapter to the
visiting Daughters of the Confederacy.
The already superb hotel was gorgeous
in its specially donned regalia of floral
decorations and the Confederate red.
white and red that cleaned conspicu-
ously about the noble rooms. The re-
ceiving party, with Mrs. Jefferson Davis.
Mrs. Hayes, and Mr.. and Mrs. Pulitzer.
OF New York World fame, at the head
OF the line, stood in one of the rich par
lonr'- sss'ee..asThat you will Of the wid
Aaderata pnae;sl 4ssts4s
Wis is marvellous woman. In the after
noon of this same day she had partici-
pated in most solemn and touching cer-
emonies incident to the unwilling of
a bronze tablet placed in St. Paul's
church by a friend, in memory of her
noted daughter. Yet there she sat and
without faltering went through the tre-
mendous task of greeting the vast crowd
which pressed forward, some from de-
sire to offer homage the majority mere
curiosity-seekers. In conversation
later with Mrs. Davis, she furnished a
clearer insight into her character and
motives. You know, of course, she has
been mark for much and bitter criti-
cism, even in the South. She said,
"My dear, you will hear me harshly
judged for remaining in the North. |
want you to know that l am a scribbler
and by keeping my postoffice in New
York city am enabled to add 81, 500 to
my income, and thereby have earned
the privilege of erecting memorials to
my dead" Is not this both reasonable
and natural? Mrs. Hayes-''My Mag
gie," to her mother-is lovely looking
woman, combining a striking dignity
with sweet graciousness and a most
gentle, womanly manner. 1t occurred
to me during the recent ovation to the
memory of her younger sister that a
lack of appreciation had been shown
one perhaps equally deserving praise
and admiration.
Returning to the Jefferson reception
the toilettes were marvels of elegance
and variety of fashions. Mrs. Pulitzer,
of New York, was somewhat startling
to conservative Southern eyes. But
for the lack of finny appendage she
might have been termed a black mer-
maid. She was all scales of jet that fit
ted her as closely as its skin a fish, with
no dearth of serpentine folds following
in her wake, however lacking the upper
department of a superb and altogether
unique costume. AT supper | heard a
man say, nodding toward her, TLooks
as if she began building her outfit at
the bottom and the wherewithal gave
out at the top and left gap" That
expresses it very well. She owned,
am proud to say, 'corner" in that
particular style.
Mrs. Meade, of Petersburg-by the
way, cousin of our Stuart Ashby AL
len-was one of the most distinguished
women present, not only by her beauty,
but because of the ''noblesse oolige''
stamp that marks her in any assem-.
blage. Mrs. Putney was tall, hand
some woman, with an unlimited supply
of fine toilettes. But it is hardly fair
to specify, when there was so much to
commend.
The reception at the Confederate
Museum, the old White House, wasin-
teresting. In giving the invitation
from the stage, or platform, Mrs N. Nv.