The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-14
WHEN MRS. LINCOLN REIGNED
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
${{ Quaint Phases Of Washington Society in the War Period. g

: intimation that her reign was likely to be
a dismal wintry thing. devoid of gayety
or any fetelike quality. this tactful girl
came III a gust of warm. revivifying air.
Tnere could hardly have been in Wash
ington at that time two natures more dis
similar than Mary Lincoln n Kata
Chase. and their union was bound 70 n
snort lived. But while 1t lasted Mrs. Lin,;
COIN tasted some of the fruit Of popularftvS
aho power 80 grateful to her palate. W.T.
II aissoIved her unpopuiar1ty grew apace.
MIS-. Lincoln's characteristics were Quict
. : ana Iestlessness. Her manner
was too animated. her laugh too frenu.rt
Aate Chase spoke fluently and rracefuIIv |
OUT always with perfect calm. She v,,.
porn woman Of the world with an air n
sincerity which greatly added to her
charm. and this charm was exercised on
women as well as men. "
Nnns OF the portraits of Miss Chase,
oeautilui as they were. ever did her So.
piete justice. Her complexion was maf51i.
ousiy delicate. her fine features .-eerSSv
10 De cut out Of beautifully tinted bisoa3
Inc eyes. bright. soft. sweet, were oefn
exquisite blue. and her hair q wonderSnI
color like the ripe corn tassei in full ~.
light.
Her teeth were perfect, her figure
remarkably graceful and the poets Of ~
DAY. and indeed Of a much later day. s5r
the turn Of her beautiful neck and 20
regal carriage Of her head. The war 80
naeiliments manage to hide much Of Ills
from US now. I
From her teens this girl had been stad-
tiated into political questions. for vh2kh
her calm and thoughtful nature we'll fftd
her.
Sne was ambitious for her father. s1Ed
When six months before the campairfS
1854 she realized that neither party W.
nominate him for President. she tusd
her energetic mind to the for.natfo1fkf
nomination in 1865.
His acceptance of the chief justices33n
rendered by Lincoln was a bitter dia
pointment to her.
NOT THE MAN TO YIELD. ~
In politics Mrs. Lincoin's influence nIff3kt
have been Injurious had her husband eser
listened to her urgirgs. -
Blu no was not the man to Weld MS
judgment. even though his wife was sfhs
person who uged it. and when Miss Chnfse
understood. as she soon did. that however
accessible to her inspirations Mrs. In
coin might be. they went no further. Ne
young woman tired of the burden Of
sisting Mrs. Lincoln in the White Horke
functions which she had voluntarily -
sumed. Besides, the brilliant marriase.
Mhich turned out so unfortunate. was ne
this time being arranged. y
In those ~crinollne and basouina iai.
when street gowns were of reps and hill
dresses-an expensive one worn by st6e
Presidents wife cost S5-were preferably
made of velvets of magenta and solferiSp.
a hideous pale tint Of the same color. Nm
those days. while women wore congrdss
CATERS In the house and for Il reception
put on coQuettish' red morocco slippers.
trimmed with black lace. there came to
washington a period Of what Mrs. Lincoln
called court mourning" - ~
1t was occasioned by the death of her
son. and this private calamity proved an
omen of the loss Of many sons to many
mothers. In the universal mourning the
cessation Of gayeties at the White House
was to be eternal SO far as Mrs. Lincoln
was personally concerned.
But before the dread calamities war and
assassination had blighted the joy of.the
nation, the life OF Grs. Lincoln In the :
White House had become monotonous and
wearisome.
At first all had seemed delightful; she
had conquered. as she thought, the
naughty prejudices of the highest Wash
ington society: the idiosyncrasies of her
husband she had buried in the back.
ground.
In fact. she saw him the center and idol
Of every social group he encountered
serene and buoyant of temper. charitable
and tolerant of opinion. and while she
wondered, perhaps she came partly to un-
what a glow of condolences and
Crowds rushed to see him. but they
came to see her also. and unless sic
sought them out there were no thorua -
her.