Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-10-20

ministration. Social matters had
started off dour enough. Mrs. Polk
was herself of strict religious practice,
and imagine it had taken somewhat
of finesse to get her consent to these
festivities. It was called sometimes
the diploma ball. At least there
was diplomacy back of it. It was
mere accident which set this celebra-
ton upon the very evening of the bat
tie of Palo Alto, May 8, 1916.
By ten o'clock there were many In
the great room which had been made
ready for the dancing, and rather a
brave company 1t might have been
called. We had at least the splendor
of the foreign diplomats uniforms for
our background, and to this we added
the bravest of our attire, each one in
his own individual fashion, ] fear
Thus my friend Jack cambridge was
wholly respondent in a new waist
coat of his own devising, and an even
Ing coat which almost swept the floor
as he executed the evolutions of his
western style of dancing. Other gen.
tlemen were, perhaps, more grave and
staid. We had with us at least one
man, old in government service, who
dared the silk stockings and knee
breaches of an earlier generation. Yet
another wore the white powdered
queue, which might have been more
suited for his grandfather. The young
nf he -
long, in fashion quite different, yet
this did not detract from the distinc-
ton OF some of the faces which one
might have seen among then-some
OF them to sleep all too soon upturned
to the moon in another and yet more
bitter war, aftermath of this with
Mexico. The tall stock was still in
evidence at that time, and the ruff1ed
shirts gave something Of formal and
Old-fashiOned touch to the assembly.
Such as they were, in their somewhat
varied but not uninteresting attire, the
best of Washington were present. In.
vitation was wholly by card. Some
said that Mrs. Polk wrote these invi.
tatlons in her own hand, though this
we may be permitted to doubt.
Whatever might have been said as
to the democratic appearance Of our
gentlemen in Washington, our women
were always our great reliance, and
these at least never failed to meet the
approval of the most sneering Of our
foreign visitors. Thus we had pres
ent that night, as I remember, two
young girls both later to become
famous in Washington society; tall
and slender young Terese Chalfant,
later to become Mrs. Pugh Of Ohio.
and to receive at the hands Of Den.
marks minister, who knelt before
her at later public ball, that jew.
eled clasp which his wife had bade
him present to the most beautiful
woman he found in America. Hero
also was Miss Harriet Williams OF
Georgetown, later to become the sec.
ond wife of that Baron Bodisco of
Russia who had represented his gov.
eminent with us since the year 1888
a tall, robust, blonde lady she later
many Of our statesmen and their Ia
dies, turned out a full complement.
Mr. Clay was there, smiling, though
fear none too happy. Mr.. Edward
Everett, as it CHANGED, was with us
at that time We had Sam Houston
of Texas, who would not, until he ap,
peared upon the floor, relinquish the
striped blanket which distinguished
him-though a splendid figure Of a
man he appeared when he paced
forth in evening dress, part Of which
was a waistcoat embroidered in such
fancy as might have delighted the eye
of his erstwhile Indian wife had she
been there to see it. Here and there,
scattered about the floor, there might
have been seen many OF the public
figures of America at that time, men
from north and south and east and
west, and from many other nations be-
side our own.
Under Mrs. Folks social administra.
ton, we did not waltz, but our ball
began with a stately march, really a
grand procession, in it's way distinctly
interesting, in scarlet and gold and
blue and silks, and all the Powered
circumstance of brocades and laces OF
our ladies' And after our march we
had our own polite Virginia reel, mer.
ry as any dance, yet stately too.
I was late in arriving that night, for
It must be remembered that this was
but my second day in town, and had
had small chance to take my chiefs
advice, and to make myself present
able for an occasion such as this. was
fresh from my tailor, and very new
made when I entered the room.
came just in time to see what I was
glad to see; that Is to say, the keep
ing of John Calhoun's promise to
Helena Won Ritz.
1t was not to be denied that there
had been talk regarding this lady.
and that Calhoun knew it, though moi
from me. Much of it was idle talk
based largely upon her mysterious life.
Beyond that, a woman beautiful 81
she has many enemies among her sex
There were dark glances for her that
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