Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-05-18

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
er men of the day wore their hair
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 them-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 ruffied
shirts gave something of formal and
old-fashioned touch to the assembly.
Such as they were, in their somewhat
varied but not embarrassing attire, the
best of Washington were present. In
vitation was wholly by card. Some
said that Mrs. Polk wrote these invi,
tations 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 l 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 babe
him present to the most beautiful
woman he found In America. Here
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
tall, robust, blonde lady she later
grew to be. Browns hotel. home Of
many of our statesmen and their la
dies, turned out full complement
Mr.. Clay was there. smiling, though
fear none too happy. Mr.. Edward
Everett, as 1t 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 q
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 1t. 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 bal
began with a stately march. really Q
grand procession, in its way distinctly
interesting, In scarlet and gold ant
4 blue and silks, and all the floweret
| circumstance of brocades and laces o.
our ladies'. And after our march We
had our own polite Virginia reel, mer
ry as any dance. yet stately too
was late in arriving that night. fol
It must be remembered that this wal
but my second day in town. and | hat
| had small chance to take my chiefs
advice. and to make myself present
able for an occasion such as this. wal
fresh from my tailor. and very new
made when entered the room.
came Just In time to see what wal
glad to see; that is to say, the keep
| ing OF John Calhoun's promise t
| Helena Won Ritz.
1t was not to be denied that there
had been talk regarding this lady
and that Calhoun knew 1t. though no
from me. Much of 1t wss idle talk
based largely upon her mysterious life
Beyond that, woman beautiful al
she has many enemies among her sex
There were dark glances for her tina
night, I do not deny. before Mr.. Cal
houn changed them. For. howeve
John Calhoun was rated by his enc
mics, the worst of these knew wei
his austerely spotless private life. ant
his scrupulous concern for decorum
. |