Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-06-09

was nerSe1 OF SIr1cC reug1OuS practice,
and I imagine it had taken somewhat
of fnesse to get her consent to these
festivities. 1t was called sometimes
the diplomats ball. 1t least there
was diplomacy back of 1t. 1t 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 n in
his own individual fashion, l fear.
Thus my friend Jack cambridge was
wholly respondent in a new waist
coat Of his w 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
sta1d. 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
or 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
| hilton NOV of&arDno$h re %h}c NTH
Mexico. The tall stock was still in
evidence at that time, and the rufled
shirts gave something of a 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
v~itation 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 u
gentlemen in Washington, u
were always our great reliance, n
these at least never failed to meet the
approval of the most sneer1ng of our
foreign visitors. Thus we had pres
ent that night, as / 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 a 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
a tall, robust, blonde lady she later
. grew to be. Browns hotel, home OF
many of our statesmen and their la
.. dies, turned out a 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 6
man he appeared when he paced
forth in evening dress, a 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 nigh
have been seen many Of the public
{ figures of America at that time, mel
> from north and south and east anC
:, west, n from many other nations be
side our own
9 Under Mrs. Folks social admin1stra
ton, we did not waltz, but our bal
= began with a stately march, really
q grand procession, in it's way distinct,
o interesting, in scarlet and gold an'
I blue and silks, and all the ioweret
- circumstance of brocades and laces o
q our ladies'. And after our march w
/ had our own polite Virginia reel, mel
4 ry as any dance. yet stately too.
# l was late in arriving that night, 70
- it must be remembered that this wa
T. but my second day in town. and ha,
d had small nance to take my chief
It advice, and to make myself present
N able for. an occasion such as this. l wa
IT fresh from my tailor, and very new
made when l entered the room.
came lust in time to see what l wa
If glad to see; that is to say, the keeI
l. ing of John Calhoun's promise t
ID Helena Won Ritz.
It was not to be denied that her
had been ak regarding this lad!
at and that Calhoun knew it, though nc
n from me. Much of 1t was idle tall
based largely upon her mysterious lf,
It, Beyond that, a woman beautiful a
It, she has many enemies among her Sc,
IN | w. -v4-@ Gn-I ~ln~A0- f@~ h4~ &h-
as hight, I do not deny, before Mr.. Ca
It, houn changed them. For, howeve
n. John Calhoun was rated by his en-
81 u1oS the worst of these knew we