Evening star., 1928-12-22
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the BookIov@

in the Congress Of the United States.
Albert j. Beveridge, in his Abraham
Lincoln, 1809-185s," describes the
Washington which Lincoln found when
he and Mrs. Lincoln and their son,
Robert, arrived in the Capital. "The
Capital looked like an ill-contrived,
ill-arranged, rambling, scrambling viii
lage.' Its houses were far apart, with
privies, pigsties, cow sheds and geese
pens in the back yards. In alleys and
streets were piles of garbage, about
which pigs, geese and cows wandered at
will; they were scavengerS, and any,
body who disturbed them was liable to
a fine. Wells with pumps were the only
sources of water for all houses. Fine
dwellings and ShantieS stood side by
side, "a strange tumble Of magnificence
and squalor Only two streets in the
whole city were paved, and these poorly
and in part; while, with one exception,
the few sidewalks were of gravel and
ashes, ridged in the center" Pennsyl-
vania avenue was the fashionable prom
enade, but it was no smooth thorough
fare over which rolled rubber-tired We
hicles. It was laid with big cobble
stones so unevenly place that, to avoid
intolerable jolting. carriages were sell
dom driven over them. When covered
with snow, however, the avenue was
thronged with daShing sleighS, drawn
by spirited horses and filled with gay
and richly dressed people. On the
north side of the Avenue a brick side
walk extended from the foot of Capitol
Hill for more than mile, and in good
weather was the one great promenade
of the city, crowded with the beauty,
fashion and celebrity of Washington
when Congress was in session. At other
times that tloroughfare was like Jeru-
salem the day after 1t was sacked by
Titus"
Official society was democratic and
without elegance. "The social life was
merry, if somewhat rural. In warm
weather women visited bareheaded and
on foot, and everybody sat and gossiped
on doorsteps and porches. Capitol Hill,
where Mrs. Spriggs' boarding house
(where the Lincolns live0 was situated,
was occupied by residences of quiet,
'churchgoing' people who made no pre-
tension to fashion. There were two or
three groceries, several drug stores, a
shop where needles and ribbons were
sold, two dram shops and taffy deal
er who Spat on his hands to make his
candy brittle. Boys were kept busy
driving pigs and geese from the gar
dens. The instability of Washington
society impressed foreigners town of
officials, place hunters and legislators
from the various and differing parts of
the Nation. Few members of Congress
were accompanied by their wives, and
in hotel and boarding house the alb
sence of women was noticeable" The
city had not yet begun its extended
northward march and there were two
fashionable sections. "The social CEN
ters were not far from the Capitol
near G and Fourth streets northwest
and on Lafayette Square, in face of the
half past or earlier and tea was taken
about o'clock. At the British Minis
ters dinner was at 6, notable for its
servants in livery and its rich, massive
service of silver The guests remained
at the table about two hours, after
which strong coffee was brought" Two
distinguished women, both very aged,
linked the period of Lincoln with much
earlier periods in American history.
"The widow of President Madison
sprightly in spite of her age, wearing
her ancient dresses because of her pow
erty, still held receptions in her house
on Lafayette Square, and Mrs. Alexan-
der Hamilton, "a tiny little woman who
was very old, was still active
X X y X
Coming from a rural Illinois town.
the Lincolns were obliged to fit them
selves into this new life. They went
to the boarding house of Mrs. Spriggs
on Capitol Hill, the fourth of a row
of houses known as Carroll Row. which
stood on the site of the present Lii
brary of Congress. Mrs Lincoln and
Robert remained for perhaps three
months. At the boarding house she
never appeared except at meals, but the
boy, who seemed to have his own way
was conspicuous" AS a new Represen-
tative, without wealth or great distinc-
ton, Lincoln did not enter the inner
circle of Washington society. while
In Congress he sometimes Joined the
throng in front of the Capitol terrace
when concerts were given; but he was
afforded no opportunity to enter the
higher social life of the Capital, even
II he had cared to do so. His principal
diversion was bowling, for which sport
there was an alley near Mrs. Spriggs'
boarding house. He was a very 'aWk-
ward bowler but so great was his good
humor and so amusing his comment
and anecdotes that a crowd of men
and boys always gathered at the hour
Wnen he played. :. Members of Con-
gress living in boarding houses formed
groups, each of which was called a
mess. With Lincoln at Mrs. Spriggs'
curing his first session were nine other
members OF the House, all of them
wings. Lincoln was the best liked
man In the mess, because of his good
nature, MS 1ncessant Stories some of
Wnlch were very broad and his con-
cllatory disposition. When a dispute
arose at the table he would smooth it
OUT py an anecdote that made every-
body laugh and forget differences. He
was always neatly but very plainly
dressed, very simple and approachable
III manner, and unpretentious', testifies
DR.. Busey, who greatly admired Lincoln
Tor his kindness Of heart. unassuming
manners, wit, stories and Jokes"
X X X X
Sir Francis Younghusband exnIorer
OF InlDet, also mentally explores the
stars, not as an astronomer but as a
mystic. In his book Life in the Stars"
ne tells how as young man he first
conceived a theory of universal life.
passing from star to star, and ALWAYS
developing to higher and higher forms.
II was solitary travel in the Cobb Desert
winch caused his meditations over the
mystery of the stars. "These expert
enceS, In solitude. in remote regions of
the world, in the wide expanse of desert
ana nigh among the mountains. when I
was stu young and peculiarly sensitive
from being strung up by high adven-
lure, made a deep and lasting impress
on me. They helped to form in me
universal outlook. / ever after had the
Ieellng OF being part of the one great
starry whole and to look at things from
that standpoint. I belonged To this
earth-to this star-but I belonged also
to the whole galaxy of stars, and was
aHected by them. and affected by them
IN a most soothing, elevating way"
X X X X
The Stammering Century" by Gil
pert SeldeS, Is an arresting title for
book about the varioIlS fadS n,,ltc 70