Year: 1869




The town has been somewhat exercised over the
Hale and Perry difficulty. That Minister Hale should
smuggle in' goods was not SO much; but that he
should be caught at it indicated lack OF diplomatic
ability that Is really disgusting. Hale must be in a
fainting condition. When he was Senator in Wash
ington he could steal with entire success Indeed,
remember the time when John Z. Hale stood the
foremost man in the nation as saint 1t is enough
to make the devil laugh to what material we
make our saints of. In those balmy days of Hales
glory to touch him the of purity would have
been as dangerous as it would be were some fool to
intimate that the martyred Lincoln not q saint


know, for poor Pierre Soule told me so, that this
Perry is scalawag, not fit for anything but Secre-
tary OF Legation. But 1t strikes me little hard
that he should be held responsible for the bad con-
duct Of his wife, in letting down her back hair in
public how was Perry to help it? He might have re-
monstrated with her, and said, "Now, my DEAR don't
let down your back hair in public. II is not proper,
and is very disagreeahe to the Hales." He might
have added, "NOw, don't you do it." as the expert
enced coal-oil man did when his friend proposed
amounting himself. But if she persisted-and from
my knowledge of female nature, think she would
have persisted if her back hair was soft,
full, and fOwing and the back hair OF the
Haes was scant and not llne-I want to know the
justice of holding the husband responsible.


There is always row between the Minister and
the Secretary of Legation. AS the Minister has
nothing to do and the Secretary OF Legation assists
him, they occupy their intermediate hours, spared
from toll, in quarrelling with each other and gene
rally the families take part. am told by one of the
diplomatic corps here SenOr Strapoletta that Hales
unpopuarty in Madrid did not come of his smug-
Cling prOpensities and practice, but from habit he
had OF wetting his thumb with his tongue when
dealing the cards in whist He was passionately
fond OF whist and had this, to the hdagos of Spain,
offensive practice. He very fond of whist, hut
could get no one to play with him.


The diplomatic circles stunned him like the
plague, and when strange diplomat or courtier
appeared at court they would take him aside and
warn him. il he had any regard for the purity of his
soul, to avoid Hae's card table. And at last they
sought to destroy him by this frivolous charge of
smuggling carpets The publication OF this diplo-
matte muss lifts the curtain from the inner life OF
our accredited agents abroad. doubt not but that
the curtain could be lifted from before good many
legations to the amazement and amusement of the
American people at home. We send such "a queer set
abroad


| was talking to eminent gentleman, lately
selected to fill responsible diplomatic post, and
while conversing he applied the thumb and forenger
to his nose as to grasp that organ, and, sneezng
gave a convulsve snort in a word, he blew his nose
in the primitive style.


'You will have to change that sort OF thing
said, "my dear fellow when you get to your post"


''Why no! How?"


He knew had served once in high diplomatic
position and he listened to my opinions with pro
iound interest. l sad:-


'All diplomats use tweezers in blowing their noses
A charge dd6dires uses plated ware the minister
resident uses silver the envoy extraordinary has
gold the ambassador gold set in precious stones. In
a like manner each diplomat has a fork to scratch
his back"


NV friend looked at me inquirngly for some
seconds and then said, in low tone, "The devil"-
Wash. Cor, Gin, Commercial.