Year: 1872




Washington Cor. st. Louis Republican,
Here the room is spacious, elegant
and inviting, and here il is that we come
to observe the social side of legislative
life. Linger with me moment while ]
point out few familiar faces.


There sits Albert Brisbane in absorbed
conversation with Senator Harlan. This
old gentleman is well known in the
world of ideas, but he seems strangely
out of place in this atmosphere of stern
practically. Nevertheless, his revolu-
tionary visions appear not to be alto
gether crack-brained. One of them is
making most fattering impression
upon Congress this session, and his sys-
tenn of cheap and rapid transportation
by means Of spheres and pneumatic tubes
is in fair way for successful operation.
The experiment is to be made between
the Capitol and the Printing office, and
the building of the road will probably be
completed this sumner


Yonder, in the window embrasure,
stands Colonel Ryan, of Cuban notoriety.
He is handsome young fellow, some
what resembling Whitelaw Reid in face
and figure, but his taste, am sorry to
say runs more to ladies than to letters.
That lady upon the sofa, conversing with
the amiabe Vice President, is Mrs.
Chorpenning, of postal claim notoriety.
She is an exceedingly stylish woman,
and dresses with taste as we'll as ele-
gance. People were very cruel toward
her two years ago because she lobbied
in her husbands interest, but time may
possibly show, in this case, that the
lady's cause, though just, was lost sim
ply because she refused to pursue it in
any other than legitimate way. Do
you see that slender, delicate-looking
young man outlined against the rotund
dimensions of Senator Nye? His name


is Dimick. He is only twenty-nine
years of age, yet he has made and lost
two fortunes of several millions apiece,
since his majority. He has been trying
to coax Congress into granting him a
steamship subsidy, but to no purpose.
Our lawmakers have suddenly grown
virtuous on the subject of subsidies.


FALLEN QUEEN.


There comes the beautiful face of
which | promised to tell you on the ave-
nue. a few weeks ago 1t was very
beautiful once, but it has lost its fresh
ness. The evidences of powder and
paint are painful even through her veil.
Albeit, there is still that distinguished
air which so tempts one to forget every
imperfection. Her name / dare not
mention. Suffice it to say, she at one
time moved in society here by the side
of an eminent official She was, of
course, courted for her station, but a
magnificent personnel won for her a
double homage. She reigned more as
the queen of beauty than of station, un-
til the fatal step, which plunged her
from her hight to an ignominious depth.
The transition was a quiet one. Friends
were interested to guard the secret,
and foes could learn but little concern
ing it. She simply dropped out
of society on the plea of delicate health,
and the gay world closed over the
vacuum. Many years have passed, and
she is again at the capital-has been for
some time, but in sadly different ca
pscity. Poor womanl She had to eat
or die, and with the horrible realization
of her condition as an "outcast," what
could be hoped for2 IL friends could
abandon her, strangers surel y would feel
no interest in her rescue, and she drifted
down because-think of it, ye virtuous
would not permit her to
drift any other way. She has been
lobbyist, but she is rarely seen at the
capitol now, and seems rather to avoid
than to seek an acquaintance.