Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1883 — Some Great Men’s Wives. [ARTICLE]

Some Great Men’s Wives.

New York Letter. I met a, congressman yesterday at the Fifth avenue Hotel and spoke to him about a paragraph I had seen in a Washington paper to the effect that a Western congressman had made his wife a present of $2,000 for her agreeing not to spend the winter in Washington. I asked him if it was true. “Ten to one it is” he said. ‘Of all the scaly, uncouth and remarkable objects in creation a Western congressman’s wife is perhaps the most eminent Nothing can approach her except her daughters. If my wife was like any of the fifty or sixty particularly bad cases in Washington society I would cheerfully give her nine-tenths of my fortune to stay in the wild Western woods. Just before I came away lattendeda reception by Mrs. Frelingbuysen, and saw a fair illustration of the manners of the wives of these Western politicians. Mrs. Frelinghuysen, evidently with the intention of assisting her guests in the art of politeness, had stationed herself almost opposite the double doors that led into the reception room, so that anybody walking in would surely see her. Thus, it was fondly hoped that the members’ wives would walk up to her on entering the room, and offer their congratulations. About 10:30 the wives of the Western members began to come in, with longnecked and freckled daughters, but decked in the most gorgeous styles of the fashions of’7B and'79. I give you my word, at least six of the Western women who entered the room, either through positive ignorance or embarrassment, failed to greet the hostess at all,but sidled off among the chairs at the other side of the doorway or rushed precipitately to friends whom they happened to know in the throng. Before the wives leave their country homes they usually have a lot of gaudy and ill fitting ball costumes made with which they confidently expect to create a sensation in Washington. They do create a sensation, but not of the sort they desire. It is astounding the mistakes that some of them make when they first arrive. A few have enough natural tact and adaptability to overcome their lack of breeding after they have been a short time at the Capital, but some of the women remain awkward to the last A hostess who can receive acceptably and popularly in Washington must be a woman of uncommon tact and good humor, for the people who come to her house are mighty hard to manage.