I met a congressmen yesterday at ths Fifth
avenue hotel and spoke to him about a para
graph 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. 1
asked him if it was true. “Ten to one it is,”
he Mid. "Os all the scaly, uncouth ami
remarkable objects in creation a west
ern congressman's wife is perhaps tho
most eminent Nothing can approach
her accept her daughters. If my wife was
like any of tbe 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 oima away
I attended a reception by Mrs. Frelinghuyson,
and saw a fair illustration of the manners of
tho wives of those western politicians. Mrs
Frelinghuysen, evidently with the intention of
assisting her guoets in the art of politeness,bad
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 tho members'
wives would walk up to her'on entering the
room, and offer their congratulations. About
10:110 the wives of the western members began
to come in, with long-necked and freckled
daughters, but decked in the most gorgeous
styles of the fashions of ’7» and ’79. I give
you my word, at least six of the western wo
inen who entered the room, either through
positive ignorance or embarrassment, failed to
greet the bostees at all, but sided off among
the chairs at the other side of the doorway or
rushed precipitately whom they hap
pened to know in tho throng. Before the
wives leave their country homes they usually
have a lot of gaudy and ill-fitting ball costuiuet
made, with which they Confidently expect to
create a sensation in Washington. They do
create a sensation, but not the sort they desire.
