Chapter XXVI

RECEPTION DAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE—GLIMPSES OF LIFE.

Feeling Good-Natured—Looking After One’s Friends—Ready to
Forgive—Mr. Grant’s “Likeable Side”—Rags and Tatters
Departed—The Work of Relic-Hunters—Eight Presidents, All in a
Row—Shadows of the Departed—A Present from the Sultan of
Turkey—A List of Finery—A Scene Not Easily Forgotten—How They
Wept for Their Martyr—Tales which a Room Might Tell—Underneath
the Gold and Lace—The Census of Spittoons—“A Horror in Our
Land”—The Shadow of Human Nature—Two “Quizzing” Ladies—An
Illogical Dame—Her “Precarious Organ”—A Lady of Many Colors—“A
New Woman”—A Vegetable Comparison—The Lady of the Manor—Women
Who are Not Ashamed of Womanhood—Observed and Admired of
All—Sketch of a Perfect Woman—After the Lapse of
Generations—The “German”—The “Withering” of Many American
Women—Full Dress and No Dress—What the Princess Ghika Thinks—A
Young Girl’s Dress—“That Dreadful Woman”—The Resolution of a
Young Man, 256

CHAPTER XXVII.

INAUGURATION DAY AT WASHINGTON.

My Own Private Opinion—The Little “Sons of War” Feeling
Bad—Brutal Mothers—Our Heroes—Later Festivities—A Lively
Time—The Mighty Drum-Major—“Taken for a Nigger”—Magnificent
Display—The Oldest Regiment in the States—Sketches of
Well-known Men—Blacque Bey—Full Turkish Costume—The Japanese
Minister—The Supreme Court—Congress Alive Again—The
Valedictory—Taking the Oath—“The Little Gentleman in the Big
Chair”—His Little Speech—His Wife and Family Behind—The New
President—Memories of Another Scene—The Curtain Falls, 269

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A PEEP AT AN INAUGURATION BALL.

How Sixty Thousand Dollars were Spent—Something Wrong: “Twas Ever
Thus”—A Fine Opportunity for a Few Naughty Words—Lost
Jewels—The Colored Folks in a Fix—Six Thousand People Clamoring
for Their Clothes!—A Magnificent “Grab”—Weeping on
Window-ledges—Left Desolate—Walking under Difficulties—The
Exploit of Two Old Gentlemen—Horace Greeley Loses his Old White
Hat—He says Naughty Words of Washington—A Little Too Cold—Gay
Decorations—Modesty in Scanty Garments—The President
Frozen—Ladies of Distinction—Half-frozen Beauties—Why and
Wherefore?—A Stolid Tanner Who Fought his Way, 278

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE UNITED STATES TREASURY—ITS HISTORY.

The Responsibilities and Duties of the Secretary of the
Treasury—Three Extraordinary Men—Hamilton Makes an Honest
Proposal—The Mint at Philadelphia—A Little Personal Abuse—The
Secretary Borrows Twenty Dollars—Modern Greediness—The Genius
Becomes a Lawyer—Burning of Records—Hunting for Blunders and
Frauds—The Treasury Building—A Little Variety—A Vision of Much
Money—Old Debts Raked Up—Signs of the Times—The National
Currency Act—Enormous Increase of the National Debt—Facts and
Figures—The Credit of the Government Sustained—President
Grant’s Rule—George S. Boutwell Made Secretary—Great
Expectations, 284