Mrs. Madison, Mrs. Polk and Miss Lane were among these, and, as a perfect lady, well known for years and years in Washington, Mrs. Crittendon, the widow of Senator Crittendon—formerly Mrs. Ashley—is always mentioned side by side with her husband, and stood quite as high among women as he did among men. In my opinion, there is a senator's wife from Minnesota that can hold her own with the handsomest and highest of those that have gone before; but as she is extra modest too, I give no names.
Then there is another, I will say it, who has done honor to her position and credit to her husband, and that is Mrs. Ulysses Grant. She is just a good, honest, motherly woman, pleasant to look at and pleasant to speak to. She acts out what she pretends to, and pretends to be just what she is. If this woman hasn't pulled an even yoke with her husband, both in the war and after the war, no female of my acquaintance ever did. It's of no use talking, I like that woman.
But I am a-going at a rate that wants pulling up, so I tighten the bridle and take a new turn.
What I began to write about was, a reception at Mr. Horatio King's, which always takes off the first skimming of cream from Washington society.
Mr. King is a New England man, and was born and brought up in Maine, which lifts him almost to a level with us of Vermont.
In fact, in the way of statesmen and authors, I am bound to say that Maine pulls an even yoke with the Green Mountain State. So far as authors are concerned, I'm afraid she goes a little ahead of us.
The city of Portland was just a nest of authors before they took wing and settled down in other places.
John Neal, one of the most splendid men and brilliant writers that ever put an American pen to paper, was born there, and has spent most of his life in his native place.
N. P. Willis was born in Portland; so was Sebe Smith, who called himself Jack Downing in his letters.
Longfellow's family was rooted in that town long before he honored it by being born.