The Ladies of the White House; Or, in the Home of the Presidents: Being a Complete History of the Social and Domestic Lives of the Presidents from Washington to the Present Time—1789–1881Holloway, Laura C. (Laura Carter)
History
The Ladies of the White House; Or, in the Home of the Presidents: Being a Complete History of the Social and Domestic Lives of the Presidents from Washington to the Present Time—1789–1881
Holloway, Laura C. (Laura Carter)
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Presidents' spouses -- United States -- Biography
The grandchildren of Mrs. Washington were her only companions during the
President’s long absences in his office; and Mrs. Robert Morris was the
most social visitor at the mansion. Several times mention is made of her
presence at the side of Mrs. Washington during the presentations at the
receptions. And at all the dinners by the republican Chief Magistrate,
the venerable Robert Morris took precedence of every other guest,
invariably conducting Mrs. Washington, and sitting at her right hand. At
this, the meridian period of her life, Mrs. Washington’s personal
appearance was, although somewhat portly in person, fresh and of an
agreeable countenance. She had been a handsome woman thirty years
before, when, on the 6th of January, 1759, she was married to Colonel
Washington; and in an admirable picture of her by Woolaston, painted
about the same time, is seen something of that pleasing grace which is
said to have been her distinction. During these years of her married
life, she had enjoyed ample opportunity to cultivate that elegance of
manner for which she was conspicuous, and to develop those
conversational powers which rendered her so attractive. Washington, ever
quiet and reserved in manner, depended on her; and her tact and gentle
womanly politeness relieved him from the irksome duties of hospitality
when business called him elsewhere. His first levee, the Marchioness
D’Yuro wrote to a friend in New York, was brilliant beyond anything that
could be imagined. She adds: You never could have had such a
drawing-room; and though there was a great deal of extravagance, there
was so much of Philadelphia tact in everything that it must have been
confessed the most delightful occasion of the kind ever known in this
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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