president's levee.                    137
paying1 one of the severest penalties of greatness; compelled to talk when he had nothing' to say, and shake hands with men whose very appearance suggested the precaution of a glove. I must say, however, that under these unpleasant circumstances, he bore himself well and gracefully. His countenance expressed perfect good-humour; and his manner to the ladies was so full of well-bred gallantry, that having, as I make no doubt, the great majority of the fair sex on his side, the chance of his being unseated at the next election must be very small.
I did not, however, remain long a spectator of the scene, Having gone through the ordinary ceremonial, I scrambled out of the crowd the best way I could, and bade farewell to. the most extraordinary scene it had ever been my fortune to witness. It is Only fair to state, however, that during my stay in Washington, I never heard the President's levee mentioned in company without an expression of indignant feeling on the part of the ladies, at the circumstances I have narrated. To the better order of Americans, WQeed, it cannot but be painful that their wives and fighters should thus be compelled to mingle with V0L- H.                              m