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at all theirs was a cheeriness and warmth with
hand grasp quite away from the blase' limp formula
of ^modern fashionable use. As it is not as far away as
Dolly Madison and Mrs Stearns still graces the
village with her genial hospitality I ought not to
dwell perhaps on her personality personalities, but her cap and
[?] ^{shy manner} and beautiful pearls did well grace [?]
the youthful beauty of the President with his family
celestial smile -- no touch of a simper or approbative-
ness about it-- I think it came from a rift in Heaven --
The galantries of the green seniors seemed rather trite
after his invitation to promenade in the grounds in the
moonlight. With them came a touch of the world
in the general appearance of the house always so plain
and simple -- Very rich odd cabinets and chair and
bric a brac from the southern living in India and
inherited silver of aristocratic pattern but an
air of elegance quite agreeable and suitable -- The
early hours were long kept -- the inherited ten o'clock
Pres. Hitchcock hour I believe still lingers in the social at-
mosphere rather banefully -- The late witching hour -- the
golden glow of the night -- the foam of the beakers? alas has
no potent charm for our rather heavy-balanced folk.
Sometimes funny episodes could have been chronicled
as the result of our early hours. A wife of one of our
Prof's coming among in ignorance uninitiated in the
simplicities lost several of her guests before her
leisurely elaborate supper ^served after the manner of her own
gay city was entirely served -- Can he blame her