and dress. There were old ladies
decked in the finery of their youthful days, and children in their
nurses' arms. "Boz" was the lion of the evening, and he stood like
Patience on a monument. He totally eclipsed Washington Irving,
who was then at Washington to receive his instructions as Minister
to Spain. The President's Cabinet, Foreign Ministers, some of the
Judges of the Supreme Court, a sprinkling of Senators, two or three
scores of Representatives, and fifteen hundred man, women, and
children, in every costume, and from every nook and corner of the
country, made up the remainder of the medley.

A children's fancy ball was given at the White House by President
Tyler, in honor of the birthday of his eldest granddaughter.
Dressed as a fairy, with gossamer wings, a diamond star on her
forehead, and a silver wand, she received her guests. Prominent
among the young people was the daughter of General Almonte, the
Mexican Minister, arrayed as an Aztec Princess. Master Schermerhorn,
of New York, was beautifully dressed as an Albanian boy, and Ada
Cutts, as a flower-girl, gave promise of the intelligence and beauty
which in later years led captive the "Little Giant" of the West.
The boys and girls of Henry A. Wise were present, the youngest in
the arms of its mother, and every State in the Union was
represented.

After old Baron Bodisco's marriage to the young and beautiful Miss
Williams, the Russian Legation at Georgetown became the scene of
brilliant weekly entertainments, given, it was asserted, by especial
direction of the Emperor Nicholas, who had a special allowance made
for table-money. At these entertainments there was dancing, an
excellent supper, and a room devoted to whist. Mr. Webster, Mr.
Clay, General Scott, and several of the Diplomatic Corps were
invariably to be seen handling "fifty-two pieces of printed
pasteboard," while the old Baron, though not a good player, as the
host of the evening, was accustomed to take a hand. One night he
sat down to play with those better acquainted with the game, and
he lost over a thousand dollars. At the supper-table he made the
following announcement, in a sad tone: "Ladies and gentlemens:
It is my disagreeable duty to make the announce that these receptions
must have an end, and to declare them at an end for the present,
because why? The fund for their expend, ladies and gentlemens, is
exhaust, and they must discontinue."

Ole Bull, the renowned violinist,