siness, and worked harmoniously with the instigators of
conquest, except that he became self-willed when his vanity was
touched.

President Polk was a spare man, of unpretending appearance and
middle stature, with a rather small head, a full, angular brow,
penetrating dark gray eyes, and a firm mouth. His hair, which he
wore long and brushed back behind his ears, was touched with silver
when he entered the White House and was gray when he left it. He
was a worthy and well-qualified member of the fraternity of the
Freemasons, and a believer in the creed of the Methodists, although,
out of deference to the religious opinions of his wife, he attended
worship with her at the First Presbyterian Church. Calm, cold,
and intrepid in his moral character, he was ignorant of the beauty
of moral uprightness in the conduct of public affairs, but was
ambitious of power and successful in the pursuit of it. He was
very methodical and remarkably industrious, always finding time to
listen patiently to the stories of those who came to him as
petitioners for patronage and place. But his arduous labors impaired
his health and doubtless shortened his life. Before his term of
office had half expired his friends were pained to witness his
shortened and enfeebled step, and the air of languor and exhaustion
which sat upon him.

There were two inauguration balls in honor of the new President's
accession to power--one at ten dollars a ticket, and the other at
two dollars. The ten-dollar ball was at Carusi's saloon, and was
attended by the leaders of Washington society, the Diplomatic Corps,
and many officers of the Army and Navy. Madame de Bodisco, wife
of the Russian Minister, in a superb court dress, which she had
worn while on her bridal visit to St. Petersburg, attracted much
attention and contrasted strongly with Mrs. Polk, whose attire was
very plain. The ball at the National Theatre was more democratic,
and was attended by an immense crowd, whose fight for the supper
was emblematical of the rush and scramble about to be made for the
loaves and fishes of office. When the guests began to depart, it
was found that the best hats, cloaks, and canes had been taken
early in the evening, and there was great grumbling. Commodore
Elliot had his pocket picked at the White House on inauguration
day, the thief depriving him of his wallet, which contained several
valued relics. One was a letter from General Jackson, congratulating
him on