Queen Victoria if she had a mind to."

"I feel exactly as if I were at a pantomime," cried Betty,
delightedly. "Even you--" She caught herself up. "I mean I always
thought the New England playwrights invented all their characters. Who
are these plainly dressed women and--and--half-way ones?" "Oh, they're
Representatives' wives mostly," drawled the old lady, who looked
puzzled. "They take a day off and call on each other. One or two is
Senators' wives. Some of the Senators is rich, but some ar'n't. Mis'
Montgomery's jest as nice to them as to the swells, and she told me to
be sure and go into the next room and have a cup of tea. I don't care
much about tea excep' for lunch, and she don't have a collation--I
presume she can't; too many people'd come, and I guess she has about
enough. Now, those ladies that don't look exactly as if they was
ladies," indicating the large birds of tawdry plumage and striking
complexions, "they don't live here. Washington ladies don't dress like
that. I guess they're the wives of men out West that have made their
pile lately and come here to see the sights. First they look at all
the public buildin's, and I guess they about walk all over the
Capitol, and hear a speech or two in the Ladies' Gallery--from their
Senators, if they can--and after that they go about in Society a bit.
You see, Washington is a mighty nice place fur people who haven't much
show at home--those that live in small towns, fur instance. There is
so many public receptions they can go to--The White House, the
Wednesdays of the Cabinet ladies, the Thursdays of the Senator's
wives, and six or seven Representatives--mebbe more--who have real
elegant houses; and then there is several Legations that give public
receptions. You can always see in the _Post_ who's goin' to receive;
and those women can go home and talk fur the rest of their lives about
the fine time they had in Washington society. Amurricans heighst