think I paid no attention to what was in the house, just let things flow

in and out. He'd be mistaken. What I look to is quality, sir. The

President has variety enough, but the quality! Vegetables of course you

can't expect here. I'm very particular about mine. Take celery, now

--there's only one spot in this country where celery will grow. But I an

surprised about the wines. I should think they were manufactured in the

New York Custom House. I must send the President some from my cellar.

I was really mortified the other day at dinner to see Blacque Bey leave

his standing in the glasses."

When the Colonel first came to Washington he had thoughts of taking the

mission to Constantinople, in order to be on the spot to look after the

dissemination, of his Eye Water, but as that invention; was not yet quite

ready, the project shrank a little in the presence of vaster schemes.

Besides he felt that he could do the country more good by remaining at

home. He was one of the Southerners who were constantly quoted as

heartily "accepting the situation."

"I'm whipped," he used to say with a jolly laugh, "the government was too

many for me; I'm cleaned out, done for, except my plantation and private

mansion. We played for a big thing, and lost it, and I don't whine, for

one. I go for putting the old flag on all the vacant lots. I said to

the President, says I, 'Grant, why don't you take Santo Domingo, annex

the whole thing, and settle the bill afterwards. That's my way. I'd,

take the job to manage Congress. The South would come into it. You've

got to conciliate the South, consolidate the two debts, pay 'em off in

413

The Gilded Age