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Peleg Wadsworth to Elizabeth Wadsworth, 4 February 1794
Manuscript letter
Philada 4thFeby1794
My Dear Betsey
Last Friday Evening, for the first time I attended Lady Washingtons Levee – this is nothing more than a public set time for receiving Company – where a great deal of visiting can be done in a little time. The Gent of Congress, with their Wives if they have any handy, the Gent & Ladies of the City are now & then ex-pected to attend as the Spirit moves to pay their Respects to Lady W – The Company is receiv’d in the great Chamber over the Bow Parlour & answer-ing to it in Size & Shape & well as Fur-niture as far as the they the Case will admit – Hats & Cloaks of the Gent are left below – what becomes of the Ladies Cloaks I’m sure I do not know, but I believe they have none – when a Lady enters the Room, She is led directly up (p. 2) to her Ladyship & introduced by the Gent. accom-panying her, - her Ladyship rises, courtesies & I suppose says something mighty pretty, look-ing all the time very smiling & sits down as the Lady is conducted along round the Circle to her Seat, congeing[sic] to the Com-pany as she passes along. The Gent on entering advance directly up to Lady W - & make one of their very best Bows – She receives it very graciously – sitting – for she does not rise – afterwards He moves on, bowing & smiling on the whole Circle of fine Ladys that may be present at the time they he enters – He then bows to the President who is generally present & then sits or stands & talks with Ladies or Gent. as best suits – the Gent. however generally occupy the Floor, moving & conversing about anything, or more com-monly about nothing – Tea & coffee are continually serving round to both Ladies & Gent. by one Servant & Cake by another on large Silver Salvers as large as a man (p. 3) can manage – after that with the Syllabubs & Creams – The Gent. commonly take Tea &c standing – in about half an hour when the Company begin to be too numerous the Gent. begin to fall off without Ceremony or the least notice – What becomes of the Ladies, or how they get off afterwards is more than I am able to tell at present. This is Lady W-s Levee - & how do you like it? – Perhaps you did not like the Cake, the Syllabubs or the creams? – I’ll assure you they were very good – The Ceremony? There was none at all – what then. why nothing at all - & so ends the whole matter – Adieu
P Wadsworth
[Note:] Ma. Washington’s/ Levee. /Feb. 1794
[Addressed:] Miss Betsey
My Dear Betsey
Last Friday Evening, for the first time I attended Lady Washingtons Levee – this is nothing more than a public set time for receiving Company – where a great deal of visiting can be done in a little time. The Gent of Congress, with their Wives if they have any handy, the Gent & Ladies of the City are now & then ex-pected to attend as the Spirit moves to pay their Respects to Lady W – The Company is receiv’d in the great Chamber over the Bow Parlour & answer-ing to it in Size & Shape & well as Fur-niture as far as the they the Case will admit – Hats & Cloaks of the Gent are left below – what becomes of the Ladies Cloaks I’m sure I do not know, but I believe they have none – when a Lady enters the Room, She is led directly up (p. 2) to her Ladyship & introduced by the Gent. accom-panying her, - her Ladyship rises, courtesies & I suppose says something mighty pretty, look-ing all the time very smiling & sits down as the Lady is conducted along round the Circle to her Seat, congeing[sic] to the Com-pany as she passes along. The Gent on entering advance directly up to Lady W - & make one of their very best Bows – She receives it very graciously – sitting – for she does not rise – afterwards He moves on, bowing & smiling on the whole Circle of fine Ladys that may be present at the time they he enters – He then bows to the President who is generally present & then sits or stands & talks with Ladies or Gent. as best suits – the Gent. however generally occupy the Floor, moving & conversing about anything, or more com-monly about nothing – Tea & coffee are continually serving round to both Ladies & Gent. by one Servant & Cake by another on large Silver Salvers as large as a man (p. 3) can manage – after that with the Syllabubs & Creams – The Gent. commonly take Tea &c standing – in about half an hour when the Company begin to be too numerous the Gent. begin to fall off without Ceremony or the least notice – What becomes of the Ladies, or how they get off afterwards is more than I am able to tell at present. This is Lady W-s Levee - & how do you like it? – Perhaps you did not like the Cake, the Syllabubs or the creams? – I’ll assure you they were very good – The Ceremony? There was none at all – what then. why nothing at all - & so ends the whole matter – Adieu
P Wadsworth
[Note:] Ma. Washington’s/ Levee. /Feb. 1794
[Addressed:] Miss Betsey
Archives Number: 1005/4.1.1-03#07
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (1005/4.1.1-3#7)
Public domain
Peleg Wadsworth Papers (1005/004.001), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Catalog Number : LONG 27923
Title: Finding Aid to the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family (1610-1971) Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
2021/03/24
02/04/1794
Manuscript letter in the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth and Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing, Letterbook - 1794-1807. (1005/4.1.1-3#7)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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