There was in
New Orleans, when we were there, a restaurant famous all over
the country, kept by a very accomplished widow. The members
of the Committee thought it would be a good thing if we could
have such a restaurant as that in Washington. We passed a
unanimous vote requesting Mr. Saulsbury to marry the widow,
and bring her to Washington, as a matter of public duty. He
took the plan into consideration, but nothing came of it.
Some mischievous newspaper correspondent circulated a report,
which went through the country, that Mr. Saulsbury was very
much in love with a lady in Washington, also a charming widow.
It was said that he visited her every evening; that she had
a rare gift of making rum punch; that she always gave him
a glass, and that afterward, although he was exceedingly temperate
in such things, he fell on his knees, offered himself to the
widow, and was refused; and that this ceremony had been repeated
nightly for many years. I once mentioned this story to him,
and he didn't deny it. But, on the other hand, he didn't
admit it.
When he was chosen to the Senate he had two brothers who competed
with him for the office.
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