Mrs. Lincoln Entertains.

LINCOLN, FEE, HUGHES, ISHAM, VIRDEN

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 8/20/2019 at 18:17:48

MRS. LINCOLN ENTERTAINS.

Marsa Fee and Helen Hughes were two of the students that were invited, since they were friends of Jessie Lincoln, the youngest of the Lincoln granddaughters.

Marsa could not bear the idea of not staying for every minute of the promised magic evening. She wrote to her father, Judge Fee, and asked his permission to stay for the dancing.

Since this seemed a fair request and he could not see anything wrong in his daughter attending such a carefully planned party, he sent her a hasty letter giving his permission.

Armed with parental blessing, the two girls stayed on when the other five students left just before the dancing began at 11:00.

It would have been difficult to leave such a party. The "Mt. Pleasant Journal" covered the "Lincoln" parties in detail. In one such coverage, they said, "the spacious hall, reception rooms, library and supper room were artistically decorated. The west end florist was given carte blanche in floral ormentation and proved himself equal to the occasion. The mantel was banked with roses, ferns and vines. Tropical palms and foliage formed a screen for the alcove, where the musicians were seated. The arrangement of dances was presented in a dainty programme with the embossed monogram "L" on the surface.

Three more attractive and accomplished ladies are rarely found in society than the receiving party, Mrs. Lincoln and her two daughters, Mrs. Isham and Miss Lincoln and in their elegant evening gowns--Mrs. Lincoln in lustrous black satin decollette with garniture of irridescent jet and diamond ornaments; Mrs. Isham...

[Unknown souce of a longer, typed article, probably compiled by Helen Virden [1913-1991], well-known as a Henry County writer and historian. The one-page document [page 2 only] was found in the archives of Henry County Heritage Trust, Mt. Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa. Research indicates Marsa Fee [1875-1963] graduated from Iowa Wesleyan with the Class of 1896 and was the daughter of Judge Thomas Milton Fee]