midnight
In fact , an evening in Mr. King 's parlors does teach one humility , and I begin to discover that a person may be capable of writing poetry , and making a fair report , without being able to teach science to a professor , jurisprudence -- I hope I have got the word right -- to a judge , or high statesmanship to a senator . In fact , in the present state of society , it seems to me that the best of us have got to live and learn -- live and learn . My dear sisters : -- You have no idea how many kinds of parties there are in Washington . Some are called receptions , because they take place in the daytime , in houses where every mite of sunshine is shut out , and the gas set to blazing as if it were midnight . That is , night is n't turned into day here one bit oftener than day is turned into night . Then there are ladies ' lunch parties , where the daylight is allowed to shine in ; and picnics , where one gets a little too much of it , besides being tired to death , and nothing to show for it . Besides these , there are political parties , where men get up entertainments that are called caucuses , which no lady is allowed to join in .