The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-10
Fashionable Society in Wellington.

Fashionable Society in Washington.
Our fashionables are like the birds, in other
respects as well as the plumage. They migrate
regularly every year. In the summer we find
them in the North, rolling in the surf at New
port, scudding in their yachts through the
Sound, drinking Congress water at Saratoga
promenading about the Notifications of Quebec
trouting at Lake George, scaling the heights Of
Mount Washington, or sulphurizing themselves
at Sharon. In the winter they fit southwark
they parade the national capital, haunt the
library of Congress, lounge in the Speakers
room, flirt in the rotunda, listen to the band at
the Presidents receptions, or display their
crinoline, laces MORE antiques and diamonds at
the balls of my Lord Napier or the parties Of
the wives of the Cabinet Ministers.
Aware of these facts, we do not share in the
surprise of our "Chevalier Jenkins" who
writes to us from Washington that the first part
of Lent-"a time for prayer and sorrow for
sin, and almsgiving and modification us
really "the gayest week yet" 1t is evidently,
very gay. On Monday Secretary gives din.
ner party, entertaining celebrated belle from
the Wooden-nutmeg State; ON Tuesday the
President has reception, and some double
distilled scoundrel stole the Chevalier's
"talma whatever that is; the same evening
the "beau monde" went to the residence Of
Cabinet Minister, whose /" magnifcently curled
and gazelle-eyed daughter did the honors.'"
Here, also, in addition to the "magnifcently
curled daughter" was the wife of Senator,
"wearing superb lace over pink silk, and
her daughter dressed in lemon colored silk"
with her hair la John Chinaman. Then we
are told confdentially that there is TO be a
grand bal costume at mi-earsns (which will make
sensation" On Wednesday we find Jenkins
at another Cabinet party, and on Thursday still
another, "the most brilliant fete of the season"
There were two ladies' "each fine looking and
each in black"-a curious coincidence "be
witching' Southerner, "bright as the golden
grapes which decked her hair" another,
"whose deep hazel eyes must be the windows of
true heart :" metropolitan nightingale in
most beaming blue and silver delegate from
Onondaga, in Gambler silk with lace founces;"
another who wore her "bridal bushes in
fact, as the Chevalier remarks the cream of the
cream was there. The Chevalier found the
sherry excellent" the punch "capital," and
the supper "the browning glory of the enter
tainment" There were Strasbourg pies and
ortolans and truffles and salads and pheasants,
and salads without stint, while champagne and
Rhenish flowed
lake TO the Pontic Sea,
Whose icy current and compulsive course
Meier feels retiring ebb.
What wonder that "copious ibations' were
drank to>the fair giver of the feast! What
wonder that the Chevalier Jenkins, who
knows, says that "the whole affair
was magnificent We endorse our Che
Waller Jenkins, and we will lay wager that
he cannot be beaten in his line by any other
Jenkins in Europe or America. He is hand
in-glove with all the diplomatic corps-Lord
Napier, Sir Gore Ouseley, the Conte de Sartiges,
and so on; he is polished Chepolier des DANES;
can tell Honton from valenciennes, and knows
exactly who Mrs. Dash ought to ask to her. party
and what is the correct thing for Miss Dash to
wear on that important occasion. Again, we
endorse Jenkins
At the same time we look with sadness upon
the desolate and broken down condition of the
Fifth avenue fashionables in this city, as compar-
cd with the grand entertainments of their Wash
ington confrfr@. On one side we see accounts
Of ladies who wear dresses worth at least a
thousand dollars and jewelry which costs five
times the amount, revealing in trufies, choice
wines and point d Alencon lace-dashing about
from party to party. among lords, counts, at
taches and all sorts Of dgnitaries; and on the
other, in our own Fifth avenue, cheap opera
cloaks, covering empty stomachs, set parties
where only homeopathic doses of stale cakes
and cheap wines are served out, daily prayer
meetings and butcher bill Of seven dollars for
an entire month. How shocking is the contrast!
While the Washington fasbionables are eating,
drinking and arraying themselves in purple and
fine linen, our best society is mourning in sack
cloth and ashes for money wherewith to satisfy
their butchers bill Of seven dollars per month.
Why is this so?
The fact of the matter is, that the people who
have money at Washington have plenty Of il.
The panic and the stagnation did not effect the
lobby. Our mutual uncle paid his employees the
same as ever. The foreign ministers also draw
their moneys from all the European courts. and
the liberality with which they are treated is in
striking constrast with the mesnness Of our GO
vernment to its representatives abroad. The
money which ought to be paid to them is thrown
away on the lobby. This latter body always
has ample means TO keep matters going The
Cabinet ministers are all wealthy; and, as Jen-
kins remarks, they have "Crinoline Cabinet
composed of youno ladipa who are roadv IN 40
the handsome thisg to all presentable people.
Many members Of Congress, disguised with the
miserable hotels Of Washington, have set up
their own establishments, and entertain ." all
conditions of men,
These circumstances have transfepcd for