The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-12-04
a SEASON IN wAsHINaroN. D. c.
800 ,cllaaraeser..tIe. 3 BE- lsa.lIeaal csp.

= 49,
Social CharacterIstIcs OF the National Cap
ttazs
A. Washington season is q generic
thing; women come to the place for
the sake of it, as they go. nowhere
else. Through the system of calling
iust described official society is ecces-
sibie to all, and The introdactions OBJ
tanned there to peeple OF the more se-.
lect circles when fortified by weafth
and pertinacity, open the whole
charmed round Of pleasure. Society
in other cities is totally unlike Socie-
ty in Washington. There is an inter-
change of kindiiness between house
holds Of friends !: it is the festiyity Of
happy anniversaries, the union of
families in new ties, the cheriehing of
long acquaintance. But in Washing
ton-except so far as the small NUM-
Der OF residents is concerned Its
whole purpose and meaning are aElo
maIous; each Adminisfration brings
3 new following, each Congress has q
new ,rabble at It's heels Friendships
are accidents OF the day, diplOmacy
is carried on BY dining !; every party
has g political purpose, every Sciviiity
9 double meaning. Nevertheless, the
sparkle OF Wit, TIE kidding Of enthu
siSsul, are not absent fr0inn it on the
eohtrary, there is more Of that than
elsewhere, for. it is sustained by the
chosen intellect and beauty Of the
continent You may meet admirals
there who have saiIed round the
world, generals who have fought
mighty battles, priests who may
yet be p0peS, men and women
who are figures or tHe century they
will tell you the romance of their
travel the heart beat of their success
es, and you will contriYe to hear it
for all the accompanying roar and.
sweeps in which thsy are the lay fg-
ufes for Aspfrants to measure, and the
property OF. reporters In such a So
ciety of course all asperities are soft
ened; this mans daughter dances
with the son Of his arch-enemy def
erence is accorded to the opinion of q
woman on public Tnstters rs If she
already possessed. her right of suf-
frage; there is an exhileration in
meeting and avoiding and overlook
ing, in the light and skiiiful skating
over dangerous surfaces, while rare
freedom unites with a gentle even If
poliitic courteBy, which it is delight
ful to meet tonight, and which allures
you to seek it tomorrow. Society
without a conscience it is, possibly,
but for all that sufficiently fascinating.
1t is like an Aztec revel for its fioW-
ers; the great stairways, leading up
and down between the rooms that
glow with light and resound with the
tones of flute and violin, are wound
with shrubs where art eonceals every
thSranef. hut k1Rn \
do0rs are aFched with palms and long
banana leaves; flowers swing frem
window and Intel and bracket, stream
from the pictures, crown the statues !;
sprays of dropping vines wreathe the
chandeliers that shed the soft bril-
lance OF wax lights around them:
mantels are covered with moss tables
are bedded with violefs; tall vases
overflow with roses and heiiotropes,
with cold ca amelias and burning gera-
niums; the orchestra is hidden with
latticed bloom and bud and yellow
acacias and scarlet passion flowers
and a great white orchid with hon.
eyed breath encirele the fern-filIed
basin where q fountain plays. The
murmur of music, the wealth Of per-
fume, make the atmosphere an en-
chantment. A crowd of gorgeous
hues and trusses, bare bosOms and
blazing jewels, ascend and descend
the stairs here are women, the fame
of whose beauty is world wide, wear
lug lace, whose intricate design, over
the pale sfimmer of some perfectly
tinted silk ben cath, represents the la
Dor efa lifetime, wearing necklaces
and tiaras of diamonds, where the
~ -
dor, seem to throb with 8 spirit of
their own. There of course is the
President; yonder is the Chief JUS
tiee; here again the general of all our
armies: here fash the glittering in
signia OF soldiers, here the fantastic
array Of diplomats /; down one vista
the dancers float through their mazea,
down another shines the crystal and
gold and silver OF the tables red with
burgundy and bordeaux, tempting
with tefrapin and trufffe, with spieed
meats and salads, pastries, connections
and fruits and close by is. the punch
room. You have your tehoice of che
frozen article, or Of that el&ret conc0e-
tion to hold whose, glowing ruby q
bowl hssibeen followed in the ice it.
self, or to the champagne punch, where
to every Htre of the champagne litre
of bFandy,a . litre Of red rum. . llitfe
Of green tea are given, aud wheFeIyou
see a,flushed and fevered daEias6f dip
ping the ladle and tossing OF her
jorum as cody asltheugh she had not
had her three wines ct dinner that day,
and had not, in half the houses; of her
dozen morning calls, slipped her sher-
ry or set down her little punch glass
empty of tie delicious mixture Of old
spirits and fermOnting frlit5juices.-
Perhaps that sight sets yoa to think i
ing. You may have been attracted 4
earlier in the night by her delicate /
toilette and her face pure as q pearl: |
you saw her later, warm from the /
dance, ,eating and drinkingin the sup- |
per-room !; then her partners arm was 4
around her waist, her head was on his 4
and she was plaagsng9 into /
the German, whirling to Tnaddenfhg /
presently caught ina fewIl
embrace, flying from that man 3 arms
to another's, growing wild with tkeIl
abandon of the figure, hair hying,i
dress disordered, powder eaked, face
bnrning, till, pausing an instant for
the champagne in servants hands,
your girl with her face as pure as a
pearl seemed nothing but a baechante.
Prom g LIFE IN THE NATIONAL Car
ITAI4,' p On aLippEIicotts Magazine for,
December. 30
THE FATE OF FRENCH MARsHALs.
A Paris letter writer says that the
history of previous trials of Marshals
of France ia not caleulafad tn f1attar