The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-04-19
Luxurious Living and Dressing in
Washington.

ueiP w encourage ue lOfc Ol ulSplaY
and conceit which we see coming out
in the Belknap and other cases. In
former days ladies and men in pub
lie position were protected by the
discrimination between official and
mercantile life. Twenty years ago
a family Of tradesmen in the Avenue
did not intrude in official society,
and he who published the names Or
addresses of persons at any of the
large receptions never had the oppor-
tunity to repeat the performance
Consequently fine clothes did not en-.
ter into the rivalry of the court.
In our day, however, persons are
introduced to the receptions without
a previous acquaintance with their
host, and it is common for women
from distant cities to visit the Capt.
tai accompanied by dozeus of trunks
filed with wardrobes specially pre-
pared for "Washington season." &
The example Of dress on the stage
of theater, on the public promenade
or in drawing-room is infectious,
and more money has come to be rated
as too necessary an element in good
official society. Yet what woman
will be bold enough to make the in
novation Of dressing in the plain way
customary thirty years ago9 And
who gives Washington woman their
dresses? Husbands? !
What we see in Washington is
patent all over the country, particu-
larly in the cities. In dress, how
ever, and in the passion for display
there are graduations. If you will
select, say fifty women, in Washing
ton society, and taboo them from the
newspapers and from social consid-
GRAFTON, you will cut off the extraya,
gance. nA5
Here, for example, is a real estate
agent, who a few years ago was deal
ing in swamp lots somewhere in the
West. Now his house is furnished
from Paris, Brussels and London
The carpets were woven to ft the
rooms and the mirrors slipped
through the Custom-house without
expense. Here is patent attorney
who has worked hard all his life, anG
sees no other way to distinguish hi'
wealth but to build a palace. Her.
is doctor who turned up from thu
Muskrat country as a hospital sur
i
geon, and now appears in the stree
only behind pair Of cream coloret
horses with a driver, and represent
ing in no feeble way Death on pal'
horse. Here is retired army off
Ger with porte cochere Mansard, pa
/ rFtr .
vilions, lace curtains, and house
open to let his daughters be seel
from morning till midnight. Her
is a brother-in-law Of a dignitary VIII
not satisfied with his relative condi
ton in the city of his birth, make
an apparition in Washington societ..
with great house. Here is a poo
German engineer, who has bee
drawing sections of boilers and ship
beams for thirty years.. now living
behind Pieton stone. Here is an in
strument maker, who furnishes sur
veying tools for the Land-off1ce keep
ing his family by the year in Europe
Here is a retired tavern keeper, wit
twenty bath rooms in his house, ex
pecting to be married into the frs
official rank. Here is little cha
who used to be a page in Congress.
surrounded with paintings, horse
land laces. Here is an old curb-ston
broker whose daughters have 60
into good society at last, and thei
house is in the West End covere
lover with zinc ornaments. Here
a miller who got rich by building
patriotic monument, and he belong
to the gentlest set Of, all. Here is
Istone-cutter with a bank, a countr
villa, and transformed town mar
sion, all bristling with minarets an
pinnacles. Here is a claim-agen
| who came out of the war without
penny inhabiting a castle made {
4 pressed brick set in lamp-black MOI
tar and resting on granite piers.
I The time is approaching whe
fcards will be scanned before the lad
Of the house comes down to receiv
[strange callers, and when the seryar
lat the, door will perform the duty {
asking for invitations and resistin
ders.-["Gath'' in New Yor
Graphic. ,a ..oa
IF Az nld nntchmon frn1o h{e N 30