The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-07

in the resplendent court dress, was the Duke o.
Kent (Mr. r } Washngtons position was quit,
| retired in the apex of An angle, the lines Of
which opened ont broadly towards the audience
on the one side running past Trumbull, Mrs
Morris, Miss Custis Mrs. Washington, and
@essrs. Hamilton and Adams to Mr.. Jay; and OF
the other, touching in succession Miss Harriet
Chew (Miss. L. n }, Arthur Middleton (Dr. P. }
Mrs Rufus King (Mrs. G. W. Miss Livingston
| {Mrs. J.) and Mrs. Bingham (Mrs. II. N. g.,
and ending with the most salient figure in the
tableau, Mrs. John Jay (Mrs w. AID Behind
this line stood Mrs. w. 8. Smith Miss A. c.
| Robert Morris and Thos. McKean. Mrs. Sedg-
wick (Mrs. A. d. was modestIy prominent near
Mrs. Jay. Thence the line bent in again first
Mrs Drayton (Mrs. G. NJ }. next Gen. Greene,
Charles Carroll and Bishop White, and then
turning and again opening to the front, ran
past Catherine Duer (Miss. j }, Mrs. Ralph
lizard miss E. H., Mrs. George Clinton (Mrs.
7. j. s. to Mrs. Winthrop (Mrs. T. H. Behind
Mrs. Clinton were Mrs. Otis (Mrs. d., Miss
Isabella Cairnie (Miss WeiDdahD, and Mrs.
Cutler (Miss C. A. T.) Mrs. Randolph (Mrs.
g. A. b. was in the group near Mrs. Winthrop,
and with Mrs. Rich. Cation (Miss W. }, and
Geo. w. P. GUSTS Qittle Charley Gaines),
Stauffer, in full Continental uniform, finished
the picture on the extreme left.
Dispersed through the brilliant assemblape
we noted Lawrence Lewis (Mr. N. w., Henry
Lsurens (Mr. K }, John Dickinson (Mr. McC.)
Oliver Ellsworth (Mr. F.), Thomas Jefferson
(Mr. b, Mons. de Marbois (Mr. F. K),
Gouverneur Morris (Mr To-, Gilbert Stuart
(Gen. H., Robert Livingston (Mr. F. c., and
others whose names we cannot recall
The whole tableau copies Huntington's oele-
brated court scene. This great historical
painting is arranged in three principal groups,
and never was painter more superbly repro
duced than by the living picture before us. A
hush fell upon the house when the curtain
rose. Hardly q breath stirred after the first
rustic of delighted surprise. The characters
on the stage were scarcely more still but they
were posed in q hundred graoeful attitudes
and seemed to be suddenly caught and ravished
into attentive silence by the echoes of a strain
of music which the audience could not hear
Thrice the curtain rose on the splendid pageant,
responsive to the laundering applause that at
last burst through all restraint as the house
recovered from it's first surprise. We have
never seen enthusiasm more lively and
spontaneous, or more sustained and justified.
The tolettes of the ladies and the court dresses
and uniforms of the gentlemen would vie with
those of any court in Christendom. Here
were no stage tricks, but ell was magnificent
reality:
Gem sown GEM and elk er silk rolled"
In the brilliant quartette which, artistcally |
speaking, was the front and centre group of
the tableau, ex- Queen Isabella's lace loated in
rich luxuriance under the neighborly glitter of
Iuo bos. DO do ~
dinal red silk train of the foremost figure |
Mrs. John Jay-lit mp as with living flame the !
rich cream colored silk of her uis-a ris, Mrr |
Drayto
On the extreme left Mrs. John Adams superb |
black velvet and gold brocade and laces, with |
Mrs. Maidstone exquisite white satin train, |
warmed into brighter radiance by Mrs. Alex. |
Hamilton's rose, colored silk, pearls and dia- |
monds, formed beautiful contrast against |
John jays flowing black robes and balanced !
in artistic effect the more subdued coloripg of |
Mrs. Winthrop's and Mrs. Clinton's group at |
the other side of the tableau. Mrs. Washing
toms immediate circle was resplendent in dig |
nifty, grace and height of coloring and contrast |
Stately maturity and the bloom of youth, the |
fash of diamonds and pearls and the rich and |
varied hues of decided colors contributed to |
render the group what it was intended to be,
the focus of delight, the observed of ell OBJ
servers. 1t was connected with the left hand
group by the graduated tints Of the Countess
DYrujo's ruby-velvet train, and on the other
side reached out in dignity to John Trumbull's (
countensnce, and on to the majestic |
presence of Washington himself. We have |
never seen q better likeness of the Father of
his Country, Col, B. WAS most happy in bis |
and portrayal of the character.
How We like to linger o'er the view. But |
want of space forbids particularizing fur |
Their. The image of the scene is, however,
wildly photographed on the tablet of our
A hundred years ago must have been !
a very pleasant period to live in. 1t was truly,
a republican society, but flushed with the best |
of patrician clements. However, we shall not |
moralize or compare it with the present; but
yet we cannot help remembering
"GloFious are,