, 1876-02-27
Washington's Birthday---1ts Cen
tcnnial Reception in Pri-
vato Houses.
Mrs. Sargent "At Home at P. M"..-
The Costume Party at the
West End.
Martha Washington Flirts with a Nine.
teeath Century Fout11.-.EJe.
Glasses and the Emerso-
nian Dialect,
Concert at the Deacon House--The Old
Stories Of the House--A Oroak
About Bran New
Building.

Building.
From Our 0sH Correspondent.
BosroN, Feb. 24.-The Centennial spirit
which tinges everything just now, had d very
good chance to exploit itself on the 2ad. And
the chance was by no means neglected There
was the usual amount Of hell-ringing and other
official noises, which everybody knows all about,
and more than they Want to know; but apart
from all this, the opportunity was very prottily
made much Of in various ways amongst private
Individuals. At Mrs. Sargent's, for instance.
there WAS teception-a Gay reception, COM
mencing at 8 o'clock in the afternoon, where
people came until o'clock to chat over cup of
coffee aud salad. II was good deal on the
kettle-drum order, though it was on larger
scale and with less OF the tea-tab1a coziness,
and it had q cosmopolitan air and freedom about
1t which one finds nowhere else in Boston. In
the evening there we're several partiea, all hav-
ing smack Of what somebody in an oxasperated
mood Gala ''the everlasting Centennial fever"
am very sure tn at the most charming OF these
was in charming domicil at the West End,
where pretty hostess received her guesta in
powdered hair and the ruff and farthingale of
old days It was not masquerade, but
CESTENN1AL PARTY,
aud all the brocaded pettlcoats and queer old
fnerieB had been pulled out Of camphor- wood
trunks either as models or to reappear in the
original material. There was no arbitrary ex-
action that every guest should present him
self or herself in costume, but there Was never
tholess very general representation of "ye
olden time" or conrse Martha Washington in
kerchief and cap WAS present, and the face Of
=
good likeness in soma points OF natural con-
formation that By the aid Of art, line here, and
s shade there. really startling resemblance 70
the blaud-visaEed dame we have been made so
tictorially familiar with was the result. The
feminine portion Of the Company had entered
more largely into the representation than the
masculine Whether the nineteenth century
man, who reads the Nation and goes in for "no
Enthusiasm. is too self-conscious|y prosalc and
''sensibe for such theatricais. OF whether his
vanity is afraid Of the effect OF ths
S1LK-sTOCKIN9 AND KkEE-RuCKLE PERIOD,
il one OF the conuudrums (which no fellow can
find ouA" to quote the immortal words Of the
renowned Dundreary. But very certain it is,
that the ruff aud fartningale bg far outnum-
bered the knee buckles. and Martha Washington
and other furbelowed feminincs had to be con-
tent with attentions from very uuoharacter.s-
TIC sot Of galfants, in black coats and trousers.
However the course OF Irritation did not seem to
run less smoothly on this account. Martha
Washington held her court With great evident
satisfaction 20 these back-coa.ed gentlemen,
and seemed to fnd it easier than ever to use tho
weapons OF dark eyes underneath sill that pow-
der pulling. The sharp criticism that Boston
gir[ always flirts behind pair OF eyeglasses
aud in tue Emersonian dialect. came forcibiy to
my mind as I caught glimpse OF no iesa than six
OF these Tlsual aids, and one-not to atFetch q
good story-heard pretty creature say bet seen
a sip OF coffee and spoonful OF orange ice.
- EMERsox SAYS you Know, THAT FR1ESDs SUCH
AS WE DEs1nE AEE DREAMS AND FABLES"
Here seemed to bo the exact fulfllment OF the
critical prophecg-the conditions we're MI here,
eyeglasses and dialect, and youth and beauty
IN Bo-tonian Ola poJrlda and the dialect
was chosen from one Of the tenderest OF those
immortal essay5-thas upon Frieodship!
lug CONCERT st the Deacon House giveu BY
number OF fr5t-class artstes.-Mrs. J. Houston
West, who earued her best laurel at the last
great jubilee, taking prominent part. The
funds ara to be used to furnish the farmers
house and kitchen to be exhibited q: Phi!ade!-
phia. The Deacon House-bY tue way let the
reader bear in mind that the pronunciation here
is not after the manner Of the church-deacou,
but with the emphasis on the latter syllable
has ceased 10 be region Of romapce and mys-
terious interest, since 1t las been turned into =
semi-hotel. And passing throug b the rooms
now when my ball. coucert. or other fete la in
progress, it seems great while ago instead OF
SO few years-i. ia really only fye---that such
odd stories we're told about g. house here in the
very heart Of Boston. 1t is five years
mer all that Marie Antoinetta furniture,
the Sevres china and pictures that we're opce
held in possession by the ill-fRted Queen her,
OF the Deacon family, having at the time sur
plus OF means which he was apparently in haste
to be lid Of chanced upon these quondam pos
sess,ons Of the French Sovereign, and u once
invested in them. And, By and by, these pos
sessions are sent over to America to adorn the
great mansion On Washington street. They not
only adorned it. but they made it presently the
centre OF
ALL SORTS oF ROMANTIC s0PERsTzTooSs.
And 70 Nc are told that the Deacon family wers
descended from this royal lady, and that
abe herself walked in ghostly activity but in very
fine ralmeut, at certain ghostly hours, through
these apartments It waa queer place in those
DAYS before it came under the auctoneer 9 ham-
mer. Most of the furnishing waa Of foreign 1n-
porrAtion, and had q history. But the little
boudoir where the possessions of Marie Antoin-
cite we're gathered was really the Ecene
Of interest," Here were Fragonard paint
inga set in the wall, which = graphic critic
described as an army OF ''robustous young
all laws OF gravity" I am not sure. however,
but these paintings were rot in the yellow
salon just eithout the boudoit. But the e1a-
broidered damaak Of the boudoir curtains, the
me1AuQu 4rlDceS8 EllZaDetl on tQe WALL Ine PIC
t,1re OF the Princess Landslide the comfortable
with its luiaying, the Little chairs With portraits
Of themselves fixed in the bucks, these were
items Of curious beauty which one could never
forget. ~
THE MoST3foREScI sALoS,
AZ it WAS called, was al summer OF green and
god, aud at one end was placed the famous
china Of Sevres, presented to the French Queen
as the gift of the city. The centre Of these
plates held the exquisite picture Of court
beauty, and tho delicate cups we're mar
yels OF grace and elegance in de-
sign, The branch OF the family who
resided here for time, were never, it is
said. quite coutent with New England residence
1fter the ease and variety Of Continental life,
and this with the other fact Of failing funds. and
sll this fabulous wealth Of expenditure unavaii-
able, brought the house and it's odd furniture to
the auc.ioneer's hands, Plenty OF people we're
found romantic enough to believe that the fam
iIy led because poor, pretty Marie Antolnetse
disn1ted possession with them at dusk aud mid
pirht hours rustling in satin b1ocada through
the boudoir to tho salon where she, peered at
tne portrait of her elsser~ln-iav. and
hunted for the necklace in the lit
tie empty jewel case on the centre
table, snd fused about generally, in the way
ghosts are said to do, amongst her seTres chlns
and the rest OF the fna things she could not