Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-03-09
Letter from washington.

Correspondence OF the AleXandrla daZette'l
WASHINGTON, March 9.-Lant has com.
menced, and the accustomed lull 10 the full
tide Of fashionable life has fallen upon society.
No one peudriver can adequately describe the
length, breadth and thickness Of this same So
oety, whose pleasure describes one round OF
balls, receptions, parties, germans, tea gather
ings, fairs, amateur performances, &c., &c.,
&c., during the winter season. We may there.
fore we'll imagine the grateful. apprecistive
Welcome which the lenten time receives from
the thousands and one madames and their
charming daughters who oongregate here each
winter, and upon whose very frail and milk
white shoulders rest the burden Of social ameni.
ties It was with q tervent sigh of reliet that
they awoke quite late last Wednesday morning,
and reoolleotlng tho day breathed gently Ii est
ani.
Ash Wednesday dawned clear aud balmy ss
June morning. Indeed. the weather vouch.
safed us all this while by that mythical genius,
Old Indications, has been sweetly suggestive OF
that delightful season when lilaos burst their
petals, and. with iragance, fill the air. Our
broad and breezy streets arc thronged on these
genial mornings with promeosders, while We'd
nesday devout Catholics and Episcopallans were
seen vending their way to worship.
Among The many charities which have been
inaugurated this year to relieve tho dire dis.
! tress of our home and cosmopoite poor, there
is one which stands pre- eminent. 1t is called
Roberts Penny Luoh.
Alexandria, presume, has long since heard
| of, read and grewn familiar with tho Capital, the
Sunday paper published here by Col. DOM
Piatt. Well, none who arc perusers Of the
| Capital are uuacquainted with the name OF
| Roberts" it's tacetious lady correspondent.
For years she wrote her weekly letters as to a
| friend, and headed them Roberts to Sasha.
rioa. "Sacoharina" has long since become
| the mythical individual she was ab initio, and
| the witty Roberts persues her regular "gos'
SIP" 10 each issue % calm as summers morn.
ling There has been something fascinating
about this lady, writing since she made her
bow as tho Capitals correspondent. Her lat.
| eat venture, as humane as it was original, was
made upon her own knowledge of her populari-
| ty az writer. She aired for some few weeks
the project of penny lunch room where our
destitute thousands might receive daily nu:
| tritious, though plain, meal for the nominal
sum Of one cent each. At last she herself
opened such an establishment, after perteotlng
arrangements GnerefOr, aou 10 30 uolos 5ue
proved her estimation Of her own popularity
with our people was not overstrained. With.
out the least request on her part-saVe only
that her local readers might purchase the tick
cts of the lunch room and distribute them, 10
place of pennies. among deserving mendioants.
thus being suro of comforting food, and not
whlskey. upon them. With this exception, l
say, Roberts found herself fairly deluged with
donations. Corcoran, our own prinoely million
aire, paid the rental 10 advance Of the tenement
| secured Tor the lunch room; grooers aud provi.
sion dealers sent in bundles by the wholesale,
the market men contributed meats and vege:
tables, and every we'll to-: do family purchased
FIVE and ten dollars worth Of toketa. So the
Roberts Penny Lunch is an assured SUCCESS.
1t feeds thousands every day. and it's destitute
patronage increases every week. Although re.
| ieved by generous and unceasing donations
from the trouble of purchasing her supplies,
yet the fair Roberts bears the burden of great
responsibility personal supervision of pre-
pairing the lunch each day-morning and night
of making sure that none is wasted, and, of
her leveos, Of keeping the crowd 10 check and
under control. 10 this last She is ably second
| cd bv the poliee