Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-24
Society,".

40 ''@'t oehCi evenings SiSu:tlZet Dy enter
tainments not only perfect in their appoint
ments but associated with historical events.
The 5ete given by the Spanish minister and
Madame Mantifla to celebrate the marriage
| Oh k1ng Alfonso MI: OF Spain and his cousin
| mercedes, lacked nothing necessary TO render
ball llustrious. Il has naturally recalled
that gwen January "A, 1858, by Lord Napier,
| Whe at that time British minister in Wash
mStOn, IN honor of the marriage of his Queens
edest daughter, now the wife of the heir to
the empire Of Germany. The reminiscence
given by lady who attended the ball also es-
tabiisbes the fact that human nature was the
same III twenty years ago as now in respect 10
me repTehensible custom of imposing upon
| the EOOd nature OF host and hostess in the
! mater OF demanding invitations to entertain
meRt which are in no sense public. AS Lord
Napier was, SO have SehOr and Sonora Man
tilla been subjected to the greatest annoyance
! by opportunities from acIuaintances as well
as strangers asking invitations for themselves
and all their friends. Being very amiable.
! the Spanish minister and his wife refused no
! one, ana as consequence their rooms. spa
ci0us as they were, became densely crowded
towards midnight. They issued more than a
huhdfeG extra invitations IN response to de-
. mahds made upon them.
On approaching WOrmley'S last evening the
briliiant pr M rays of calcium light on the corner
by ST. Matthews church were first noticed.
| This light was thrown directly on the front
| entrance to the hotel, where an awning was
m the fronf eoyTfGd way th IRON taf
hant lights and the sounds of delicious music
| greeted the guests. Spacious dressing rooms
% ,2p Ine Inc, iadeS were provided in the paIlorS on
| the left OF the hall, where several maids were
in attendance to take care of The wrappings.
and checks were given, so that no confusion
arose when the ladies were ready to leave
| and no one lost anything.
The four broad deep parlOrs on the opposite
side side, were @ thrown together, forming magnif-
ter and his beautiful wife, both of whom gave
| a warm greeting to each guest She looked As
bright as if she had rested Ill day, instead OF
| personally attending to all the miputi;r of the
arrangements and decorations, literally taking
hand in converting the parlOrs into the bow
crS or beauty they appeared last evening.
| Additional gas burners had been introduced
! IN brackets on the walls and bronze candel-
/ abra held innumerable wax candles, and all
The crystal chandeliers throughout the apart
| mentS were lighted. All the doors separating
! the four parlors were removed. and the divS-
ions were marked only by draperieS of damaSk
/ satin or tapestry above the dOOrwayS and gar
! lands of flowers and leaves hanging in feStO0ns
! one OF the side doors was covered by tapestry: ::
| another by bank of flowers which served as
7 screen for the musicians. On crimson stands
| greens. dotted with cOloIed blossoms and ont
OF these rose trees laden with oranges OF
brightly coiored apples. Very large mirrors
ana paintings aiternated on the walls. The
! large recess window in the front room. which
races the other apartments, was lined with
bllght-colored flowers. set in bank of green,
ana IN its center was mirror reaching from
! floor 10 ceiling. From This point grand vista
! was obtained before the rooms tilled up. One
/ seemed to look through a broad avenue bor-
dered with growing plants and fruit-trees and
oVerhunP with garlandS, to a bower in which
! was spread feaS' mt for the gods. The fourth
. room, which was used for The supper. was
open to the view all the evening. The door
! way separating it from the next parlOr was
/ draped with gold-wrOught tapestry and feS-
tOoned with wreaths of box studded with scar
let and white camelias. Lower down rope
: to this room until the hour for supper came
! as it did before eleven o'clock. The table was
| laNlshly decorated with mounds OF flowers
! supporting candelabra alternating with pyra-
mids of eVcrgreens, in which luscious fruits
| showed their gorgeous cOlOring. The banquet
! H:cluded every dainty. solid and liquid. Back
! OF the table were three immense mirrors
which enhanced by their reflections the bril-
/ iaEcy OF the innumerab!e lights and the
! beauty Of the floral decorations to say nothing
| of the illuStriOuS company.
{ tl the appearance OF the company too much
! cannot he said. The invitations had mentirn-
| ed that the Spanish legation would appear in
! unifoIm, which was equivalent to u request
that tlie other diplomats would also wear court
| dresses, and that sure the army and navy
! would wear full dress uniforms. This suggeS-
tion was strictly followed by all the many OIL
GERS present and all the diplomatic corps. Very
/ lew members of the latter were absent, and
nearly all were accompanied by ladies. Sir
Edward Thornton, whose family are in Eu-
rope. came with Lord Dufferin. of Canada.
Nine. BOrgeS. whose health does not permit
, her TO go out in the evening, sent her friend,
Nine. Mantilla, one of the most beautiful
, feet and half square. and represented the
arms of Spain. wrought in scarlet and yellow
lmmortelies and scarlet and white carnations,
b0rdered by fragrant rose buds and voetS. A
/ crown i'll yellow immOrteleS was at the top
This stood on high stand behind Nine Man
! tia
! Of the toilets it is impossible to say enough.
! The hostess, who has the rare gift of winning
/ admiration rs freely from her OwnaS the other
sex, wore an elegant white satin lOw-neck
basque and trained skirt, with network of
! pearls covering the front of the waist and
| reaching TO the bottom OF the skirt. Adiadem
OF diamonds set Oh band of crimson vel
! son velvet encircled her, throat, and three
/ strands of pearls fell on her neck. holding
large pendant of diamonds encircling huge
! pearl.
The French minister's wife. Nine. Outrey,
wore a stylish and becoming white striped
gauze over white silk. Black velvet starred
| with diamonds. with pendants of diamonds.
was worn on her neck. and the white feathers
| in her dark hair We're clasped with diamonds
Nine: Freyre looked charming in Il pale vel
| low striped gauze over silk the same shade.
On her head she wore a coronet of two shades
of red roses. fastened with diamonds. Her
necklace was diamonds, and similar jewels
| ciaSped the lace about her neck.
Nine. Lewenhaupt and Nine. Chihkine. Mrs.
Gore Jones and others OF the foreign ladies
| present were elegantly dressed. Miss Rosa
| Freyre wore lovely white dress.
| The five young ladies visiting Mrs. Hayes
were all present and tastefuly atlired. Miss
Platt wore pale pink damasse over the same
! Miss Cook, Mrs. Hayes cousin, wore an eX-
! uuiSite white dress Wreathed with roses and
) forget me nOtS
| Among other toilets of special elegance were
| those Of Mrs. Singleton of Mississippi. Mrs.
! COckeri of Missouri, Mrs. Albert Myer and
! her daughter, the Misses Evarts, the Postmas-
! ter Generals wife, Mrs. Stanley Matthews,
| Mrs. Macarthur Miss Bryan, Miss Dennson
! Miss Phelps, Miss Van Buren, Miss Patterson
! Miss Carpenter, Miss Herman, Miss DeyereuX.
! Mrs Chittenden and her daughter.
! Among others of note who attended were
! Senators Blaine McCreery. Davis of West
| Virginia. and daughter, Herman. Randolph
! (and Mrs. Randolph), Howe (and Mrs. Howe),
! Stanley Matthews, COnkling: Speaker Ran
| dali, wife and daughter Representatives
| Powers and wife, Singleton. Monroe, Chitten-
! den, Butler, GOOde and his wife and daughter
| Hardenburgh, TOwnShend of Illinois, and Mrs.
| TOwnshend. Maish. Potter, Wood and Mrs
| Baldwin and Mrs Hickok Secretaries Evarts.
| sherman and Schurz; Attorney General De
| NenS: Postmaster General Key. the Misses
| Evarts. Miss Schurz. Mr.. and Mrs Fred Sew
ard: Commissioners Bryan. Phelps and Den
| nisOD, with ladies: Gen. and Miss Sherman,
| Gen. Albert Myer, DR.. and Mrs. Lincoln. Mr..
| and Mrs S. V. Niles. Hon. HOratio King Mrs
| King and Mrs. Cole. Gen HeintZelman. Jus
| tees of the Supreme Court. Mrs. and the
| Misses kilhOurn. Gen. and Miss Schenck Mrs
| and Miss PelouZe. Col. and Mrs. Audenreid.
nd M hn a ntrih .,,l,..