Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-11

Il
10 1t. 1t Is a very handsome room now, but
| when completed well, II will be beautiful. II
the twelve years In which this place has been
Considered as the future seat OF government
had been improved as they would have been IL 10
New England, very many OF the present iacon-
| venienceS would have been removed. II Is q
| beautiful spot. capable of every Improvement
and the more view 1t, the more an delighted
| with IL,
since sat down to write. / have been called
| dow to q servant from Mount Vernon With n
letter from Major Gusts and a haunch OF veni
| SOD, and kind congratulatory letter rrom Mrs.
Lewis upon my arrival In this city. with Mrs.
Washlngton's love. inviting me to Mount Yer
non, where. health permitting. Will go before
| leave this place.
Afectionately, your mother,
In another letter to her daughter. dated
Washington. 9th Nov. 1900, Mrs Adams writes.
THE vessel which has my clothes and other
matters Ia not arrived. The ladies are impa-
tent for drswing-roorn. have no looking
glasses but dwarfS for this house. nor twe1-
tietn part lamps enough to light IL. Many
things were stolen, many were broken by the
removal; amongst the number, my tea china Is
more than half missing Georgetown affords
nothing. My rooms are very pleasant and
warm whilst the doors OF the HI IL are closed
You eau scarce believe that here in this wider
~ IS city should find my time SO occupied as
II Is Ny visitors come, some OF them three
and four miles. To return one OF them is the
Work OF one day. MIS-. Otis, my nearest nPiga-
Dor, Is at lodgings almost half a mIle from me;
Mrs Sci ator GUS. two miles. We have all been
very wen as yet. Ir we can BY any means get
wood we shall not let our fires go out put If Is
at price indeed from four dollars it has risen
to DiIe. Some say It VIII fall. but there must
De more Industry than Is to be found here to
bring half enough 10 fhe market for the con-
sumption OF the Inhabitants A. a"
THE FASHIONS NINETY YEARS AGO.
The change which Mrs. Adams bad made from
the splendors or the "R@puOlican Court ut
Philadelphia TO the wilderness at Washing
ton was great one. This change was most
striking In the dress, manners, social life,
fashion and the absence here Of The be auty the
bfilliaDcy, the genius and the Courtly style
which characterized the life at Philadelphia
one fayOrite Philadelphia dress was celestial
piue satin gown with white satin petticoat. Ga
the neck was worn very large Italian gauze
nah0ktrchlef. with broad stripes OF satin. Tue
neaddreSS was To1f OF gauZe, In tue form OF
gioDe, the crtnedhr or head piece OF which was
composed OF white satin, having double wing
In large piattS and trimmed with wreath VI
artlflclal roses falling from the left at the top
TO the right at the bottom In 'front.' and the
reverse behind. The hair was dressed all over
10 deacl et curls. four OF which, In two ranks.
feii Oh each side OF tie neck and were retained
behind by floating chignon.
Another beautiful dress was a perri0t made
OF gray italian taffeta, with dark stripes OF The
same color having two collars, the one yellow
ana the other white, both trimmed With a blue
silk fringe, and a reverse trimmed In the same
manner. Under the perrtoC they wore a yellow
corset or bodice, with large cross stripes of
piue. some Or the ladies With this dress wore
Il, q
OF the same material placed on the crown like
the wreath or flowers on the headdre5s
mentioned before. The hat which with the
plume was very popular article OF dress, was
relieved on the left SIDE having Two handsome
cockadt S-oHe or which was at the top aud the
other at the bottom. on the neck was worn
very pain large sauZe handkerchief, the ends
or which were hid under the bodice. Round The
bosom OF the perTlOt a frill OF gauZe, q Ia Henri
II was attached, cut In points around the edge.
Another dress consisted OF perriOt and petticolt
hsIfh n cly0a int OS
striped SILK ana trimmed round with gauZe cut
III points at the edges in the manner or herri-
sous. The herrisOus were. indeed, nearly the
sole trimmings USED Tor the perriots, caracas,
and pett1cOats OF fashionable ladies' made
either OF ribbons or Italian gauZe. With this
dress they wore large ga1ze handkerchtets upon
their neckS. with four satin stripes around the
border, two OF which were marrow and the other
broad. The head dress was q plain gauZe cap.
The shoes We're celestial blue, With -colored
roSetteS. Individual tastes and fancieS would
vary the details. bat the tOHt ensemble was the
same.
PRESIDENTIAL LEvEE N THE oLDEN TINE.
In Philadelphia the President rode ia white
carriage, ornamented with meialions on the
panels, drawn by four superb horses, and at
tended by servants in rich uvertes. At his
leVeeS he appeared surrounded by his cabinet
or other distinguished men; his hair powdered
and gathered behind Ia . SILK bag. coat and
breeches OF black silk velvet. Pc !rl-colorsd vest
yellow gloves, q cooked h3r In hand and a long
sword. Ladies and gentlemen attended In fuil
court dress. On these occasions he never shook
hands with his most Intimate friends. The tone
OF private life was equally codruy, and the
distinguished men and beautiful women who
gractd the Iev5es or Washington and Adams at
Philadelphia formed galaxy whose brilliancy
has not since had its like 10 American society
There Were PTiesjiy Goblet and Cooper. Roucae.
feucauld- Taleyrand, Louis PHILIPPE Orleans
toibey, hoSciuSKo and his friend the poet Mem
ceIY!ecZ. and The son Or Larayet q. Among the
ladies' were the vikings. the Duer5. the Hanil-
tens, the Kings, the Cations, the Raniolohs the
stewards, the BiDgbams, the SedswiCkS the
6entt5 the LeWises: The urjas-among
whom the teauteous Mrs Bingham maintained
q court OF her own and carried OF the prize of
beauty; among whom Mss Cation inspired d
tame In the bosom OF Sir Arthur Wellesley that
only expired with the Iron Duke himself
The Willy Duke de Lazun confessed that ne
never knew th. women OF Philadelphia sur
passed foF intelligence grace and beauty. The
Marquis OF ChaSteiluX became enthusiastic In
describing the charms OF Philadelphia maids
andmaITons. SUCH were among the attend
ants OF the Washington and Adams leyees
None but the fashionable, the elegant and the
refined had the efatrep; as Colonel Stoue writes;
There were no places Tor the intrusion OF the
rabble.'
C0CRTLy ETIQUETTE.
President Adams. during his short residence
IN Washington (:rom fall OF 1900 till March,
1S0l) retained, as far as possible. the Old court
etiquette Introduced By President Washington.
TO such length did he follow his monarchical
notions that he earned the Soubriquet OF "the
Duke or Bralntree." Washington himself when
asked his opinion as 70 what should be "the
etiquette at the Presidents house." recon.
mended the adoption OF that observed by the
courts or Europe, except that TO remove the
appearance OF too immense an inequality the
President might invite a few high Officials co
dinner now and then, though on such occasions
Tie PRESIDENT should not remain long at table
JEFFERSON UPSETs TIE COURT PoHP.
How all these aristocrauc obseryances were
charged at Washington Is told In a few words
With the Introduction OF the purely republican
ideas OF Thomas Jefferson, when he rose
from the olilce OF Vice President to
that OF President. the Romp of the
once the weekly levees. Fashionable society
rallied, but the great republican was infextble-
the leYeeS were not restored. AS to dinners he
preserred the old Virginia style OF free and easy
hospitality. He kept at the Presidential man
sion abOut eleven cOiored servants and a French
COOK, French steward, and an Irish coachman
His bill In the Georgetown market averaged S.
per day for the use OF his table. The PreSi-
dents mansion" was converted into general
rendezvous and free club. No etiquette was
required or observed at these dinners beyond
the forms Of ordinary good breeding. The
whole code OF precedence was aOrOgated. The
second rule OF republican etiquette laid down
by Jefferson was this: when brought together
ia society all are perfectly equal. whether for
eign or domestic titled or untitled, I'm or out OF
office" He further ordered that ''to maintain
the principle OF equality, or feie mee, and to
prevent the growth of precedence out or court.