National Republican., 1880-11-29
ART AND OYSTERS.
How q Good Dinner Develops Taste for
the Beautiful.
Tho Observations of n well-Fcd Reporter In
the Art-Loan Exhtbition--some Of the
Wonders which lie Discovered.
Tie Art.Loan exhibition.

large nunOOf OIL VlSIOfs, anu IS Gapluiy
growing in popular favor. A careful exami-
nation Of its attractions shows that its sue.
cess is really dependent on merit only. There
Is a naturalness, homo.liko aspect about its
arrangements, that is very pleasant aud salts
factory. Usually an art loan exhibition, no
matter how rich and varied its stock Of arti-
clcs, Is conrused p5iD0W'ri IA iumble Of
goods and chattcls-or chaotic contradictions
"a concatonation Of heterogeneous conglom.
eratous, to borrow the diplomatic poyllogics
of the state department, inconeruously
eliminated from diverse rcceptaclos and
discordantly arranged in order that ones con-
ccptions of original chaos might be efficiently
obluscuted, so TO speak. Some of the lorcgo.
ing words are not In tho most common use
but nevertheless they are all in tho dictionary
aud stamped by Mc3srs. Wobster's and Worces-
| tcr's executors administrators and assigns
| with tho othodoX seal. or such exhibitions
however, the art loan exhibition for the
benefit of the church Of the Incarnation is not
one. Hero there arc order, taste aud indi-
viduaity. Everything Is olligible-cyery-
thing has n history, and the young ladies
who preside over the exhibition have
| the art Of telling that history 50 agrcoably
| that when ono Is finished you cry ont for more,
rs babies do for the last iniantilc patent modi-
cine advertised in THE REPUBLICAN,. The
high art displayed in the proper garnishing
of the rooms aud in giving each an appro.
PIRATE individuality strikes tho visitor on
entering. The first room Is the suppor'room.
| Adorned with choice ongra wings aud etchings,
beautiful with blooming flowers and trailing
| vines, You lingcr here as II 10th 10 depart M.
| til you have fully examined tho ncnH There
| is true, even If unconscious, wisdom In this
arrangement. Nothing 50 well fouiles the
i gi1
ti0n or adventurous action as u wellfllcd
stomach. Aud If in all tho temptations
prepared by the evil ono for the luclless
souls of men, as graphically told by the monks
/ of tho middle ages, no mention is mado of u
Widespread table as one of tho most essential,
bo sure 10 WAS because the good angels had
taken out patent on that little plan and the
devil dared not infringe their copyright. We
all remember that most sublime aud tre-
mcudOus scene in the old testament where
that rugged old giant, Elijah tho Tishbite,
was prepared for the reception of good nows
| b. n hearty supper aud IN equally generous
breakfast. All great art critics dino before
they commence their labors. And If
| this DO usual in conuOisseur5, then so much
the more necessary for amateurs. Aud itmay
be stated as " general proposition which may
| be disputed but not roluted, that no one can
look at n Chinese bedstcad 250 years old with
an eye to take in all its multitudinous excel.
lcnces until he has first taken in u cup of cof-
fee. Aud dish of stowod oysters, prepared
as only the ladies Of the church of the lucar-
nation can prepare them, enables man to
discern moro yapory splondor moro fling,
flossy, liiagrcod oveincss in the rare old laceB
on exhibition, than he could possibly discern
without them. Even Il Chinese lantern be.
comes u thing Of beauty after preparatory
training of terrapn salad And purely in tho
interest of art it may be mentioned
LAT ,,f, IhuI In, oil tN,pa
pertaining to lunch or supper the
ladies Of tho exhibition are low tariff mon
and put down tho duties ON tea, coffee, cake
oysters etc, TO as low point as possible con.
sisent with tariff for revenue only.
So tho visitor to tho exhibition, IL wise,
takes supper first, aud then enters the picture
gallery. With or without supper he is pleased
series OF pictures, arranged with artistic tastc
and expressing Il varied range Of thought.
Some new ones have been added. Among
these il u CrayOn portrait of the late DE- j. G.
Hall, done by Mrs S. NJ. Fassott from photo
graph by Brady. This photograph is the only
one ever taken, tho doctor having strange
prejudice against sitting for sun
picture, and nothing but his high
appreciation Of Brady's excellence a9an artist
could have overcome this singular whim.
Mrs Fassett has succeeded in producing q
splendid portrait faithful us photograph aud
touched with all the skill this lady is noted
for in portraituro Her portrait OF NJ. T.
Norris, esqp noticed in The kEPUBLICANs
article ON the exhibitions opening night, Is q
very fine pcr,ornGnCe--CoHr, strong and aC
curatc. While Washington artists are libor'
ally represented In this gallery, there are
many lue pictures from abr0ad--sOmo rare
gems that delight tho artistic soul aud
satisfy the artistic cyo. In this gallery
is beautiful screen exquisite in its AR
1, Mt
tcnnial and was loaned to this exhibition bJ
Mrs. Hayes.
Passing up stairs--not, however, without
gancng at the Chinese room, which you lesy;
Tor q later inspCC,iOn-you enter the large old
room once the parlor Of The Griswold mansion
and now tho conservatory Of u hundred thou
sand quaint aud lovely aud interesting things
The porraiJ Of Major Andre, painted by him
self sturcs ut you as your eyes reach the Level
of tho landing. IL Is an interesting pic
ture, and knowing IL WAS painted few hour,
before his execution, you invest ii with
something Of that melancholy that never fails
to surround tho certainty Of carly death. II
lreprgseuts q young ftCc--an uumitgItedly y
homey luco-a very rcd coat, vest aud pair
of trousers meant for buH, but now faded and
cracked IL Is sad to think that Sd much
hone, 50 much youth SO much UglinCss, so
glorious promise Of future greatness aud 30
ylyidly scarlet u coat Should have all gone
together that crisp uutumnal morning, 10 The
rudo grasp OF tho American hangmGn and the
kindly remembrauces Of postohty. Ellen!
Andre intellect Yet he would have died
easily, perhaps, had hO known his por-
trait would hang in the upper halls
Of the Incarnation art loan exhibition,
This room Is full Of interesting things To
specify them In q catalogue Is meaningless
unless you have the catalogue rs guide
book on the spot, whilo tho reporter cannot
pick out an auicle here aud there to describe,
, because all are so surrounded with interest
that he cannot decide which tusclact. Among
other things, however may be specially mem
toned IN old work In algebra, painted IN
London MDCXXXYl, What glorious fei.
lows those old mathenaticians wero, IA
be sure Every one of them had kissed the
Barney stone. Aud judging from tho way
in which the author Of this volume gives
",al'yp to his lollow.riyals in the science hg
treats he must have been dipped IN tho Lincy
three times over till the mud stuck forever to
his boots. Politicians might learn a lesson in
poitencss from tho author OF this treatise on
algebra. IL is quaint old book aud worth
the price ofadmission TO look at
Passing inside the veil Of tho temple into
the salclua slnciOruR, the bric-a-brac room
YOU hear that tho boast heretofore made by
this art loan exhibition, that it was unlike
any ever held in all the world since
10 contained no reio Of George OF
Maltaa Washington, clunot bo made any
longer. 1t was Il walking'stick used BY