The Evening critic., 1882-02-17
SOCIETY,".
SOCIETY.
what is Going Or i'm the Social

Whnt IN SOtuE Ou IN tne SoctHi
The White House was brilliant last night |
with lights and flowers and the sheen of |
satin and glitter of jewels, it being the oc |
casion of President Arthur's first diplomatic
dinner. The conservatory seemed TO have
been transferred to the halls and rooms,
and every available point bloomed with
cut flowers; the air was heavy with their
fragrance, and pleasure, as wide apart
from the occasion as Society is from Nature,
was to be found at every turn in their
beauty. Cape iessamine, azaleas, pink,
white and red camelias, oloanders
palms, Isthmus plants, orchids of
their own fashion, without apparent
support of root or branch Nile
lilies, valley lilies, primroses, hyacinths
and violets--all lent their charm, The
dinlng-room cleaned with silver, crystal,
wax.lghts and flowers; the walls were
wainscoted With Towering shrubs and trop-
ical plants, and in the centre of the table
ship rigged and manned with flowers
sailed over a sea of flowers, with light
houses fore and aft in the shape of large
silver candelabra filled with wax tapers.
A large bouquet of lilies OF. the-valley and
violets, or of Marshal Neils and violets or
Jacqueminots and maiden.hair, or Cookies
and madcn-hair, lay at each LADY, place, and
| boutoniere at each gentleman's. At in
tervals, flowers were grouped and scattered
along the tables length and from their
midst sprung moro silver candclabra and
more wax lights. Tho famous china was
| used, and it is worthy of the praise be-
slowed on it; the fact that every bird,
beast, fish, fruit and flower on its pieces is
distinctively American, makes it an appro-
| pirate part of the White House furnish
ipgs. There were thirty seven covers and
| twenty courses; the confections and wines
| were fine and varied, there being seven
brands of the latter. The dean of the Dip
lomatic Corps is Minister Allen, of Hawaii,
but being widower, the President took
| in to dinner the wife of Minister Preston,
the length of whose residence here is second
to Mr.. Aliens. The other guests were Mr..
Allen, Madam Zamacona, M. Outrey, the
Baroness de Fava, Senior Martinez, Miss
West, Senior Camacho, Mr.. Kogoro, Count
Henry Won Beust, Mr.. dc Billie. Senior Ell
more, M. dc Bounder (de MelsbroeclS), Miss
Allen, the Minister of Bolivia, Madame dc
Barca, Count Lewenhaupt, Mrs. Freling
huysen, Mr.. Preston, viscountess Noguei-
ras, the Mexican Minister, Madam de Billie,
the Spanish Minister Mr.. West, Mr.. de
Weckherlin, Count Lippe-W -Weissenfeld. Sc
nor de Amaral Valente the Charge d'Afairs
of Prussia, the Chinese and Italian Minis
ters, Madam Camacho, Viscount Nogueiras,
Madame Martinez, Aristarchi Bey, the
Countess Lewenhaupt and the Secretary of
State.
Masonic Hall last night was crowded
with all the gay world, not the least
feature of whose enjoyment was that
they had contributed large sums to so
beautiful charity as the Children's
Hospital. The room was gay with bunting
and gauzy hangingss, mirrors that repro
duced ad ilf,itum the youth and beauty
there collected, but the flowers were not so
numerous as usual, owing to the White
House greenhouses not being at the disposal
of the decorative committee; however, the
showing of shrubbery and bloom trees was
very good, and arranged with such taste
and to such advantage THAT the limited
number was forgot. Against their dark
background glowed and famed the word
CHARITY,
symbol of the virtue whose background is
| always so dark and charged with suffering.
The executive committee were indefatiga-
BILE, and their pretty badges-gold stars on
crimson satin ribbon-seemed everywhere
at once. Prominent, even among these
ladies, was Mrs. Ricketts,, looking very
handsome in a iupon Of black satin
quilted with gold cord, and an overdress OF
black velvet; her diamonds and bright
smile were her ornaments. The floor COM
mittec, whose badges were gold and blue
were the Messrs. Chew, Mr.. Poore, Mr.
Seton Munro, Lieut.. Payne, U. S. N.
Lient. :Macomb,-U. S. A.; Gen. Robertson
| EuSiSu DdbCoCh, y. y. ~ lLiCuts DuCududh
u. S. A.. DIR. Henneberger, U. S. NJ; Lore
George Montague, Mr.. Hanna, Mr.. Blair
Mr.. j. Blair, Lieut.. Helm, U. S. A.; Lieut.
Clover, u S. NJ; Ensign Rodgers, U. s. N.
Mr.. Ferdon, Mr.. Brady Wilkins, Lieut.
Emory, U. s. NJ; Lieut.. Bagley, U. S. N.
! and Mr.. Beale. These gentlemen, selected
from the two german clubs, fully sustained
the reputation they have made during
the winter for tact, courtesy ant
promptness in the by no mean
always pleasant duties of a floor committee
Among the most elegant toilets were thost
worn by Mrs. Cameron, of Wisconsin Mrs
Farwell, Miss Foster, Mrs. Miller Mrs
Kilbourn, and Miss Cogswell. The first
! was white brocaded satin, frosted with
pointe de Venise the second a ruby velvet
and diamonds worth ransom the third
, cardinal satin, with full train overdress Of
Duchesse lace; the fourth white satin
netted across the jupon with seed pearls
and trimmed with profusion of pear
, passementerie; the fifth dark-blue Lyon
velvet, with cut. steel trimmings, fringes
and passementerie; the sixth jupon O
, white quilted satin, with blue moire over
i dress striped with tiny roses, and superl
diamonds. To these must be added Mrs
lannon's magnificent Worth toilet of hello
, trope gros- grain, embroidered so exquisitel,
!, as to seem painted. But handsome dresse
: might be described as long as q guest re
maluc0 10 DC named, iOr nave never Seei
, more universal display of rich materia
and elaborate styles; greater number o
i pretty girls and handsome matrons, o
finer jewels. Looking back at the stor
4 interval of twelve hours il seems essen
: TALLY ball of adjectives, and those ad
jectives in the superlative. Among tn
8 guests were Senator and Mrs. Cameron
Senator and Mrs. MCPHERSON, Lieut.. Oyste
8 ~. S. A. and his pretty sister, Gen. Sher
!. man, Miss Lizzie and Miss Hayes, Senate
!, and Miss Miller, Mr.. and Mrs. Franz
Q Howe, Mrs. Foster, Senator and Mrs. Far
Q ley, Mr.. Phillips, Mr.. ]. Stanley Brown
q DR.. and Mrs. Lincoln, the Misses XII
!, bourn, DIR. and Miss Joseph, Mis-
J, Russell, Miss Taylor, Miss Williamson
3 the entire West and North End, an
y all the prettiest girls from til
East End. The Diplomatic Corps wa
well represented, for the Secretary of Stat
# thoughtfully excused them at an carl
v hour from his reception, which followe
= the White House dinner, so they might b
e present at the ball. The Cabinet and 81
1 preme Court were also there in full fore
Z and the army and navy came on masse. Th
I supper was an unusually good one, an