Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-14
The picture-gallery is ~ ! -

most impressive room in the Sl
house, owing to Its vast prop,rtion &A
magnificent furnishing. It Il 6
eight feet long, thirty-two faet Nh.
and thirty five feet high, AMI. II ia N
with the choicest achfeveinents q f,
cient and modern art. The ceiIino &#
opalescent and delisately tisted. ss] s
A gorgeous divan of velvet ana B
made In Scutari, occupies ths cent N Hi
the room. The walls Of San Dor ES
mahogany, carved into cary stide~ Ha
pilasters against black oak. d ak noi 1
framing for the works of Ger,ms We 1
sonier, Alvarez, and every othe,
ern painter Of note, The yetne
which offers q special entrance cai
pictufe- gallery on Fifty first str.m .msi
made In Venice. Every cou1tr. les
tinent, island, sea, and shore. meow
quarry, mine, and river in the II
has been put under contribution tns
house OF the richest man ID
world, be
Upstairs the rooms of Mrs Van:
bilt and her daughter are wonder 4
me ceiling OF one of them is a mir
inlaid in diamond diaper, in 3 fielda
dead. gold, and its Fireplace is of oil
and Limoges enamels. Exquisite tsi
from the pencil Of Vatican, ieweSi
boxes and miniatures of queens. ~
silver and gold figures, and pictures Il
erywhere Ornamented the room, Ed
bed linen is of the finest texture ad !
with costly lace, and the dressinefM
and chairs are marvels of beautyt
particularly pretty chair is cophpc
or I'll IpnvV NJ al ~ nd II l.
ion for the seat of palest blue and sill
brOcade. f2i5A
There has been comparatively little II
Ing on In society since Ash WednescE 4
Never has gayer season been kncHI
than the one just passed. The num
of private and public balls, weddina
receptions, teas, aud dinners have BIZ
innumerable, and the entertaining III
been unusually magnificent, in Sc Es
instances too much SO. For exam
at dinner party given the other ev II
ing just before lent, each guest founcE
his plate on sitting down to the talN
in addition to the customary bouque N
roses and violets, q fine cane, with
gold-headed dog at the top. whose Ell
were Of rubies aud whose teeth wer4,
rarest pearls 1t places QUE iii an 4l
tremely embarrassing position, to 81
the least. to be Obliged to ACCEPT s,R1
obligations from ones host. There N
been 80 much rivalry this winter 3,
tween leaders Of society in regard 4,
the souvenirs at their various ldinust)
commerce. parties and germans, tlN
such display and needless extri.vaga,&
as have above described Is bsginniN
to be considered exceedingly vulgar. n
Speaking Of display and extr;tvxgaiX
reminds me of n gre at society youth /,
this city. one of our 'swells," who t.
suddenly come into fortune and WI
has been conducting himself ridlculo
ly. He keeps four fast horses aud cde
barOuche and q close carriage, whichk
Is necessary, he says. to use every ds
in driving to and from his lawyei
whom he has to consult frequent
He spent "a 500 in furnishing one roeT
in his mothers house. He has sixtee
dress suits, twelve every day suits an
ten dozen of silk hose of different color
on which he has his monogram beaut
fully embroidered. He wears diamond
on his hands and in his shirs bosor
worth q hundred thousand doll,Ea 81
has one especially beautiful ring
sapphire set with diamonds and pearl.
which girl admired very much at a
entertainment recently. He coolly sal
ne would send her one around like
when be got home He sports an ex
quisite cane, which has, concealed at il
top, u fountain, from which there fall
on touching hidden spring, sprays {
the most delicious, fragrant cologne
His money is spent very extravagantly
and every day he obeys some ne v whil
and purchases things for which he hs
not the slightest use. He was told by
reigning belle the other day, whose fave
he is exceedingly anxious to win, that I
succeed, he must 20 down town and /;
to work. OF course, this Is by no mean
q specimen Of our New York Societ
Youth. know some Of them belong
ing to our best families, who are very
very clever, charming young mer
who devote their whole days to worh
aud who. In consequence, are not snl
to give only their evenings to fashions
BILE & therings, but whose society
much cOurted, aud who. by really fin
sensible, and cultivated society peopi
are thought much Of,
We have had among US during th
last month several of the nobility =,
Europe Lady Duffus Hardy, a charm
ing woman, has been residing III tow
all winter and has been much Courtes
Lord Beaumont, too, q very u,obtrr
sive young man, lie visiting US agai'
It is such real pleasure to meet hin
He IS 80 unaffected and friendly, 81
has none Of the airs and graces whlc
are sometimes assumed by peopla of hl
title, education, and assured posi- ton !
England. It seems to me that Ii
higher up people are either In the scott
or Intellectual scale. the less do they Wal
to impress the fact upon others.
General George B Mcclellan and b
family have been III society . great de-
this winter. His wife is p sweet W.
man, and his daughter, Miss May MI
OlelIap, although not as beautiful an
fascinating as come of our New Yor
society girls, is very good and intellee
tual. Speaking of these girls, remind
me Of what brave few Of them did th
other night at the closing ball OF ia
"F. G. D. c." Family Circle DanciI
Class), which comes off with great bri
liancy and eclat at QelmonicO's. The
had previously declared their. ",sbom
nation" of white and pale cQltrs e
dressing for evening wear and so de
termined to wear black In .onse
quence, several of our bells appeared !
volumiuous gowns of black tulle mad
decollete, and worn with long blac
gloves reaching almost to the shoulder
Some of the dresses were relieved Wit
gariands or bouquets of roses or violeti
but most of them were 30 very s0mbe
as to cast sort of gloom over the al
sembly.
The other evening, at a concert give
at Chickering Hall by the Mendelssoh
Glee Club, among whose members al
two natives of the Old Dominion,
very beautiful song. which is famiiis
to but few, was sung, entitled "Eorevt
and Forever" the words Of which 81
by Violet Faur, the author of that ez
tremely entertaining romance, "Sophy.
The melody 10 beautifully pathetic an
sweet, and the tones of the singer
voice very pure, limpid, and harmon
Gus. Here are a few Of the verses
think Of all thou 1rt to Me.
dream Of what thou canst not be.
My lite Is cursed with thoughts of thee,
Forever and forever.
My heart is full of grief and woe,
see thy face where e'er 60.
would, alas, it were not SO.
Forever and forever.
Perchance If we had never met
I had been spared this mad regret.
S'eForeyef and forever.
a.,,oor. r,a not T Ic,,o h,,f fhee