Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-13
WASHINGTON.
The Trials of fSOeiety-HOw Visiting Lists
GrOw-The Round of Receptions
'DemOcracy''-A Book That Makes a
Stir-Its Characters Copied from Living
Models.

Stir-Its Characters Copied from Living
Models.
WASHINGTON, Jan. lO.-The rush since
New Year, socially, has been phenomenal,
even for Washington, and the daily recep-
tions are in themselves a study. when
men and women from all parts of the world
are calling almost at the same moment.
The debutante thinks it fun, but the blase ex-
claim, rs this thing ever coming to an endg,
meaning their visiting list of cards. which
is so long that, like the procession that fol-
lowed Gambetta TO the tomb, when the body
arrived at Pere la Chaise the tail end had not
left the Palais Bourbon; and these lists are as
circle, without an end, and sometimes crowd
out ones dearest friends
When Mr.. Fish was Secretary OF State AIRS.
Flsh, who was very popular, often received as
many as eight hundred visitors on Wednesday
the day upon which the Cabinet Minister'S
families recelve-and made it point TO re-
turn them all. | quote this as q sample of
what seems an eXaggeration.
Many strangers, who come here during the
season without single acquaintance, leave
AT tne emu OF few weeks, perhaps, with five
or SIX hundred. And they accomplish il in
TINS way: They call upon the families of the
SeVenty-Seven Senators, of the three hundred
and TWO members of Congress, of the Judges
OF the supreme Court, upon that of the Chief
Justice and those of the members OF the diplo-
matte corps, this being quite the etiquette.
The families of the Chief Justice and the
Judges OF the Supreme Court receive on Mon
day; those of the Representatives and of the
diplomatic corps on Tuesday; those Of the
Cabinet on Wednesday; those of the Senators
on Thursday, the hours being from O'Clock
p. m. to p. m, and they are usually crowded
to overlooking.
The precedent of having levees on TUESDAYS
and formal dinner parties on Thursdays, first
established by Washington, has been followed
by President Arthur.
One of the society sensations this winter is
Democracy, book which appeared three
years ago. and was read by every one, and
had good run, and which is now being re-
read, and for reason, and is the book of the
hour. At first 1t was pronounced a satire on
life at Washington, but the figures were re-
garded as creatures of the brain rather than
portraits of living persons; now il transpires
that they are realities, and dwelling in our
very midst, hence the excitement. The au-
thOrship, too, was a profound secret; and
while many were accused of writing ii, none
claimed it.
The FortnightSy Regieao of July, 1882, thus
speaks of it: About this time last year sm5 II
book began to be handed about in London. 1t
was popularity reported that there were ex-
actly three copies in England, each of which
belonged to a distinguished American owner;
that the book had made great hit in America,
etc, etc" At present. son Dit" undertakes
to settle that Miss Hattie LOring wrote it.
Miss Loring is daughter of Judge Loring, of
Massachusetts, who has resided here for many
years, and whose home is the rendezvous of
the leading diplomats and distinguished
strangers and residents here. She is immense
ly clever and cultured, no longer in the early
flush of youth, and has history,
The Hon, Silas p. Rateliffe, Senator from
Illinois, 1.-THE man who came within three
votes of getting the party nomination for the
Presidency" is Mr.. James Blaine-"a great
pOnderous man." described as having Cyan
kee eyes-cOld eyes, steel grey, rather small.
not unpleasantln In good humOr, diaboIical in
passion, but worst when a little suspicious
then they watch you like rattlesnake, to be
Nxbi
look you in the face they only seem to ask
| the possible uses you might be put to-" And
the weak point of the Hon. Silas =. Ratcliffe
is desire TO be considered like Daniel Web
ster,
Mrs. Bigelow Lawrence is described as Mrs
Llghtfoot Lee, fascinating widow aud the
ciously and prOmiscuously one subject after
another. Ruskin and Taine had danced mer-
rily through her mind hand in hand with
! Darwin and Stuart Mill, GustaVe Dore and
AlgernOn SWinburne. She had ever labored
| over the literature of her own country" Mrs
| BigeloW Lawrence has wealth, is q widow
and spends her winters here; lives in elegant
! style, and lives accordingly; is an ultra fash
IOnist, and well known in the beau monde
| John Darlington is put down as Mr., James
| LOwndes, of South Carolina. "He was of
| that unfortunate generation which began eX-
| istence with civil war;" and whose great at
traction was that he never talked oT seemed
| to think of himself.
Mr.. I49wndes chose Washington eight years
and is arbitrator on the part of the United
| States of America and the Spanish Claims
| Commission, is a bachelor, and a very ac-
complished gentleman. possessing unusual
| prestige from his birth and education,
| Sybil Ross is intended for tho sister of Mrs
Bigelow Lawrence, Miss Champman, whose
mind had neither room for gTave.stones nor
| guide boOks; she could not have lived in tbe
! past or the future, if she had spent her days
in churches and her nights in tOmbs She was
not brilliant, and when she went to a ball she
always had the best partners in the room
and took it as matter of course; hut then
she always prayed for cGG, somehow it
strengthened her faith.
Victoria Dare, Is meant the gossips assure
you, for Miss Emily Beale, the second daugh-
ter Of General FftzgeraldBeale, who lives in a
very swell part of the city, on the corner of
II street and Lafayette Square, and who is an
infatuated friend of Grant, and is his host at
present, and who has lots of pOney, and who
was once Minister to Austria. Nothing could
be more feline than Victoria bare, ''who was
always absorbed in some Irritation with a
Secretary of Legation" and who declares She
has Thirty thousand year derived from tie
poor of America"
The book contains much spice, however
wide OF the mark the characters NAV apnear.