, 1883-12-22

[rRoa oUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, December 6, 1883

place, and the great questions as TO who
is Speaker aud Who ia Sergeant At Arms,
and have the privilege of guarding the
doorvays Of the Capitol building, snd
who plies the feathe. busters, ard who
has the large contract for furnishing "cold
tea" to the thirsty members etc, etc,
prepares for talk and enjoyment. For IT
is to have talk by the volume, by the IL
brary. The Government printing Office
has begun upon its grist of gsbble, and
before Congress adjourns it will have sd-
ded acres of words to the large tasks OF
reading and hearing which ati;ct man
kind. | very much fear that this will be
the principle outcome of this session OF
Congress. But the thousands OF people
Who make up the entity called, are now
ready for their appearance on the stage
of affairs, and Will enter at once upon the
whirl of excitement, display and dissipa-
ton which characterizes winter in Wash
ington. Is it possible TO define society,"
When the President give. a state dinner
at which the upper officials scrape their
feet on the new Moquet carpets OF the
White House, or when Matilda Jane
HIsbfiyer has kettle drum for the spec
ial delectation Of her circle Of friends,
they are both society events according to
the newspapers, yes, even when lobbyist
O'Dutfy captures Senator or two for a
quiet dinner az Welckers or Chamber
lans, this too, is set down as 'so:iety"
news. So it is Impossible TO tell where
society begiEs OF ends. But there are
certain recognized distinctions on a large
scale. One of these will be pointed out.
For the first time In many Years there
Will be peculiarly southern society IN
Washington this winter. Say what you
will Of it, northern and southern people
are essentially different in their ideas of
friendly intercourse. think there is liz
tie reason for saying that either northern
or southern women are the most beautl-
full. think that it might be said that
the northern girls dress with more style
than their southern sisters, but certainly
not with more grace. They are colder
IN their manners, more proper and less
natural But they do not meet and min
gle ON equal and agreeable terms. South
ern people will be very numerous in the
Capital City this season, but their social
pleasures will be mostly confined among
their sectioral friends, SO to speak. They
form large but distinct class Of society
visiting among themselves and having
very nice time together, particularly no.
ticeable for freedom from restraint and
sort of friendly familiarity which seems
to accept any southerners as one of the
family.
And what will society dol An, there
are delights indeed In store for those
who may and can enjoy them. The Pres
iderIt will entertain. The Foreign Min
listers Will have some grand balls and
routs. The Cabinet and Senators wives
will receive on certain days. Ambitious
people with plenty of money Will lavish it
in supreme desire TO get all the show
and satisfaction ont Of 1t that can be had.
| cannot begin to picture it. But there
will be mad whirl of pleasure for those
who enter INTO 1t
Talking about the Supreme Court, tie
Justices have formed club; whist
club They will meet at each others
houses every week to enjoy the pleasures
OF that game, dirersifying it with little
Id chicken and bottle of sparkling
Moselle. Cards are great source f
Amusement IN Washington. Everybody
dimes here between and 6 o'clock. From
these hours until tho business or enjoy
menrs of the evening begin say S o'clock,
there Is hiatus which must be gotten
over somehow. What better ihan q game
Of cards, while friends still hnger, and the
happy and elevatlng effects OF good diges
ton make one incline to socisbilIty.
There are thousands at the card table at
these hours in Washington.
But must tell you bit Of news before
closing this letter. Whisper it gently.
The Chief Executive of this great Nation
is said TO be quite convinced that the Bio
lical injunction, 1t is not good for man to
bs alone, is substantially applicable to
him. The lady, it is said, is the dsugh- |
ter Of one OF the Secretarys, tall bru-
nette, not exactly beautiful, but very fine
looking, and very queen In the drawing |
room. II is not probable that anyone
knows the engagement 10 be fact, but it |
Is certainly time, for the President has |
ben quite distinctively attentive to the |
lady i'll question, and the gossips will |
have it SO 1t may be all based upon the
idea prevalent with all the msneuvering |
mammas, and the hopeful bellies, that he
ought TO be married.
To Raise Pans
lady, whose beautiful plants are the de-