Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-24
WASHINGTON NOTES.
Gai6ty D0SpiseS Lent in the Ma
tional Capital and SaCiety
Still Holds Her Own,
A Pretty Nebraska Belle at
Co'onel Ingersoll's.
Fun In the Ssnateand Fallibilisy
in the Supreme Court.
Som, Floatiug Washington g sssip

WASHINGTON, February 20, 1883 -
Lent may effect society Ia Now York
and Boston, but Its influence IL felt
very little at Washington. here the
gay WORD has SCARF sly had al inter.
ruption on sccoxnt Of the beginning
of Lent, and Il the gosd Catholics
and Kpiscopa'ieus are withdrawing
from the whiri for tho forty days,
their absence is scarcely perceived In
the crowds Of more worldly people.
The president, who Is a regular attend
ant st Episcops! services, set his zeal
upon the continuation Of social eu-
tertainments by giving a large recep.
tion himself on Tuesday evening of
last week and his sister, Mrs. McElroy,
received as usual on Saturday after
noon. After this, lent ceases to be
Q solemn season of secluslon for the
fashionable circles here, and, with the
exception of there being no dancing,
everything goes on as 1t did a fort.
night ego. Evening receptions still
crowd the week, and afternoon recep-
tions, where tho ladies have n group
OF assistants In gorgeous attire and re-.
freshment tables set forth with all
creature comforts, continue without
interruption. Col. 'fngersoll's recsp-
tim WAS one of the most delightful
social events of the season aud
drew out all the Washington beauties.
Miss Mamie Saunders, of Omaha,
Is on all hands conceded to be one of
the prettiest young girls In society
here, being lowered with blue eyes,
pure golden hair and an exquisite
complexion, with a perfect Cupid's
Nv of a mouth and q countenauc, of
~ greatest sweetness and beauty.
= wiring the absence of her mother
IN the city this winter Miss Ssun-
has been the guest OF Secretary
Mrs. Lincoln, and will remain
them some weeks longer. At
Jos hel Ingsrsoil's Miss Saunders ap-
lea, I'D in a toilet Of pink Ottoman
~ the skirt covered
LEA of Honiton lace
ELu pa,.sis embroidered with roses In
Dlors.
From society to congress is a descent
rom the sublime to the ~rldiouloue,
pa. it must be made. The pages of
the senate and house are handso mer
I'D brighter than those of The Con.
%esslonal Record. They are, like all
bright boys, fond of a joke, especially
"a practical joke. Senator Dawes
3brough.Son the floor of the senate the
other day a very dignifed old gentle.
man OF portly demeanor, gray hair and
a pleasant face. They sat down to.
gether on one of the red leather sofas
near the wall. After they had talked
awhile Dawes returned to his seat to
finish a letter, leaving his stately
friend IL alone on the sofa. One Of
the brightest of the pages, o smart
little Alabama boy, hearing the
MISUNDERSTANDING old gentleman's
1name, got q sheet of official paper and
4wrote out . neat note addressed to the
Massachusf It's Senators friend, In
(which he remarked that one of the
4 Senate rules required all visitors to
the floor to make three profound bows
to the presiding officer out of respect
to the body. He signed q fictitious
name, sealed the note in an official en-.
velope marked "United States Ssn.
ate," and, hurrying up to the fine
looking old gentleman or the red sofa,
banded 1t to him as though he had
&Oen sent by old David Davis himself.
nWhen he and the other pages who were
! tethe secret got of In a corner and
Waited results. The old gentleman put
ais gold eyeglasses to his nose, and
slowly and solemnly read the little note
Through. He seemed puzzled, and fol
a moment hesitated. Then he solemn.
/ ly and slo Wy arose, and with great
dignity made three low bows toward
the dais where the vice president sits.
Old Isaac Bsssett, the doorkeeper Of
the senate and grand custodian of the
sole surviving senatorial snuff box, al
we'll as n of the few men in thu
United States who know how every
variety of princes, potentates, princl
palities and powers should be treated
was simply mortified when he Learned
the cause of the pages glee. His lone
white hair threatened to stand erect
q he fastened around to apologies t.
the distinguished visitor. The latte,
was mortified when he realized how
completely he had been taken In, but hi,
good nature prompted him to beg Bas
sett not tObe hard on the bright littl
page.
The Justices of the supreme cour
tsometimes get to believe that the,
know it all. Very frequently they ar
hot so we'll Informed as they thinl
they are. Last week Colonel Moul
ton, the Cincinnati lawyer who mar
ried q sister OF General and Senate
Sherman, was making an argumen
before the supreme court, when Chile
Justice Waite, who has grown grea
since the day when he used TO practic
with houlton at the Cincinnati bar
startled him by saying: "Mr. Moul
ton, the statue does not allow an ap
peal In the class of cases to which you
case belongs" When Moulton, VIII
saw that If Waite was right he had n,
standing In court, had recovered from
his surprise he said deferen
italy, ri think your homo
must have forgotten that tn
statnte makes an exception 1
favor of cases of this class" 1t wa
more In sorrow than In anger that tn
Chief Justice replied: "The court
too familiar with the statute In quei
tion, Mr.. Moulton, to be mistake
about It," Just at this point Associat
Justice Stephen ). Field, who sits o
Waite's left, and who had been tskin
glance at the statute, nudged til
chief justice and, leaning ovei
whispered something In his ca
Waite's face was hot as he turne
t9ward the bar and said: $50 OF
MI. Moulton, the court will hes
you" Mr.. Moulton was not Int,