Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-07

Notwithstanding the Rccentuated personality of each nephew of Uncle Sam, he is free in society from egotism and conceit. The Americans are unsffectedly civil, and under all circumstances the attentive and obedient servants of ladies. They do not aim at showing themselves of in 6 social gathering, but at making themselves useful. Two rooms at the opposite ends of the suite in which the Minister and Mrs. Morton received were giv- en up to buffets. This prevented congestion. I shall not attempt to give list of the celeb rites who came. Beau Nash's mot, GA great crowd and nobody there," would not apply to the soiree at La Place des EtRts Unis
 Meissonier was among the absents, ct les ab- sents ont toujours tort. Had he come, he would have fallen in with Mrs Mackay, who looked as nice as nice could be, in very simple pale rose dress, with dog-collar of small black pearls round her neck. She spoke in really kind terms of the illustrious old painter, and was only annoyed that 8 man of his genius should be 50 stupid as to take offense because her relative, Count Tell ner, did not mete out to him the exact meas ure of verbal respect which he certainly would have meted out were he as learned in French as in two or three other languages. Nor could Mrs. Msckay, with her American education, have ventured playfully to impose her behests on @ painter of Meissonisr's worldwide reputation and venerable age unless she had been informed by third per son that he wished her to do so. She urged this plea with 8 simple bonne grace that would, proud as he is, have brought him on his knees to her, had he been within hearing distance. You must have heard, in connec- ton with the affair of the Meissonisr DOT trait, a good deal about this lady, and, dare say, would like to hear more. Mrs. Mackay had French grandmother of aristocratic family (most American ladies have), who em- igrated to New York in 1790; she is not, therefore, an utter foreigner in Paris. She has face and figure which Dickens would have liked to have sketched in one of his genial and hslf-sentimental moods. It would be outrsgeously false to say she had classic beauty, or nything statuesque beyond good proportions. She is not tall, she is not im- posing, but she has prettily rounded figure, that looks well in plain dress or in fine clothes, freshness, piquancy, transparency of disposition, and nothing that shows egotisti- cal self assertion or self-worship. She left the reception early to go home, I was told, to see that Rassell Young's child, whom she adopted when it's mother died, had been properly bathed and put to bed Her fea- lures are well shaped and regular, though not classical, and her eyes are full bluish- gray and candid. Miss Nevada, her god daughter (who was in bright pink tulle and dark pearls) was with her. Cabanel has just done portrait of Mrs. Maekay, which satis- fies all her friends. He was at this recep- ton. He is white-haired, has white mus- taches and bushy white eyebrows. Yet he does not look old. I was glad to see that time does not tell on Dr. Evans. He has just come back from Berlin, and might have given M Jules Ferry 'a tip" which would have been of use to him or to his represent ativs at the conference which is ts meet shortly, but where we do not know.