Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-12

the new opera house yet. The Old Guard is a
much more brilliant ball than the charity. The
uniforms OF the militia men and the regular
army and navy made the floor very bright and
attractive. Fhe women at the Old Guard were
prettler than the women at the charity. They
couldn't have been uglfer, unless they were re-
crulted from the various museums in the cOua-
try. Comparatively few Of them were society
women, but great many were extremely
pretty. The costumes were rich, but seldom
new. They ali looked like last years dresses
wonder why some one does not invent new
fashion In ball dresses. The conventional white
satin and silk, cut low in the neck and short in
the sleeves. and with the customary train, is
tires0me from its menetony. One or two of the
girls at the Old Guard last night wore vatican
robes; they were extremely refreshing.
BIGELow AND JAFFRAY.
Young Poultney Bigelow who is the son of Mrs
John Bigelow. and at1present on the Herald. has
been more suceessfulin journalism than in law
He was lawyer for two or three years. without
client. then decided to become a newspaper
man. He started in asa Herald reporter a couple
Of years ago, and is now city editor. He is also
engaged to Edith Jaffray. daughter of the
great dry goods man. Papa gives his daughter
a check for a hundred thousand dollars for q
wedding present. This sounds like a fairy tale
but 1t isn't Miss Jaffray has literary tastes. she
occasionally writes for the magazines and her
articles are occasionally published. Bigelow is
young man, smooth shaven, courteous and
OF agreeable mien. 1t is generally thought that
he will go into the dry goods business after he is
married. The elder Jatfray lives like prince
on the upper Hudson. He owns the fastest
steam yacht on the river. and he utliZes it every
day. At half past eight in the morning he boards
his yacht and starts for New York. After a
leisurely breakfast on board he lights cigar
goes up to the wheel-house and pilots his craft
to her New York dock when he drives to his
dry goods house. His yacht which. by the way,
is a steamer in its size, has defeated Jay Gould's
famous Ataanta. The two millionares race each
other furously up the Hudson whenever their
yachts come in sight of each other. Gould takes
his defeat by Jatlray very much to heart. That
Is the reason why he had his yacht altered.
THAT AMERICAN WIFE"
There is no trouble in the Barrett family. Ap-
parently we are never to hear the last Of can
American Wife" The play by that name has
succeeded in bringing to life an American wife
who is theico-author of San American Wife" She
is at present In Florence. Justice Barrett, of
the supreme court who claims that he wrote
the play recently produced at Wallacks theater,
and who now claims that the actors at the in
stigation of the manager, deliberately saugl-
tered the piece, has claimed all along that he
was the sole author of the play. A letter comes
from Florence, signed Gertrude F. Barrett
claiming that the play was due more to Mrs.
Barrett, who is the said Gertrude" than the
Judge himself. Mrs. Barrett, in her letter to
the editors. says at is only just and fair that
one should have the credit of the work one
does. commit myself toyour sense of business
and fairness to make this correction for me- ~
This letter was published in the New York pa
pers on the same day that Justice Barrett deliv-
cred his lecture before the Nineteenth Century
Club on American managers. playwrights. audi
ences and prospects. The assertion that Mr..
Wallack deliberately slaughtered the play SEEM
ed at first to be ridiculous. but new proof comes
up constantly that the manager was at least
utterly Indifferent for the success Of the piece
and that he overlooked many faults in the act
ing in Judge Barrett's play which he never
would have permitted in a production in which
| he was really interested. Judge Jarrett is a
man of dignity.and position. He is not given
to making assertions which he cannot substan-
tate, and his charges against Mr.. Wallack are
certainly severe. There is only one thing about
the play of any importance Just now and that is
that the public is thoroughly tired Of it and
everything cOnnectedlwith it.