New-York tribune., 1885-01-25
GOSSIP FROM THE CAPITAL.
WHAT MEN AND WOMEN FIND TO TALK
ABOUT.


LATE-RIsTORI AND sALA.
trpow TUE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON. Jan. 24.-Mr Blaine is indus
triously at work on the second volume oi DIS his
tory fIo devotes to IT a certain number oil hours
every day His workshop" as he calls 1t, IN the
Window house, on Scott Circle, occupied by his
family this season. is every respect superior to
the room in which a large part of the first volume
of his work was written. The house in Lafayette
Square was old-fashOncd and dingy and Mr.. Blaines
study was imprOvsed i'll front bedroom III the
second story. roughly constructed deal taoie
stood in front of the windows and on this Dir
| Blaine did most of his writing. The floor. the bed
the chairs were always covered with papers, books
documents and maps. OF order there seemed none.
In his new quarters it is otherwise. The work
shop is one of the pleasanteSt rooms in tue house.
II oyerlooks the Circle aud commands the least OBJ
iectionable view of the Scott statue Across tho
wav is the Louise Home. founded by the venerable
philanthropis COrcOraD. whilom shrewd Inahlpu-
lator of Government securities. Mr. Blane's neigh
bors are Senator Cameron, Senator Pendleton. ex-
Secretary Robeson. Professor Graham Bell of tele-
| phone fame Stlson Hutchlns, Editor OF Ihe Udsh-
| inqtoa Post and Paymaster Cutter of tho Navy A
| large window with eastern exposure ana a stiii
| larger bay window opening toward the south
| furnish the most desirable light possible and an
The work table, placed diagonally across the rool
| is Uttered with manuscript and books.
When writing Mr. Blaine sits with his bacB 10
the window Newspaper files and books of reference
are within easy reach. but | imagine that while
actually engaged in writing they are rarely con-
suted Mr. Blaincs memory for dates and events
is astonishing. lie is rarely at fault regarding
them 1t is by of this chiefly that he is able
to dismiss from his mind all detail and deal with the
topics he presents IN tine broad and comprehensive
| manner which distinguishes his writing. His copy.
| while it probably would not he called clean by
printer is sngularly free from corrections. lie Is
ant to begin page with good intentions. that IL to
say, the lines at the top are generous distance
apart from each other. and the copy" can he easily
read But toward the bottom of the page the
thoughts seem to crowd upon the author and IN his
Anxiety to get them all Oh the one page the white
spacc between the lines becomes smaller and smaller,
until il is difficult to make out the characters. Mr..
Blaine's dislike of detail extends to almost every
thing but to proof-reading especially. That puts
him in bad humor if anything does.
Just now Mr. Blaine is sitting for his portrait to
Mr. Archer Scotch artist who has recently como
over and taken studio III New-York. The portrait
nromses we'll though in the state / saw it in the
other day, it is perhaps too early to say what 1t
ultimately will be- Mr. Blaine il poor slttor. Mr..
Archer tells me, and difficult to paint. lie is too
restless His energies must always lind vent in some
action He often rises aud pcrplcXes tine artist at
the most critical moment.
GP. A. Healey. the well-kuown portrait painter,
resident in Paris, has painted two pictures of Mr..
Blame since his arrival III this country. Both are
fine pictures clever in their technique and rather
successful in initiating the modern school of French
portrait painters, which delights in producing
brilliant light and delicate shadngs in the human
skin by rough surfaces and paint put on the canvas
IN thick layers but they are not portraits of Mr.:
Blaine. They represent hale and hearty old
gentleman with silyery hair and beard and ilorid
complexion. They are pretty " faces but lack the
strong and characteristic features Of the man they
are intended to represent The eyes IN both are
complete failures Even II Mr neaey intended 10
fatter his subject the mistake which 80 many por-
trait painters commit. he did not succeed.
Apropos f,*ft. Healey. met gentleman the
other day who remembered lSm when he was boy
living with his mother IN Boston-n Washington
ST., believe. At early age he showed signs of a
talent for painting. He had butt for himself
studio in an outhouse in which he did his child sh
work 1t attracted the attention OF a gentleman,
for whose family young iIealey's mot her in the
habit of doing work every week and to this day he
takes credit to himself for having been among the
first to encourage tue Young artists ambition.
The election OF Mr.. Evarts TO the Senate recalls
bis residence here while Secretary of state. AT that
time he occupied the large double houseton k-st..
afterward the home OF senator liill of Colorado.
aud now owned by Representative Robert X. Hit,
OF Illinois. 1t was furnished house. and Ike all
hostered loneliness which all the small belongings
of the family could not dispel. But it was III this
house that the Evarts chocolate as served by
Miss Evar,s at the regular wednesday receptions,
got its hold the public palate doubt If any one
OF the thousands making Cabinet calls " remem-
bers any particular thing about the house bat
Miss Evarts" When Mr.. Frcllnghuysen became
Secretary of State; the first question was not
tary but whether the " Frclinghuysen chocolate "
would he equal to the d" Evart, chocolate Ii IL
needless to add that the Frelnghuysen chocolate"
has given such entire satisfaction as To place tho
Evarts chocolate" on the retired list. TO speak.
and now society is asking: Whom can Mr. Clevc.
land get to make chocolate like Miss Frcling-
huysenW ~
Secretary Frclinghupsen owns his home on LIST.
and is so much attached to its old 'hiOned COM
fort and elegance that he would not be happy to live
in any other house here. Mr.. and Mrs. HIT have
bought the Kst. house for a home, and have almost
Transformed the interior. The walls are hung with
rare tapestries. and adorned with paintings and
sculpture. The prominence given to these two
houses during tho past eight years IL likely to be
ansferred to some other part Of the city But as
chocolate Is in no wise dependent Oh locality ii is
hoped that whatever house tho next Secretary OF
State may live, MISS Frclinghuyscn's mantle may
fall upOn a worthy successor. All the great public
asks for Is that the line of chocolate succession may
be uninterrupted no matter who is Secretary of
State.
Rstori, who has been playing here to full houses
the last week. has been much pcttod by society.
She has been a success artistically and sOcallys
Much of her social SUCCESS is due to her daughter,
who produced. wherever she went. the most favor
able impression.
George Augustus Saa has been dividing the social
honOIs with Ristori. His lectures fairly sue
cessul, financially.
While tho arrangements for guests at tho Presi-
dents reception arc as complete a. possible under
advantages Of house not specially suited to
crowds, the distinguished guests entering the
private way otter appear ludicrous. This private
dsor is window in the Red room. con yerted
into a door by steps on the outside and inside.
1t Is not very high. and naturally some of the
bt,nu 70 nd Of}c ctul hnl, thr hAod ND
coming suddenly tho steps. they often shoot
into tho room in quick, surprised manner that is
that Of Cabinet officer, who if now living would
laugh abOu 1t as heartily as any one-a6 he did at