The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-23
THE WASHINGTON KIRMES.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON May 1.-two hundred and
eighty young men and maidens of Washington.
this week. find their occupation gone. 1t was an
arduous occupation, and some of them are doubt
less thankful to be bereft. Two moons hays
waxed and waned upon the terpsichorean prepa.
ration for the Kirmes. And last Thursday Fri
day and Saturday this notable society" event
came to pass The enlightened mind will no
doubt recognize, without my assistance, the prob
able society" element in performance with two
hundred and eighty participants. 1t may be in
the nature of information however, to state that
"a social grade was represented in the dances
high enough to bring the young ladies from the
Palais Royal up to quite an acceptable average.
And it was all for that most fashionably sweet
charity, the Garfield Hospital.
Here / may remark that charity is an ex-
the correct thing to such an extent that they
have put premium on it, and no moderate in.
come need apply for investment Every one of
the two hundred and eighty, whose muscular
activity in the cause of the Garfield Hospital
was attended by such signal success, paid So
for the privilege of exercising it. The boxes
were 5000 the seats S., So and So, which moder-
ate sum did not include supper. For the Satur-
day matinee tickets were ADVERTISED at dollar
and half, and sold at two and half. The
mathematical deficiency of Washington young
ladies in the matter of making change for the
price of a boutonniere is rather more notorious
than anywhere else in this char:tably fraudu-
lent Republic. And so the benevolent impulses
of the leaner pouches that abound in the
capital seldom get beyond the stage of germina-
ton.
To return to our Krmestcal mutton-perhaps
one should say veal, since so many calves were
concerned in it--of course the dance was the
minuet. Some way or other the dance always is
the minuet. To dance it / suppose one must
have had grandmother, since 1t is indispeusa-
BILE to wear her clothes; and thus certain con-
sequence invests the envied bearers OF the in
sigma of an ancestral responsibility of fifty
years. This toilet is invariably becoming, more
over, and there is a high stepping dignity about
the stately old measure that is infinitely ailur-
ing to the damsel of to-day.
After the grand march of the nations the min
net was rendered by the combined grace Of
Baltimore and Washington with really artistic
effect. Miss Williams, Of Baltimore, led it with
a charming sense of responsibility to the shades
of her grand maternal antecedeHt She wore
blue satin over pink MORE skirt and point
lace, and her partner, in his powdered wig and
knee breaches, looked SO anonymously like q
youthful stock broker Of this generation as TO
suggest the time worn assertion that he was
born an age too soon
You all know the dainty old steps, with their
rhythmlcal grace and there coquettlsh posSibll-
ties 1t was the first amateur presentation OF
the dance in Washington and the audience was
enraptuIed.
"Ah sweet, and sweeter STILL and seven times sweet
The roses and the pansies at her feetl
ecstati ally msquoted little diplomatic on tiptoa
behind the Baroness Ttejuba. The occasion
quite warranted his loss of memory.
Then came the Joyous Tyroleans, each with
her horn, making melodious echoes from the
brass band in the rear, presumably in the
mountains. Every Tyroiean wore flower
crowned hat, a square-cut bodice and short,
flowing skirt, variousy trimmed and many
colored The available Insecurity of the capt.
to- had been exhausted in the other dances, and
there were no youths of the Tyrol. Hats with
higher crowns distinguished the maidens who
did heroic duty in place of the recalctrant men
of Washington. Otherwise. they did not differ
In attire from their jodeling companions
Bounding after came the Swedes-twenty-four
in all-the Dung ladies, dressed alike. in pairs,
their partners all in red wastcoats. broad hats
and yellow knickerbockers. The Swedish dance
was got up in three weeks, and in agility the
dancers were unsurpassed
Then came the Japs. todding and strutting in
the most realistic Gilbert-an Sullivan style.
The music was, of course, the "Mikado." and
seemed to inspire the dancers with full sense
Of what was expected of them by an audience
educated BY long and fascinating succession OF
Yum-Yums. The Indians were more than
thrilling with their whoops and capers,
feathers and tomahawks scalps and wampum.
Admirable local coloring was afforded the In
dian dance by WeWah, a Zuni priestess that
somebody is exploiting in Washington. She
stood in the middle and waved a bunch OF feath-
up and down with pleased impression that
she was controlling the whole thing. WeWah
was very decollete indeed for a priestess, and
wore the stiff black hair in two tight little
braids that stuck out symmetrcally each side
of her head, and were ornamented with bright
green ribbons. She naively appropriated all the
applause.
Blushing roses starry daisies, modest violeta
and gorgeous peoples came tripping after. and
with them score or more of humming, buzz
ziug yellow bodied, satin winged humble bees,
who conducted themselves after the INDIGENOUS
fashion of bumbl e-boes generally. And then.
with gay abandon and jingling tambourines,
came the dark-eyed gypsies and their swarthy
mates, all in velvet knee breeches, and
loose, bright jackets and mustachios that any
brigand might envy The dresses in this were
by far the richest and most characterize 1t was
perfect riot of color, carnival of bright, free
grace. Such sequins, and such sabres, such
gold lace and such jeweled girdles. such crimson
cheeks and such untrammeled tressesl Miss
Butterworth led the gypsies-a lovely brunette.
She, for instance wore pleated skirt of yellow
satn with black lace between each pleat and
heavily trimmed with sequns; a red-velvet
jacket trimmed with amber beads and yellow
coins in her hair
Another grand march followed the gypsy
dance, and the curtain went down upon beau
tiful tableau Of Japs and Apaches. Swedes and
Spaniards, Tyrolean maidens and Martha Wash
iEgtons ''profusely adorned as the society re-
porter hath it, with wealth of horticultural
loneliness in tarlatan
Then everybody danced-to suffocation, for
the place was thronged-even the Krmes dan
GERS. who must have experienced acute spinal
disorders in consequences Not everybody, either.
The President didn't. nor Senator Logan. nor
the German minister, We-Wah. But the
exceptions were notable and few
Mr.. Cleveland looked well, and happy, and en-
tranced. He and his beloved Lamontsat in the
box occupied by Representative Scott Perhaps
il would be more correct to say that the Presi-
dent occupied the box and Mr.. Scott sat in L.
In Secretary Whitney's box sat, with others.
the Countess Esterhazy and Mrs. Lo-