The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-02
A RlGH WoMAN's HOME.

evening toilets, as well as several for
|ehurch, carriage, dinner, and after
noon wear. In colors, black, purple,
and lavender prevail on grounds OF
pearl white, gray, or violet, in such
texture as only Worth is able to Sc
cure, 1t Is the opinion that after
her first reception Mrs. Stewart will
inaugurate the Sunday dinner enter
tainments which her late husband
made so popular during the latter
years Of his life. At these dinners
the most cosmopolitan people met,
| and it was not unusual for the favor
ed new York guest to dine vis-a-yis
with Californian, while Russian
sat on his right and a Brazilian on
his left. Each guest was the care OF
a special attendant, who served in
evening dress and kid gloves; and
not unfrequently these walters were
brought up from the store, and re-
ceived IS for their services, besides a
royal good dinner. The menu con-
Esisted of twenty-five courses, and
wherever it was possible each dish
was served a la individuale. The
dinners, while magnificent in ap-
pointments, never had the reputa
tion of being social successes, as the
host made up his parties without ref
erence to congeniality. The guests
were not only foreign in nationality,
but very often in tastes and ideas,
and the result was a formal and
most impressive gathering, which, i'll
spite Of the nine wines, remained so
throughout the after-dinner smoke.
These teasts were always spread in
the guests dining-room, dark par
lor at the left of the main hall, al
most fabulous in the wealth of br0n-
zes, marbles, mahogany, and tapes
tries. Only once since the death of
the millionaire has this room been
used, and then a bridal lunch was
spread at the nuptials of Mr.. Stew
arts niece and DR.. G. L. Wetherall.
All gatherings since have been in
formal, the nieces and grand nieces
and nepheWs being the honored
guests. Then the table in the family
dining room is spread, and there al
so Mrs. Stewart partakes of her SIM
pie meals, always alone, attended by
smith, who has been in the family
as butler for almost half a century.
Preparatory to opening her house
Mrs. Stewart has ordered something
OF re-arrangement. The gallery is
closed to visitors, pictures are being
re-varnished and statuary cleaned
but no changes are being made in the
hanging, and everything is just as it
was when the owner last walked
among his treasures. In the recep-
ton and drawing rooms linen covers
are being removed, displaying the
beautiful chairs and divans of
precious woods and metals, with up
holstering that was paid for by the
inch. There are Gobelin tapestries
and more modern handloom, worth
$500 eoch, and several of handpainted
satin for which 500 apiece was paid
The curtains that will be hung Oh
the windows this week, would if con-
verted into cash, be fortune to
plenty Of Murray-hillers. Besides
these delicate web-like hangings
there are lambrequins and portieres,
priceless i'll value and Incompatible
in pattern and design. About each
door in the main floor is a casing of
blue velvet, stamped with Venetian
pattern of gold, the work of some
Italian decorator. Almost the only
improvement to be noticed is the
rope ofred velvet that runs along the
left or inside the staircase to the top
floor Two years ago Mrs. Stewart
fell, descending from the library and
broke her arm. Immediately after
Judge Hilton had medium-sized
rope covered with casing Of ruby
velvet and hung for handrail. The
rich, red silky band stretched along
the polished marble surface is de-
lightful to the eye, but has proved to
be wholly ornamental, Mrs. Stewart
flatly refusing any aid whatever eth
er in goingup or down stairs, Though
63 years of age she il as agile and
graceful as a schoolgirl, and super
intends personally every department
of her house--and it would be diff
cult to find one better regulated. I'm
like most of her sex, she is not
zealot in tha matter of sweeping.
Her home is swept just once year.
The windows are kept closed con-
stantly, so that dust is not prevalent.
Servants are taught to pick up things
but are forbidden to handle q broom.
People residing in the very neighbor-
hood Of the marble mansion got the
idea that because the curtains are
neverup the house Is not cheerful,
while the fact is that the light re-
tiected by the marble walls and floors
is SO intense that it would Ge binding
If the curtains were not used to tenn
per it, In the manner of house-clean-
ing Mrs. Stewart does great deal of
charity in smallway. The work is