The Washington critic., 1886-04-20

The evening he went 10 house in the
West End, whore he had been invited
10 meet some old friends. At break
fast next morning he said to his host:
'Why didn't you tell me last night
when ] mentioned where | was going
that she belonged To the WOman's
Gambling Club2" The host and his
wife disclaimcd all knowledge of the
existence In Washington of such an or
ganizGtion, and both were surprised
when he told the following story about
his evenings experience: When he mr..
rived he found all the guests seated at
card tables. some playing baccarat,
Others poker. and such games as they
fanced. There were present Foreign
Ministers and their wives and daugh-
ters, attaches of legations, the wife of
q New England Senator, an unmlrriel
lady and her brother from Baltimore
and naval officers and their wives
who had learned the games
at Nice and Monaco. Shortly after
he entered he heard sharp re-
port and looked TO see the cause, which
he found was produced by the wife of
q diplomat striking match and light
ing cigarette. Quickly others did
the same, until half the women as well
as the men were smoking, and as the
stakes were high, hundreds of dollars
changed hands during the evening.
Before this statement was made in re-
gard to the Womans Gambling Club
II was known that two ladies who had
lived long at Nice and Paris had since
coming TO Washington inaugurated
Sunday receptions, and that baccarat
was the allurement offered. A pious
woman has said: "From the time my
daughter entered society there were
many young men who enjoyed spend.
ing Sunday evenings with us and
uniting with us in singing sacred
music; they assisted In making the
evenings pleasant. Where are they
nowY AT Mrs, playing baccarat.
She has corrupted every one of them"
-,
A correspondent of the Providence
Jou'Hdl, writing from Washington,
says "Spring has come in Washing
ton The parks and squares are gay
with the yellow blossoms of the For
sythia, and the white splendor of great
magnolia trees, while this very morn
ing our eyes were gladdened by a peach
tree which stretched its cloudy pink
branches out languidly along an old
gray wall. The grass is green and
thick, the leaves are breaking out on
all the trees, and TO the dullest observer
the happiest times of all the year are
at hand. And Washington Well,
one must have been here in person to
understand fully the loveiness of the
Capital City of our great and glorious
Union. 1t is hard to tell what i'm
presses one most-the fine avenues
some over two miles long, and rs
straight as arrows. radiating from the
Capitol and the White House like the
sticks of fan; the green squares and
circles that crop up unexpectedly in
every directions the magnifcence of
the public buildings; the cosy ele.
gance of the private residences; the
brilliant and delightful society, or the
softness of the climate. Everything
is Utopian. We wander about from
morning until night in n delirium of
pleasure, seeing the sights and revel.
ing in the new experiences that every
moment brings us.
~
If Mr.. Cleveland is to marry in the
near future, and believe 1t is right
guaranteed even to Presidents under
the Constitution, says New York
Horald correspondent, it means the in.
auguration of merry war for social
supremacy such as has not been seen
in this capital since the days of the
Pierce Administration. The local ma
bobesses, now almost n unit as against
'the foreign INVASION" so called, will
inevitably divide and ally themselves
with one or other wing in the contest.
Miss Cleveland will retire to the leisure
necessary to produce future successful
literary fruit. She may contemplate
writing "the great American novel; for
all that is known to the contrary. / she
does, and introduces review of Wash
ington society, there are those who
will be able to recognize, If not dwell
upon, some of the characters in the
tale. Her reception by Washington
society never has been excessively
hearty, despite her charming manners,
her bright intelligence and her excel.
lent taste in dress.
~*x
Discussing the question Of open ex-
ccutive sessions in u recent letter to the
Commercial Gazette the correspondent
says: "The real support for the pres.
cnt Star Chamber procedure rests on
very different reasons. OF these, per-
haps cowardice should be mentioned
first. 1t is so much easier and so much
less annoying to deal with citizens of
ones own State or neighborhood in
secret. Next, with open doors would
pass away the highly. .prized opportuni-
ties of manipulating patronage through
the machinery of executive sessions,
which Is moved, in the main, by that
power known as the courtesy of the
Senate. The bolted doors give free
opportunity for intrigue, deceit, innu.
endo, false charges, bargains and every
form of political action which seeks
the dark, and is powerless In the light.
1t is two centuries and ahalf since
the abolition Of the English Star Cham
ber. In all the civilized worM it is
perpetuated alone by Mexico and the
Senate of the United States
sT~
Says the Springfield Republican,:
Bishop Oberly, the new Civil,Service
Commissioner, is an entertaining talker,
and tells some very funny stories. He
says that many years ago, when ayoung
man, he was elected an Assemblyman in
Illinois, He was frightened when the
time came for him to go to the Capitol
at Springfield. lie feared that he would
be paled' by the flashing of bright in.
tellects all around him. lie took his
seat on the first div In fear and lrom.