The Washington critic., 1886-04-20
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

This is the time for drives and rides
and walks about Washington. and
everybody who can take time for it is
out of doors, says the Philadelphia
RecordS,correspondent Pennsylvania
avenue is crowded on k-day after
moons, and Connecticut avenue on Sun
day afternoons, and the country roads
are filed with vehicles and pedestrians.
The President is more frequently seen
abroad nowadays than ever before; the
members of his Cabinet, the Justices of
the Supreme Court, the Senators and
many of the Representatives and the
Department officials may be seen on
horseback, on foot or in more or less
elegant turnouts on the streets and in
the roads There is more walking and
driving and riding than ever before,
and, of course. the influx of rich people
makes the equipages more elaborate
than of old. The most popular drive
is that to the Soldiers Home, just north
of Washington. Another pleasant drive,
which may be varied each time by talk.
ing different road home, is over the
Georgetown Heights to the west and
northwest as far as you please. You
can go up Rock Creek, at once the
pride and puzzle of the local artists, or
over to the great bridge at Cabin
Johns Run, where fried chicken in
the Maryland style is to be had, or you
can visit any one of the dozen name
less but beautiful spots within five
miles of town. 1t is on one of these
northwestern roads that u club of gen
tlemcn, of which Secretary Endicott Is
president, has established little club
house, where members and their fami-
lies can rest and take refreshment on
their way home. Secretary whitney
has house in the same vicinity, which
will be open to his friends this sum.
mer, as 1t was last summer. The great
walk these days Is over the river to
Arlington. This sounds very much
like the old invitation of the Washing
ton bunko steerers to go cover to Ar
lington to see the Monument un.
veiled," but it is the popular project
of the hour--an hour in which walk.
ing is once mole fashionable. 1t is
about five miles from the Washington
end of the Long Bridge (over which
we walk because the armies of the
North walked over it during the war;
TO the gate of the National Cemetery in
front Of General Lees old home, and
then it is about five miles back over
the Aqueduct Bridge, which carries
the famous old Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal from Maryland into Virginia.
You cannot spend one Of these balmy
afternoons more agreeably than by
taking that walk. You become greatly
impressed df you were not before) as
you take these drives and walks around
Washington by the Washington Monu-
ment. 1t is q feature of every view
from every point. 1t never looks the
same for two consecutive minutes. The
passing scene, the changing clouds,
the ever-shifting shadows, make it u
different monument every time you
look at it,
Nv
The following paragraph appeared
in Sunday paper; Ladies' poker
parties, which were much in vogue be-
fore the seasons gaieties begun, have
been revived to break the monotony of
Lent. Perhaps we shall soon give the
names Of the most noted of our female
gamesters" Apropos of this, says
Fay in the C0arier.JOurRal, is the
statement of distinguished surgeon of
New York, who came to Washington
last spring for the inauguration and
stopped at the house Of a friend. In