Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-22
PICTURE OF WASHINGTON
ATTRACTIONS WHICH INVITE
VISITS OF STRANGERS.

WASHINGTON, j. c., March 90
depth or brittle sapphire sky, wide rec
city washed in sunshine, city lying ID
cup OF low rolling hills. but with its large
contours bound as with a silver unended
scarf By the placid Potomac; domes ano
spires aud modern minarets hanging il
the quiet skies; the dome oil the RFea'
capitol swelling like a marble balloon on
one far mill; architectural views hne
enough for even a Ruskin; streets
tbronged with people; that untoucned
model for some novelist, 'Ae
"Cabinet lady" rolling by IN
her dainty coupe; the Iaoflo
OF Washington life being woven IN
all its glitter by busy human shuttle Of
statesmen and politicians; claimants
mora persisteut than the Tlchborne,
noets. adventuresses AID writer's These
are the temptations FOR the looker-on.
This is the invitation card that ASKING
ION sends out 10 all the world. 10 pro-
fesf. il is Ike some larger, inner, more
cosmopolitan Rotten Row, wherein with
longing attitude OF mind and body you
NAV occupy your penny chair and take
on Impressions as a stone does moss.
In point OF prominence Miss Cleveland
comes first, tripping from the pen or the
correspondents--if so sedate parsonage
could be said 10 do anything so indeco-
rous as trip. You might as we'll try 10
catch a handful Of smoke as to formulate
the opinion OF Washington ia regard To
Miss Cleveland. On Sunday / had the
honor OF feeding from the same trough
with three lions and two young cubs OF
Iionesses. the talk turned on the little
homely, pale-eyed, thoughtful, tremen-
dOuslv-in-earnest mistress OF the White
House. One of the lions was great ed tor
from q Democratic standpoint. HAS
anybody yet had the courage to tell the
truth about Miss Cleveland" he growled.
Oh. | dare say you have become familiar
with personal descriptions OF her. and
can see her as l saw her yesterday after
noon in that dainty and femininized
apartment the "red room" OF the w bite
House, ho.dlng a stiff but earnest talk
with some CATERS. The women when they
call hang around her like hungry bees at
a honeysuckle vine-all the Eve shines in
their eyes-and, with the superficial cOur-
tesy OF trucking fatterers, they have her
to talk mainly of herself.
MISS CLEVELAND DRESSES FINELY
without taste Her costumes are made,
not composed. Her manner IS somewhat
judicial and she makes an evident effort
10 be all things TO all women. Her face
sxDTesse constantly ''gO-up-head" or
"a go-fCot- Miss look. She has no gift
for saying pretty notbings, but | believe
her to be a representative American wO-
man, with a heart in bondage to her will,
a woman OF culture and Of conscience.
Yes, it was lovely out yesterday after
noon aud society was out in all its ruffled
sacked h. Mrs. Secretary Manning's
man servant was out calling. He called
an ND az half . HnVnn nf maiwh-
bors. Armed with a huge pocket of his
mistress visiting cards and list, he was
going about from door to door handing
themin. The proceeding was quite like
that OF a Deddler of sample cakes of soap.
Yet, after all. do not see how my ''Cabi-
net lady" can manage better.
Mrs. Whitney has had this season more
than 1900 callers exclusive OF her
personal friends. These have walked
into the lovely ball room on Wednesday
afternoons, and shaken her by the hand,
and since there was no opportunity TO say
q word have them amuse themselves as
Romeo had proposed for himself by "be-
ing a candle-hOlder and looking on"
These strangers rOamed amid the costly
parlors, criticized the furnishings, took
mental notes Of everything and every
body, and when the work-wearied stroll
ed into the dining room where
chocolate glOces ana drank champagne
punch TO theIr stomach 6 content. There
are thrifty ladies living on the fringe OF
the fashionable world in that debatable
ground 'twiXt ObscuIity and nOUOrietv
who dress elegantly in nOnparei velvet
and paste diamonds, and save board bills
by the lunches they get at such houses as
Mrs. Wbitney's. Mrs. Whitney is the
leader Of fashion. She is what 1.-the Eng
Iish, YOU know" would call thorough
bred, being fascinatingly ugly, tolerably
yOung-and a real wholesome, sensible,
kindly woman. She Is mimicked and envied
aud jealOusly rega ded 10y the present
Mrs. MalaprOp, a Chicago lady, one Mrs.
Letter, the wife Of a haberdasher, who,
the suspicion goes, eats $50 bank bills be-
tween her sandwiches in order TO get rid
Of her money. Mrs. Letter has holy
horror OF trade" her visiting list is
carefully expurgated that there NAV be
no faint OF trade. her balls and dinners
are the most fabulOusly fine and every
body goes, and al her last one a society
belle, belonging 10 an official family,
looked over ner glass OF POmery Sec. and
exclaimed, sob, when will Mrs. Letter
quit making a fool OF herselfT' The
writers refer 10 this grand dame as Mrs.
Maaprop."
MR.. W. d. HowELLs
and his DAINTY little wife, who looks like
precious bit Of Old china, like fragile,
creamy tinted teacup, sprigged all over
with blue tOrget-me-nots ''seen," as
Charles Lamb would say. Through the
lucid atmosphere Of dne Cattray.n have
taken up temporary residence in Wash
ington. l have no DOUBT that "Mr. Ii -
means TO write the portrait OF a cabinet
lady" as he mas been an lndeCatigable
visitor and signt-seer. When in Rome
MIR. HOwells does not do as the Boston.
fans do-as somebody has said OF that
faded flower OF aesthetic culture. Mrs
Julia Ward Howe. They say. in BOSTON
Mr.. Howells rs the most exclusive and
un-get-at-able man liz all the town. | do
know that BOstOnian or two has actu-
ally followed him mere in order TO get ac-
quaiuted. As for the brilliant pen-pick-
ing microscopic Of small affairs, be is
dumpy little man With a fat. nut-bro wn
face. fun jaws. handsome chin. ewes that
OOze warm, bright light from their hang.
ing lids. and wearing his hair parted in
the middle and banged squarely aud
straighty and most delightfully."- over his
brow. That bang is "a touch Of nature
that makes all women's hearts kind TO
him. lie is understood, walks with a
little lumpity-lump gait most fetching,
and has boyish manners hard 10 harmon
ize with those stories OF his Boston eX.
clusiyeness. One Of bis genial comments
on bis fellOw-workers Is that James Rus.
sell Lowell Is the most brilliant converse.
tiOnalist OF the age.
The only man 10 Washington that How.
ellis has expressed a desire 20 meet ID
TrgafIa Of kuuana InWu1fa IL tho r.oat