The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-09
At THE CAPITAL.
How washington Society Passes the
Lenten Season.
Horseback Riding the Favorite Exer-
else and Amusement.
The Old Resident who Depiores the
Progress of the Modern Era.
Especial Correspondence OF the Press.l
WAsUTNGToN. March 81. 1886

/ tIo III Tue WllucTucSS Oi NdouluBbUu CApidtC
the gayeties Of ''the world, the flesh and the
devil" close tonight. The joyous Easter
Sunday approaches. Whether this word
Easter is derived from "Astarte," the Assy-
rian Venus, from "Eosten," to have arisen,
| or "Ostara." German goddess of light and
spring, it matters lot to us. We are not
concerned with the etymology Of the word,
nor whether the early Christians adopted
the festival from Oriental, Latin or Northern
heathenism. What concerns us is, how the
people Of Washington pass Lent.
THE LENTEN SEASON.
After the holidays social life begins here
| fast and furious, and then increases its pace
until Lent. After this the great public gaye-
ties cease, but nearly everyone goes on hav-
ing almost as rushing good time on the sly.
This goes on until about March 10. Then it
is fashionable for those who can leave to
crowd to overaowing the Hygeia Hotel at
| Fortress Munroe or take run to Florida.
A few push in yachts into Southern sunny
seas. In a word, those who can, 90.
But to return to Lent The three great
public receptions by the President to Con-
gress, the diplomatic corps, and the Army
and Navy are over. The members Of Con-
gress Doth houses), the Diplomatic Corps.
| the Cabinet and the Supreme Court have for
the most part, stopped holding their weekly
| public receptions, where any respectfully
| dressed and well hammered person may en-
| ter. Finished are the great afternoon teas to
| which you are invited by card The ball Of
| the Chinese embassy, the great social event
Of the season, is over. Invitations to no 9TH
/ er festivity were as highly priced and eager
| ly sought as to this. The Diplomatic Corps,
| by virtue of representing, for the most part,
mOnarchies, are naturally the greatest swells
in the Capital of Republic-and, strange as
/ it may seem. these CeleStials are the greatest
| Social Lions Of all the diplomats. Gone,
| then, in the days preceding Lent, are all
| public receptions Of all public men, and all
monster social gatherings of every sort. No
more plrouetting around in the Army and
Navy German, a German by no means ex-
| clusiyely composed of Army and Navy peo-
/ pie; but the informal Monday afternoon hops
at the Marine barracks after the band prac-
| OF that day, and the fortnightly Friday
| dances at the Artillery barracks still go on.
/ Countless dinners are given. The theatres
/ are thronged. The two boxes in each tier,
both at Albaughs and the National. are con-
| structed so they can be thrown together, and
| from twelve to sixteen people can be COM
| fortably seated in one OF these double boxes.
| Many OF these box parties, so called, are
| given during Lent, with cosy supper after
| wards at Welches's, Dolan's or the Lose
karn. These box parties are very popular,
| ing Lent one can hardly attend the theatre
/ without seeing authors, orators, statesmen,
| scientists and bellies whose fame is national
and in some cases European. The President
| and his party were at the National; occupy
| ing as they always do the first box. left side,
/ ground tier; to see Florence in the Mighty
Dollar. Florence played it with lots of new
and startling asldes pertinent to the present
| political conditions. No man in the audi
ence apparently enjoyed the play better than
/ the President. He withdrew his head be-
hind the curtains that he might laugh his fill
unobseryed, but the violent shaking Of his
| still visible and ample front betrayed the
fun our first citizen was having all to him
| self. Fairs during Lent are numerous and
| popular. The Potomac boat club fair with
| its $4,000 house for one of the prizes of its
lottery and the Grand Army fair are the
most pretentious. A. novel idea here was to
| give an evenings entertainment for charity,
/ by people of high position in the social
| world enacting scenes from Shakespeare's
Plays alternate by tableaux and -panto-
mime This was given at Albaughs and
was grand success at SO each for the best
| seats.
| HORSEBACK RIDING.
| The great revival of horseback riding in
| our larger cities has nowhere been more
| strongly marked than here, where 1t Is al
most entirely of this years growth and has
| constituted one of the principal Lenten
| diversions. This sudden and unusual impe-
tus is largely owing to the opening of new
| riding school here, so fine that it merits de-
| scription. 1t is ON p. street Just off Dupont
| circle Che most fashionable quarter. The
| first floor has ring 96x120 feet, the largest in
| the United States except Durland's of New
York. On the floor above a balcony for
spectators runs around the entire ring.
| Upon this floor is reception room richly
| koI
and bath rooms on either side for gentlemen
and ladies respectively. The floor above
| that contains or rooms handsomely
| fitted up as club-which the school really is
| and non residents may be invited to the
/ privileges by a subscriber for a limited
| period just as in a club. The first basement
| contains $50 wide, light stalls. The care is
| perfect. The animals stand all day on long
| uncut straw, and with but seven horses to
| each groom. The second basement, of the
| same size. viz, 1900 square feet or one
| third OF an acre, Is a carriage room. There
| teachers, two male and one female, are con-
| stantly on duty. Saturday night there is a
| mounted drill to music. The balconies are
| full with invited guests The horses, shin
| ing like silk, are led up by grooms and at
| tendants in livery. Ladies and gentlemen in
| faultless riding costume come prancing in
| At the woid OF command they fall into line
| stretching across the spacious ring, each
| gentleman on the right of his lady partner.
The band strikes up and restessnes and
paving and in some cases rearing commences
along the whole line, for the horses know
what's up as well as the riders and love the
| excitement of the full galleries, the and
the evolutions of the drill. OFF they start,
two at time from the right of the line impa-
tient at the slow gait, changing now to single
fle now to form them into two platoons
wheeling and meeting in line again and all
sorts of man9uvres at a walk, tr0t and
gallop: After the drill is through bundles
OF different heights are brought in and
jumped first singly, then gentleman and
lady abreast, and then by two gentlemen and
lady in center. The audience gets very
sympathetic. Rounds Of applause. follow
fine leaps and i'll suppressed O-O-o-oh's follow
the unf0rtunates whose horses stumble over
bundles and knock them down. Days unfit
for equitation outside bring g0Odly c0mpa-
ny into the ring about 4.30 p. IN. Here
at this hour Secretary Whitney may be
seen astride his gallant high stepping gray.
or his smaller faultlessly formed black. The
Secretary has very good seat and hand.
He is well knit, riding at 212 pounds and |
looking only $50 pounds. He Is a good judge |
Of horse as his fine stepping bay trotters as
well as his mounts, show. Here at the same
hour riding always at a slow stately trot may
be seen the robust form and white long beard |
of the Russian Ambassador; also Mr.. Gregor |
the Secretary of the Russian legation, many |
ladies insist that Mr. Gregor has the prettiest |
seat in Washington. Here also is Miss Lutte
whose tall and very graceful figure makes |
her almost look a rival OF Mrs. Middleton the |
lady teacher. And those three bright look |
ing girls riding round at q smart gallop, talk |
ing as easily as if they were at home in rock |
ing chairs they are Miss French, daughter
of the member of Congress from Rhode |
Island, Miss Eta Sprague, granddaughter of
Secretary Chase, aud Miss Aver. And they
will jump their own or any other horses over |
the highest hurdle in the school whether the |
horses will or no. These afternoon rides are
very pleasant. Nearly every one in the ring |
is acquainted with all the rest and the gentle |
men ride along together by twos or threes
and fours, breaking away from each group |
every now and then to ride in front with one |
and then another of their lady acquaintanees
in the ring.
NO POLITICS.
The total absence of political conversation |
and of apparent interest in politics is quite a
striking feature of political life here at the
political centre. A Washington resident un-
less lobbyist by profession is found at the
Capital, about as often as one of our resi-
dents is found at the Portland Observatory, |
and when obliged to accompany a visitor |