The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-20
MARY JAMES PRATTLE.
Those Horrid Foreigners ut the Nation,
Capital.
rspeclal Correspondence. ]

OF man dislike more than another -
Which you don't dislike any OF them. y
said she provokingly, interrupting me.
Which do" said |. lit is those society
foreigners holding official residence III
Washington"
For why?" said she, because they
don't devote themselves 20 your
Because they do" said |, ''or at least
try to with their oily politeness and sus-
picious suavity."
Why" said She Il think they are per
fectly delightful. and they have so much
more chic then our plain home made
men,"
give this conversation as representing
two well defined opinions prevalent among
women as to this very prominent class in
Washington society, and go on TO give
reason for the faith that is in me.
am thoroughly American in my tastes,
and TO me an American gentleman stands
head and shoulders above all competitors.
And next to him comes the Englishman
who is a gcntlenan; not necessarily the
English gentleman, who is not always what
the legal brand on him would indicate. In
other countries man is a gentleman by
law. or custom, which is law by another
name, but in this country he is only so by
natural grace, and the title is not heredi-
tary don't want to be too comprehen-
sive in my calumny, so TO speak, for
there are Some foreigners in Washington
who are manly men, but the majority are
smooth insinuating, ingratiating,
sneaky. nsidious. hattering lot, with
whom woman should not trust herself
out Of the range of shotgun in the hands
of a father or a brother. ] don't think
there has been a prominent scandal in
Washington in the past twenty years,
which somewhere about its confines, If
not in its very midst. have not been seen
the footprints of foreigner. and know
of two or three within the past year d.
rectly attributable to the same class. Yet
our American women rave over foreigners,
and no well regulated family in society is
thought to be quite CONNIE ii faut which
is not on terms with this element.
Everything goes, too, from Heather
Chinee" TO French roue, and the girls
Unfortunately gobble up all in reach.
heard two disappointed ones talking
one morning.
The hateful thing" said one.
ne Hdlelul lLlHp, ttHotu Ilt uAHeI.
What upl' said !.
Why" said they. Just to think. We
were talking with Minister X, and were
hesitating whether to ask him TO 60 walk
ing with US. when along came that Ien-
kins GEL. and before you could say Jack
Robinson she snatched him up and willy
nillv. took him off with her Did you ever
hear Of such cheek? She wants 10 marry
him, that S all, and everybody is talking
about il.
All the girls however, thank goodness,
are not so anxious, and ! offer a short
story in evidence thereof.
Ono of the popular legationaries was
calling on her, and. emboldened probably
by success in other quarters, he attempted
to take her hand
She fired up instantly.
Il think You are forgetting where you
are. she said quietly.
"Oh, q thousand pardons. Miss" he
said in q sneaking tone, Il did forget
pray you will pardon me. do not know
your country well Ny manners are
foreign. you know"
Yes, see they are foreign-foreign to
those of a gentleman. You may go. and
he stood not upon the order Of his going,
but went. and though the very girl meets
him constantly in her social rounds she
absolutely refuses to give him the slight
est recognition. -
Washington has a race course out at
Ivy City Congressman and cabinet
officers and high officials generally go. and
so do ladies'. and one day during the recent
spring meeting Dickey aud | took it in.
One Of the funny features about il is. that
while betting is Illegal and highly i'm
proper in town, it is perfectly proper and
in contraveution Of no civil law to bet out
at lyy City. and this very peculiar moral
discrimination stands by virtue of an act
Of congress.
And my gracious, how everybody did
bet. Money comes easy in Washington,
and we know how such money goes.
Every man there, from senator's to stable
boys. put up more or less money, and was
not at all surprised, bat didn't think the
women were so fond OF il. Old ones and
Young ones had their men friends chasing
up and down from grand stand TO betting
shed. and they put in all the money they
could scrape together. Some less reck.
itSS tblAAtu DtNS W va obA'i' "t>
kid gloves.
Moving about | heard the women talk
ing who but the deaf could help it where
women are) aud their luck was varied.
One said she had dropped 500; another
had made $40, third had come out %
cents ahead on the day 5 work and so they
ran. mostly in sums Of from s. 10 80,
made or lost, and never one discouraged.
The president doesn't go TO the races,
ncr does Mrs Cleyeland but when they
want green fields ard country air they go
out 10 Oak View. and there the guide
mon" in a straw hat and bob tail buster,
with the usual accompanying apparel.
pcddcr5 around lot Of new trees he has
set out. and which constitute his pets,
while his pretty wife sits on the piazza
and reads. understand shc~Aas not yet
learned 20 milk the cows, nor does she
climb through the haymow looking for
new laid eggs. 1t is like her. though, to
do it. AMI if she had the opportunity Of
staying out there for month. as they
are now prepared TO do. she will acquit
herself in these r.ral accomplishments.
Amelie Rives, the erratic and rising
young authoress Of Virginia. has many
acquaintances in Washington, and since
the notification of her story. The Quick