The Washington critic., 1888-02-25

Of each. Each of the name cards
were different, and on Frank His
cocks was PAINTED lizard, while
the British Minister had the picture
Of festive grasshopper, eating a
sheaf Of wheat. LiaDg Chung oftthe
Chinese Legation got II four-leaf
clover as the lucky man of the as
semblagerard there were five wine
glasses and n goblet of frosted cat
glass at each plate.
SECRETARY FAincfuD
gave dinner to President Cleveland,
at which he had an oval mirror in the
centre Of the table, and this was
wreathed in yellow tulips set amid
ferns and smilax. Upon this mirror
there was a tall branched candelabra,
with the tapers capped with red
shades. At the ends were oval cush-
ions Of scarlet tulips, and on either
side were pyramids Of white flowers,
beside which were dishes of con
seryesand pineapples.
1T must be a dainty stomach, IN
deed, that could not appreciate such
surroundings.
The flowers at these dinners would
cost an ordinary mans monthlys sal
ary, and those at White House
state dinner run well up into the
hundreds of dollars.
The centre-piece Of Mrs. McLean's
. table, when she entertained Mrs.
Grant, was of American Beauty roses,
and the lilies, roses, orchids, tulips
and other flowers of an ordinary
Washington dinner bloom as gorge
ously and as profusely as though the
summer sun shone.
AT ONE OF MRS. wHITNEY's DINNERS
there were gold dishes of bonbons,
and the candles were tipped with gold
and lace shades. The napkins were
Of hemstitched linen, and the cards
were gilt-edged. The centre-piece of
the table was large bowl of Bohe-
mian glass in white and gilt, bordered
with white roses and sprays Of
maidenbair fern. This rested on a
scarf yard long of milk white Per-
sian silk, embroidered at the ends in
gold thread.
AT A SENATORIAL RECEPTION
the walls and mirrors of the room
were draped with rose-colored china
silk, and the manteis were set with
poinsetta blossoms and lannunciation
lilies. In a doorway between this
room and the ball room there was an
umbrella covered with California
moss, sprayed over with carnations,
and q pendant fringe of gilded cypress
cones. These decorations were at
Mrs. Senator Hearst's, and at the
same time the mantels in the back
Iodrawing-rooma were draped with Nile
green silk, held up with punches of
silver and gold pine cones, with
| pampas grass suspended in the centre.
The hall and library were decorated
with palms and Gala lilies, and the
tower room, off the main drawing
room, was fragrant with roses on
stands and tables.
And still the man who owns this
house began life poor, and / doubt
not the day has been whenhe thought
the prettiest flower in the world was
the potato blossom, when he hoed the
rows on his father farm in Missouri
Mrs, Palmer is, another lady who has
GORGEOUS TABLE DECORATIONS,
and at one of her dinners there was Q
centre-piece Of rosebuds and an oh
long cushion with a crosswise strip oi
Papa Gontier, the end being filled II
with pink roses and hyacinth stalks
Another curiosity in the wininl
and dining and entertainments oi
Washington lies in the teas. 1t il
fashionable to give teas in colors, anC
these colors do not, necessarily match
the dress or hair of the ladies giyin,
them. A Senator's red-haired daugh
ter might, l doubt not, give whit,
tea, in honor of the horse which il
supposed to be perpetually withsher
But, seriously, these kaleidoscope,
teas are worth notice. was invited
to pink tea last week, and we hav,
blue teas, red teas and, purple teas
Miss Bacon, the daughter of Repre-
sentative Bacon of New York, gave
RED LUNCHEON
not long ago, and at this the shades o
the candles and gas jets were red
The bread and the potatoes-were tiet
with red, and a bank of red tulip
formed the centre-piece Of the table
The souvenirs were Japanese bonbons
with dwarf red roses springing from
the tops, and the rosy ice cream wa
in the form Of strawberries in hamp
ers.
| Another freak in the way of thes,
Senatorial luncheons has created mucl
remark. 1t was that of the wife of
Representative from California, wht
placed before each guest q number o
variously shaped cups, filed with red
white and black beans, and she an
nounced that the one who guessed tn,
correct or nearest the correct numbe
of beans the cups contained land the,
all contained the same number) woul'
win prize, and also that the one.wh
guessed the smallest number woult
be rewarded. Mrs. Stanford guesset
200 beans and she got the prize. Mrs
Palmer guessed the smallest number
These Washington society womel
are quite as superstitious as others o
their sex throughout the country
and not few of them
OWN THEIR DREAM BOOKS.
A Senator's daughter came down I
the breakfast-table the other day an
told her friends she had had q tel
rible dream last night, the meanin
of which she could not read.
"What was it?'' asked her father
the statesman.
81 dreamed" said the girl, "that
was lying in the water, and ther
were fishes all about me, and the.
came up and kissed me, one after an
other, and it was fish, fish, fish, unit
] grew almost sick of them. AS tn
last one of the fish pushed his slim
lips against mine i awoke, and
found myself bathed in a cold perspi
ration"
81 have it p' replied the Senator