Evening journal., 1888-07-06
MARY JAMES LETTER.
SHE DESCRIBES A HERDIc PARTY
AT THE CAPITAL.
She HAS Been frying to Get Pictures Of
the. Japanese Minister and His wife.
Tho Coreans and Their Eondness for the
Washington Girls.
Especial correspoudence.l

washington Niris-
Especial correspoudence1
WASHINGTON, July 5.-I have before
now referred. in my blithesome and win
ming manner, to the incipient popularity
of roof riding on Herdic coaches as one
Of tho society advertisements OF the ma.
tional capital on summer evenings. Well,
when wrote that l didn't think there
was much in IL, and there wasn't lust at
that very precise time, but the long hot
/ spell developed it. as the sun does the
flowers after shower, and it became a
craze. There were only five coaches with
seats on top, and the way they were
crowded night after night was astonish.
ing. not to say painful, II you happened
to be the one that wanted a seat up among
the twinkling stars. / never noticed it
particularly until Diclxey and were in.
vited one evening to indulge in "Herdic
party" with five others, just half the
seating capacity OF the roof We were to
leave the point Of departure at $50 D. m,
and We're there promptly, attired in
palm leaf fans, the most diaphanous
OF garments, perspiration, and the
usual other furniture incidental TO
the summer solstice, and thinking.
Of course. when we were ready for tbe
Herdic it would be ready for us. So we
went TO catch it, and when it came It was
full on top and empty inside | was dis.
turbed in my mind by this, but the
hostess said it was all right, for we could
ride to the end of tho line, about five
minutes, and then take our places on top.
half way there, lot more people came
inside and three got off the top, and with
q shrewd move three of us climbed ND to
DO sure Of start. Then the Herdic rolled
on and soon turned at the end of the line.
and Tor minute | thought we had run
into mob OF riotous women or had
caught tired Sunday school picnic try
ing to get home. There were forty or
more OF them, all Of the better class and
most OF them as good as we have here,
and they were In for enjoying ride on
the heruic top, and had come out there to
be sure OF IL, Just as we were doing. They
made rush for the steps when the Herdie
stopped and so did we insiders, but not a
living soul on top moved. They had como
to stay, and they had come clear out there
to the boundary, from | don't know
where. TO avoid taking the chances. So
had the others, but they had come out
inside, and with less knowledge of the
rush, and after waiting an hour
or more, they had to get inside
Of the stufTy coach and ride homo
again. More than half of our party
did the same. and the three fortunate
ones on top came down OF the end of their
five-minute and back ride, and almost
cried because they had to leave the cool
breezes for the hot pavements Then,
cooled with grateful ices and cheerful
seltzer lemonades, we resolved ourselves
into doorstep party" and wanted to
catch an empty coach, but at 11;30 the
prospect was no better than at $50, and
really believe that on a hot night in
Washington an all nighter would be
crowded until breakfast time.
1t Is great sport, but the drivers don't
like 1t, as they get no extra pay for driv-
ing three horses and taking care of a
double complement Of passengers, and
they are getting even by driving their
coaches under tho trees and swiping peo.
pie with the branches to the best Of their
ability ! know of several hats, male and
female, that have had very damaging ex-
periences. The poor drivers ought to be
allowed TO have some pleasure in life,
reckon, and as long as they do not swipe
mo OF the roof ! won't complain. | do
complain, however. about climbing up the
ladder to the roof. We can't get up unless
the men help us, and they can't help us
without being placed in such o position
that they can tell the number Of our shoes.
and l don't want all the men Of nv ac.
quaintance to know what sized shoes
wear.
So therel ~.
I've been dealing with foreigners lately,
that Is, heathen foreigners, and / find
they are human after all. especially the
women. / think women are the humanest
specimens of creation anyway presume
it is because shat, as all other creation
was made out Of dust, the woman was
made out Of human rib and naturally
retains the characteristics Of her ances-
try. Anyway. ! tried to get picture Of
the new Japanese minister and his wife,
and couldn't do it. / kept on tryiRg,
and each time was put off, until at last
learned, as a profound secret. that the
lady wasn't going to have her pictures
taken until she had some American
clothes TO wear. That's woman, amt
itl AS long as she was in her own coun-
try, and every body wore a certain style Of
dress like her own. she was satisfied. no
matter what that style might look like;
but as soon as she got among another lot
Of women in another lot Of clothes,
heaven itself couldn't move her to appear
in anything different from the fashion
Those Corean chaps arc here yet, also,
but they do look dreadful lonesome since
50 many Of the pretty girls they dotted on
last winter have departed to other lands.
It's funny how those pagons used to wor-
ship the pretty white priestesses. and not
80 very funny either for they never had
anything half SO nice in their own COM
try to worship.
Sc
Had talk not long ago with a China
man Of the legation on religious subjects.
Or DicSey did rather. as she likes the
Mongolians better than I do. lie speaks
very fair English and listened.
''Ihey say you are heather people, you
know. said Dickey with a smile after the
talk was well under way
Yes, yes. said Mr.. Chop. also smiling.
''But don't think you are, she con-
tinued; indeed, think there are Just as
heather people among us as anybody in
China would dare to be-"
Yes, yes, smiled Mr.. Chop innocently.
Dickey never let on.
.What is your idea of heaven and he'll.
Of good and badY' she asked next
"GoOd-up; bad-down, he replied. ac-
companying his speech with an express
sive gesture.
"Of course, certainly" said Dickey.
with pious joy.
The nominations have passed. and tho
! headquarters of national politics sits
serene amidst her shade and idly lets the
days SO by We have politics here all the