St. Paul daily globe., 1889-03-17
A WASHINGTON LENT
Review Of the Gay Social
Season Now at Last
Closed.
1t Completed the Democracy
and a Most Brilliant
Regime.
Morning Receptions That
We're the Novelties of the
Season.
Fakes and Fads Of Dancing
Parties in Capital Swell
dom.

luiuIelISe cIoNuS WHICH nave nearly as
phyxiated US during the past week are
slowly disappearing. Every day brings
freer atmosphere. The truant sun.
which deserted us so miserably on the
momentous Monday, now glows
brilliantly in a sky all pearl and
azure. If ever there was a topic
which, by the usual rates of newspaper
measurement, should be considered
written out and done for, it would seem
to be the terrible rain storm of March 4
yet the truth is that the untoward
weather of that day will furnish sub
ject of conversation for generation to
come, and will form matter for the pen
of the historian as long as the country
shall survive. Petitions to congress to
change the date of the Inauguration
fir ON March 4 to April 80 are in active
circulation i'll Washington. and are re-
ceiying the signatures of the most
thoughtful and dislntereSted persons in
the community.
A new race of beings has sprung up.
They are the persons who shook hands
with President HarriSon's grandfather.
1t is little short of amazing how nu-
merOUS these individuals are; and:Some
of them, it must be confessed, look
rather younger than one would expect,
in view of the incident they mention.
Still, it would be ungallaut to
doubt their veracity, particularly as this
seems to furnish the only case Oh record
of people voluntarily making themselves
| out older than they are. Incompre-
hensible as it may appear, there are
Americans who possess in the most
complete sense the spirit of the courtier.
Our new president, if he takes note
of so trivial matter amid his multi
farious subjects of thought, must feel
fiattered at this new form of homage.
For miudle-aged people, rather young
than old, and with nothing to gain by it,
to aver that they shook hands with his
| grandfather is on par with the polite
ness of some English ladies', who pre-
| tend to be deaf and lame whenever they
go to court because the Princess Of
| Wales limDs and is hard of hearing.
The social season expired gloriously,
| to the relief. it must be confessed, of
| both hosts and guests. On all sides it
| is conceded that this has been the most
brilliant winter. Washington has ever
| known. The disbursement OF money
has been something unparalleled. The
| costumes have been yeritable master
| pieces of art, and the Jewels have
| equaled the parures seen ut the court eff
| Versailles in the time of Madame do
! POmpadour. One feature in Washing
ton entertaining is, | think, new this
! winter. This is the morning reception.
which is what its name implies. and is
not to be confounded with the Lon
don morning call. ;" III reality an after
| noon visit. Leaders of fashion have
| frequently this season gathered charm-
| i.,rr ~
early hour of II o'clock. Music. recita-
| tions OF the usual Conversations have
| been the attractions which delighted
| participants until l O'Clock. when fare
wells were spoken, and then ilomeWard
| no! for luncheon.
The balls of this year have been on a
! par for georgeouSness with that historic
affair given by Prince Sweetenough,
at which Cinderella lost her glass slip
per on the stroke of midnight. Indeed
it is quite doubtful if the floral decora-
tiOns of this fairy highneSS fete cost
anything like the sum expended by Mrs.
| Hearst for her colonial ball, i. e., $25, ,000
This is the figure fixed upon by on dit,
but l remember hearing Napoleon III.
say, concerning an on dit, On est un
| imbecile." So, perhaps, what lone
says about the cost of Mrs. Hearst's
posies may not be altogether veracious.
| 1t is certain, however, that very large
| expenditure was made for flowers on
| that delightfully."- eyentful night, and it
| is an open secret that all the conServa-
torres in Washington were for the nonce
| depopuiated.
Favors for the german were never so
plentiful, never SO costly, as they have
been this winter. But, word in your
ear: The custom has reached it's
| apOgee; "A return must necessarily en-
sue. This gift-giying, like reversing"
in the waltz. has never been counte-
nanced in the highest circles of Paris and
London. To reverse in Waltzing has
always been looked upon as superflu-
GUS feat of deXterity, on a par with the
pigeon-Wings of the ballet girl, or the
| nameless saltations of the can-can dam
seusc. The receiving of presents DUR
ing the cotiliOn is hardly considered
better form, in France at least. | sawa
French belle return her favor to her
partner. with the naughty remark: II
| give you the waltz, monsieur; do not
take pay for it,"
That the custom should be honored in
| the breach would be great relief to
| the already OVertaXed purses of the
! matrOn of average means who gives
| balls. 1t is not enough that ones house,
music, supper, floral decorations and
dress should be, collectively and separ-
| ately, objects of comparison with those
of persons richer than ones self; the
elegance or the lack of elegance of the
| german favors is now a constant subject
of discussion.
| At Mrs. Hearst's colonial ball the IA
vors were not at all the insignificant
bibelots which usually serve the pur-
| pose; they were costly objects of art,
item in the sum total of the expenditure
| for the fete. Fancy how the shoes of
| the ball hoSteSSes of next year will
| pinch when they go on their shopping
| excursions for german fayors!
| hope another winter will see an en-
| tire -discontinuance of the fashion.
| Apart from the question of expense to
| the hostess the bestowal of these
| trinkets awakens that vulgar desire of
| getting something for nothing which is
unworthy the pure breast of maiden
dancing, for love of it-and perhaps of
| her cavaiier-at the house of friend.
At german in Washington some sea-
sons ago saw two society bellies wran-
| gle in the true market woman style of
Madame Angot over the ownership of
| german favor which had been LETT on a
chair. Favor" l fancy, is ''cour-
teSy title" like that of certain lords.
This particular favor, for instance, was
a bangle" bit of gilt wire with bells
attached to it, such as my Welsh lap
dog Gwennie would have diSdained to