The Washington critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-02-16

When l saw girl friend imbib.
ing milk punch through u
straw in that particular rostau-
rant where usage seems to permit of
mild feminine alcoholism, l reminded
her that l had seen her making the
same indulgence only the previous day.
ooh, I'm taking orc every day now"
she replied, because never drink them
during Lent
Thus you see that religion tempers,
If it docs not control the customs of
our modish people.
The Astors and the Nanderbilts, or at
least the more socially consequential
ones among them, will sail away for
Europe next week. but In the meantime
they are giving dinners, receptions and
balls at furious rate. Chauncey Nj.
Depew, you know, is not only a bust
ness associate Of the Nandcrbilts in rail.
reading, but he mixes Familiarity with
them in society AT the opera the
other night heard Mrs. William Astor
remark: II do believe, Mr.. Dcpcw
that you have been helping Mrs Corne
Illus Vanderbilt to make out time
table. Surely. she crowds in more en-
tertainments without collision than !
can succeed in doing"
did you ever see man making a
railway time,table?' Mr.. Depew
jocosely responded, "Well, this is the
way he doesit. A thread of certain
color represents every train that is run
over the line close to others. With
two or three of these different colored
threads stretched along the route, and
by means of markings of their running
time, be lays out the new schedule.
Wherever the threads have to cross,
owing to the comparative slowness or
swiftness of the trains and their rela.
tive times of interfering with each
other, the layout of threads enables
him to fix the figures exactly and sue
cessfully. Now. this is a secret" and
he glanced with twinkling eyes at the
group of dozen hearers. II spent
two days laying OUT a timetable in
that manner for Mrs. Vanderbilt, and if
any OF her entertainments should come
into collision she would hold me re.
sponsible
There ARE two tiers of boxes in the
Metropolitan Opera House in which
the ladies wear full dress. The lower
tier projects further into the body Of the
house than the upper, so that any OBJ
ject falling from the latter might readily
strike person sitting in the former.
While Perotti, the tenor. was reveling
in his piercing high notes the other
night much beiewcled woman in one
of the boxes In the second tier CHANGED
to lean over the rail to gaze at the
orchestra stalls. The movement shook
piece of diamond jewelry from her
hair, and it fell swiftly down into the
box. beneath. Under some circum-
stances the ornament would have been
lost, but ii so happened that 1t found a
sweet and safe resting place A fresh,
big.eycd beauty in the lower box sud.
denly startled her friends by clutching
her pretty neck and eXclaiming; ooh.
think I'm stabbed"
Everybody bent solicitously toward
her, demanding what was the matter.
She tapped her chest and gasped {" l
felt sharp weapon strike me here"
Her mother looked keenly at the girl S
throat, but there was no sign of a
wound. OF this she strove to assure
her child.
1T is lower down." whispered the
young woman.
AT that moment gentleman entered
by door at the back of the box.
Pardon my intrusion" he said,
but my wife in the box above dropped
a jewel from her hair moment ago,
and she saw that 1t fell in here. Have
you seen anything of 1t %
The lovely girl who thought herself
stabbed sat upright in her chair and
looked trihe frightened. Then she
dashed into the back room, from which
she presently returned, her face
wreathed In timid smiles.
Here Is the Jewell" she said, hold
ing forth handsome diamond dagger
Where she found the dagger would
have remained mystery unless &
young man who had been sitting u
her side had seen it VIII en- it struck hel
neck just above the rim of her corsa e
and then slip comfortably out of sigh
under the costly lace. Which show,
somewhat feebly that our girls do no
as yet mufile up to the cars when they
90 to the opera.
1t is generally believed that tn
Frenchmen produce the spiciest ball o
the season and that the McAllister PEG
pie give the handsomest. But there i
Some mistake in this The largest pub
lie ball aud the sightlicst is given by
The Germans in the Metropolitan Oper,
House. This year 1t was an intoXica
ting affair. The boxes were like golC
cages, crowded with gorgeous birds
and the undulating floor writhed will
tortuous abundance of dancers tina
stunned the vision A young man
about,town leaned against the wall at
o'clock and commented upon the da2
cling display.
You can talk about your charity
your French, your patriarch and you
Mrs. Astor girls" said he, "but whe
these German girls fit out on the foo
The rest of them are lost in the dust
don't want to say 4 love YOU o
he f'dime tonight, but Ich liebe dich.
Now, did you ever see such blondnes
of hair, such cherry redness of lips
such blueness of eye as these girl
show? II Is the Dresden china tinting
and il doesn't come off on the coat
either. And look at the figures of EN-
See that one, the peachy fairy who fit
into horgown like No. 0 hand into
~ glove, but, as you observe, stayin
there just the same"
AS the gentleman was speaking
TALL, splendid young woman who was
in appearance, quite the most fascina
ing blending of loneliness ever seer
with hair like long strip of nigh
and complexion as fresh as rose leaves
flew upto him and said:
"Vill you danz init me ?"
The way he looked at the young lad
as they disappeared together ind
Gated that he would be willing to dane
40 the edge of the earth and fall off