The Washington critic., 1890-02-23

ReCreations and THEATRE Going.
filling the position Of rector of st. John 8
Episcopal Church, enjoys the prestige
of delivering his sermons to the most
fashionable audience at the National
Capital.
The church Is located on the north
east corner of Sixteenth and II streets
northwc9t II is one of the oldest in
The city, and is famous for The beauty
of its stained glass windows, one pane
OF glass alone costing S25, 900. The
residence Of the rector is situated Just
north Of the church on Sixteenth street
and is substantial threc.story, red
brick building with an English base
mcnt.
The hall. or ante room, Is handsomely
decorated with rare old china and pot.
terry, some valuable specimens being
almost as ancient as Christianity itself.
On the first landing of the stairs can be
seen an old d-fashioncd clcck nearly
seven feet high, and similar TO the heir
loom timepiecc that stood in the house
oi Secretary William G. Endicott. The
high mantel In this antcroom Is orna-
mentcd 10y the figure of an Egyptian
woman in pottery.
Heavy curtains drapc the entrance to
The parlor which is the most richly fur.
nished clerical reception room in the
city. The finished hardwood floor is
stained dark brown and prolusely
covered with rugs of the finest texture.
The wall paper is old gold and the fur.
niture old gold and silver and azure blue
TO match. Two large plants of the
palm species and growing flowers of
bright yellow hue appear in the bay
window, and the tables and high man
Ties are tastefully decorated with rare
bric-a- -brac. There are no chande-
liers in the parlor, three handsome
lamps and dozen wax candles shed
ding a more pleasant light than that af-
fordcd by gas.
Rev. George William Douglas, S. I.
D., Is about five feet nine inches in
height, and Of rather slender build.
fie has thin, blonde hair and short
mustache and side whiskers of the
same color. He has well shaped
mouth and good teeth, and his straight
nose is bridged by a pair of eye. glasses.
Withal, he has pleasant face and an
aristocIatic one, and if Miss Kilman-
segg, made famous by Door Tom Hood,
were in existence today, and belonged
TO st. Johns Church (which she lln.
doubtedly would, the Rev Mr. Doug
lass would certainly fill the ideal of that
remarkably aristocratic young lady.
He was born In New York in 1850,
and Is of wealthy parcntage, his father,
who has since retired from business,
having been president of the Mercantile
Bank there. His ancestors were among
The early colonists, the first Douglas
coming to this country having landed
here in 1920. This ancestor was dca-
con in the Congregational Church, and
another ancestor was q colonel IN the
Revolutionary war. On his mothers
side he Is related to the Rathbonas of
Albany, n. Y. Rev. Sutherland
Douglas was his uncle, and he had an
early pr.dilection for the Church. lie
graduated head of his class in 1871, and
three years later graduated at the Gen
eral Theological Seminary of New
York. The following two years were
spent in advanced theological studies at
Oxford and at Bonn, Germany, and at
ihc age of twenty six he returned to his
native city as tutor in the General
Theological Seminary. Six months
after he was called 10 be assistant rector
of Calvary Church, in New York.
Later he became assistant of Trinity
Church parish, in pastoral charge of
Trinity Church, at the same time being
an active member Of the famous Char
ity Organization Society of New York.
In 1886 he went abroad for his health,
returning in November, 1888, to take
charge of st. Johns Church, in this
city.
DIR. Douglass says that one of the
greatest difficulties in the proper dis
pcnsation of charities is that of finding
The most worthy objects, many of whom
never ask for aims. 1t is his opinion
that wealthy people could find many
deserving of their aid through inquiry
among old acquaintances on whom for.
tune has frowned and who have fallen
by the wayside. He is enthusiastic
over the system of the Charity Organi.
Zaiion society in New York and ex-
planned how the status. character and
need of almost any worthy object of
charity could be obtained by applIca-
lion 10 that society.
On being questioned relative to the
comparative morality of this city and
New York the reverend gentleman
stated that he could hardly give an
opinion. "My congregation is COM
posed of the best class of people, he
said. ''and having heen brought in con.
tact with no other class, can hardly
make statement as to the morality of
Washington generally"
Dr. Douglass is great lover of litera-
1ure, and speaks and writes n half
dozen. languages-Latin. Greek, French,
German, Italian and English.
1T would be hard for me to name
favorite author" he replied in answer
10 question. ''In literary field the
authors to whom owe most are Goethe,
Schloirmacher, Lotze, Sainte- Buve,
Matthew Arnold. Shakespeare and
Richard Holt Hutton. My favorite
American authors are Nathaniel Haw-
thorne and Bret Harte.'
Rev. Stephen NJ. Newman of the
First Congregational Church, lives at
No. 913 Rhode Island avenue, in an at
tractive looking brick house, with a
closely clipped open lawn in front. The
brown stone steps leading to the portals
of the house are flanked ON either side
with the brightest brass rails. The
trout door Is Of stained glass, and the
interior of the house is in keeping with
its stylish exterior. The walls of the
double parlor are papered with light
design. and the furniture is red and
blue plush. The chandeliers are brass,
with orange, red and blue globes. A
concave French mirror surmounts the
heavy black mantel, and an upright
piano stands in corner of the front
parlor, The tables are tastefully dec.
GRATED with bric-a brac, and this recep.
tion room presents an inviting interior
DIR. Newman Is tall and slender, with
reddish. sandy hair and mnstache and