The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-12-28
GOSSIP FOR THE GIRLS.
Alice Confides to Dear Louise the
Goings On in Washington.

My DEAR LOUISE: The Christmas shopping
is over, and with grateful hearts we feel that |
this trial Of strength and ingenuity comes "but
once year" The average woman with
slender purse and large number of relatives
and friends to be remembered at Christmas
finds her brain taxed to the utmost to make enc
dollar go as far as two. Therefore, l say when
people feel honestly and unaffectedly glad that
the greatest festival of the year is over it is
time to call halt in the matter of present
giving. Children and servants should never be
forgotten at Chrstmastide, but all others
should be stricken off the list by those to whom
the giving means privation. There are peo-
pie, ''poor but proud" to whom Christmas is a
time of positive hardship, and who suffer for
weeks and months afterward from a generosity
they can i'll afford. This, of course, is only one
side of the picture, for my eyes opened wide
with astonishment, and may say envy, when l
saw girl lay down five-hundred-dollar bill
for piece of jewelry with all the sang .troid
Imaginable and no doubt such an expenditure
was a small matter to her, butt if read the stars
Alright, she'll give no more fve-hundred-dolar
Christmas gifts
We have had several debutante teas this
week, and they were handsome affairs, in two
instances introducing to society the daughters
of old citizens, whose families have ever been
honored among u.s. OF course, you have heard
that ancestry is going to be essential now. The
debutantes have got to have grandfathers and
grandmothers to make anything of success.
The Daughters of the Revolution" with the
''first lady, etc., president, may be respon
sible for this new departure. have been told
! by zone who knows' that there will be quite
revival of old brocades belonging to my grand
MOTHER" and showing that the family at any
| rate had money in its pockets, if not blue blood
in its veins, for these large, tlowered stiff silks
cost, in the period to which they belonged,
"money galore"
must relate to you my experience at a
cent reception, as it will show you the deep,
| dyed-in-the-wool deceitfuness of human nature
| as exhibited at beautifuly-conducted enter
tainment in one of the handsome houses of an
| aristocratic avenue. was crowded in a corner
and party of swels-men and women-evi-
IDENTIFY regarding your humble servant as deaf
mute, afforded her great entertainment by their
remarks on the host and hostess. "How lax
society is in Washington-people out of the pale
in their own towns are taken up here-no inves-
tigation as to their antecedents. floating
| population always is safe audience to splurge
before" "How was all this wealth acquired ?"
asked woman of the party This point inter
ested me very greatly, SO was on the Qui vtce
as one of the men gave in few words an ac-
count of the stroke by which the host had ac
quired the wealth so lavishly displayed in the
furnishings, bric-a brac, etc, of the handsome
house. 'Does Banquo's ghost ever rise ?"
asked one. Then a more charitable soul said:
"Ah, well, stone wall is no obstacle where
one's children are concerned" The historian
of the group, seemingly posted, said: "All the
depths and shoals of the more quiet
social cliques have been sounded and
are striving for ''The Notwithstanding the
small circle in which the members of the Diplo-
matte Corps move familiarly-that is the goal,
but L fear they'll not find the repose supposed
to lie thereabouts, for it is risky thing to give
the cold shoulder to erstwhile friends when one
lives in glass house. You may be sure l was
edited by these disclosures Wonder what the
host and hostess would have said as their biog-
rapher remarked: 81 am here just through
curiosity to see who would come, and shall
watch the outcome of this effort with interest"
Mentally 1 CALCULATED. ''Me too," and, Louise,
you shall certainly hear of the good bad
fortunes of these people. Teas are rather dan
gerous kinds of entertainments, for there is
really plenty of time and lots of opportunity
for gossip.
tasted some of the most delicious rose bis
cottines at Mrs. Blanks, and as these delicate
waters are the very latest for afternoon teas 1
give you the receipt: One pound fine, dry,
eight ounces Of fresh butter, one-half
ounce biscuit powder finely sifted, a claret
glassful of rose water, and two eggs.
Sift the flour and biscuit-powder together and
then add the other dry ryingredients which should
be well rubbed in Then make hole in the
centre of the mass and pour in the eggs and
rose water Mix all well togetherin firm, stiff
paste Roll out into thin sheet and cut out
the biscottines with small round cake-cutter
Lay the cakes on buttered baking tins, put them
in Il moderate oven, and bake until a very deli
cate brown. The proportions given above must
be accurately preserved to insure success. These
delicious morsels are fitting successors of the
| angels food, once so popular.
roamed all over the town before Christmas
and some of the signs were so funny that mus
give them to you. In one place | saw thai
meals were served 4 Ia cart, and in another that
there was table d'h6t6. Fish cakes at one
place are only three cents peace. Is the
schoolmaster abroad in the land? With all
[ good wishes for the New Year and the promise
of lots of gossip, am yours, as ever, ALICE,