The Washington critic., 1890-02-26
AVENUE STUDIES.

The eminent French diplomatst, Tallev-
rand, was wont to say, when in communi-
cative mood, that he delighted to study
men and women from a close personal oh
servaton. That the way they talked,
walked and dressed gave him an insight
into their character, which never could be
gathered from their letters, in which they,
to use slang expression, always ''put their
best foot foremost" In other words, he
desired to "catch'' men and women, as it
were, "oir their guard" and to estimate
them when they were not aware that they
were under scrutiny. Here in Washing
ton, if the motive is simply one of curiosity,
Talleyrand's theory can be utilized ana
tested to perfection. Take a stand upon
any part of Pennsylvania avenue, from,
say, Fifteenth street to The foot of thu
Capitol, any afternoon, and there you will
have before you, in an | our or so, a throng
of noted men and women. the mention Of
whom would fiji book, much less news
paper column. Let us glance at Two OF
them:
l. A gentleman steps briskly along, neither
looking to the right nor to the left.
He appears absorbed in his own reflections
In stature about five feet ten, and weigh
ing, possibly, 10 pounds. His hair, mus
]
white. and his face is without vestige of
color. His dark Prince Albert is buttoned
to the throat, and he adopts the English
style of wearing over-gaiters to his shoes,
of the same color as his pantaloons, which,
In this instance, are dark gray. His silk
hat is not of the latest style, and is not
brushed to that degree of smoothness SO
dear to the heart of the average society
man. There is one striking peculiarly
about the man, and that is his eyes. They
are large, dark and very expressive. 1t has
| been written that a marked feature of
Aaron Burr's personal appearance were his
eyes. They were SO black, so brilliant and
so magnetic that they rarely failed to influ-
ence the person with whom he was con
versing. -
The same to a great extent may. be said
of James G. Blaine, of whom ! am now
Writing. Poor Sam. Cox used to say that
! Mr.. Blaine was undoubtedly an able man
of remarkable versatile gifts, but that he
thought Mr.. Blaine's success in his political
life was as much due to the "spell'' which
his eyes threw over you aud to the cordial
10 anything else. Whether this be true or
not, ii cannot be gainsaid that Mr. Blaine
has, as lady tersely expressed 1t once,
"very fetching eyes, and those who have
shaken hands with him are aware of the
heartiness with which he greets those who
are presented to him and the charm he cx-
erts by the indebtedness of his manner.
Who is the next? An o.d-fashioned buggy
to which is driven horse that has seen
better days comes slowly along. In the
buggy sits lady who handles the rens as
if 1t was an everyday occurrence. A lady
who is nearing middle age, but with whom
time has dealt so gently that 1t is impossi-
BILE TO believe that even in ante-bellum days
she was noted belle. In her rich brown
hair, with its autumn tinge, no gray threads
are TO be seen, and her lovely hazel eyes
are as bright and bewitching as they ever
were. Modestly. yet elegantly, dressed
Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague is as much al
home and as ''nonchalant'' in her old buggy
as she was when the presiding mis-
tress of the home OF her father while hC
was Governor, Senator, Secretary of The
Treasury and Chief Justice.
What romance the life of Mrs. Spragut
has been. The idolized daughter, the wife
of, at one time, the richest man in the New
England States and conspicuous poll
tician, the autocrat of society in Washing
ton, she lives now at the old homestead
Edgeworth, purchased by Judge Chas,
4 shortly before his death, few miles from
this city, apparently as well content with
her simple surroundings as when she was
the most sought after and confessedly thu
most brilliant woman in the social and OFF
cisl lite of Washington.