The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-04-06
IT WAS A JOLLY LENT.
SOCIETY HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL
OF WHINING AND DINING.
Then There Have Been Musicales, Recep-
tions, and Theatre Parties, and Even
Little Quiet Dancing-Somc of the Nota-
BILE Affairs of the Penitential Season.

ally devoted to gaiety were dull, Lent sacred
to sackcloth and ashes has been gay In an eN-
treme way never countenanced here before.
There have been breakfasts, luncheons, dinners,
teas, theatre parties, coaching parties, riding
parties driving parties, walking parties, liter
ary symposiums, and what not. But for the
warning church bells the fashionable West
End would hardly have known Lent existed
Few invitatons-none, perhaps, save those
from the British Legation-have been issued for
dancing parties, and what dancing has been
done has been accomplished in quiet way, and
society correspondents have been asked not to
make a note of it, Most of the evening enter
tainments have been musicales, or had some
literary feature as excuse for their being
given in fast-time. The informal afternoon sat
homes,n both among the official and resident
people, have been very popular ills astonish-
ing how many busy men find the opportunity to
drop in for fifteen-minute chat with the
women who are attractive because OF beauty,
cleyerness-or the excellence of their Madeira
Mr. Blaine, Mr.. Cabot Lodge, Mr.. Reed, Mr.
HIT and all of the foreigners can be met any
pleasant day on their way to or from making a
call. for they rarely make more than one of an
afternoon. 1t is especially pleasant for
statesman to sit behind the tea table with some
marks about his policy and politics in general
q mild sort of dissipation that is much INDUCED
in by our great men, MIR. Blaine is devoted to
driving in the country, and he is often seen in
the State Department carriage, with one of his
daughters or Mrs. Hit or Mrs. Cabot Lodge as
companion Cabot Lodge is fond of riding.
He owns magnificent animal and has investi-
gated all the country roads in the vicinity.
Riding grows in popularity here every year.
Most of the society women ride, and cavaliers
are in such demand that men who have here
tofore had no social standing, but who own
decent animal and can sit it well, have been
known to ride straight into the sacred precincts
of Vanity Fair.
Mrs Dahlgren, the widow of Admiral Dahl
gren, who spends her summers in her rambling
old home at historic South Mountain and her
winters at the Capital, has given series Of
literary evenings during Lent, at which she in
troduced the unique feature of having an origi-
nal paper read by some well-known author.
These evenings were very enjoyable, SO success
full that next winter others will doubtless adopt
the idea which is good one, as the reading
provides a subject for conversation in which
every one can join. Mrs. Hearst is given to
literary entertainments also, and at her teas
and evenings there is generally some literary
feature. 1t was with joy that society received
the announcement that her new home, which
is the house occupied by the Fairchild's when
Mr. Tairchild was Secretary of the Treasury,
and which Mrs. Hearst has had remodeled and
redecorated, would be opened with musicale
Mrs. Hearst is an accomplished woman and an
ideal hostess Entertaining is fine art which
she has mastered and her invitations are always
eagerly accepted. The Fairchild house has
been remodcled with the one thought of max
ing it suitable for entertaining. 1t is admirably
arranged, the best house here, in fact for ac
,cOmmOdatinp large crowd,
The most talked of social event of Lent,
fancy, was Mrs Howard Whites musicale
Mrs. White is the daughter of Senator Philetu:
Sawyer, of Wisconsin. Any one knowing this
rugged, honest politician would hardly suspect
him Of hidden musical or artistic tastes, ant
yet the programme for Mrs. Whites musicale
was admirably chosen, and her house, recen
gift from her father, is a bower of beauty. Th'
Moorish ballroom, il which the musicale wa
given, is the coziest room devoted to the wor
ship Of Terpschore in the city. Its decoration
have been borrowed from the Alhambra, ant
the draperles, lanterns, rugs and bric-a-bra'
carry one back to the Arabian Nights. At th
musicale the whole house was thrown open tt
the guests, when, for the first time, society hat
an opportunity to inspect this charming in
terror, Dora Wheeler designed its decorations
and her work has been faithfully and conscien
tiously executed The idea of some flower i
expressed in each room. In the drawing-roon
it is roses, and the result is an exquisite har
mony in pink The bed chamber of the fai
Chatelaine is a pansy-room and is a glow o
purple and gold Mrs. White is devoted t.
society, aud, like Mrs Hearst, her house ha
been built with the idea of entertaining, and it
arrangement is perfect.
Mr.. John Hay gave a reception at which al
the literary and most of the fashionable worl
appeared and where some Indian children am
their teachers from the Hampton School wer
the feature. Indians have become cOmmonpac
this winter There have been so many of theI
with grievances of one sort or another. Washe
temka, chief of the Kas, returns to his hom
feeling that in a social way he has been badl
treated, After he had paid his respects at tn
Executive Mansion some one asked him how h
enjoyed his call, and what he thought of til
Great Father. Washetemka's dignity was gres
as he delivered himself of the following: IN
no like the Great Father Me went to see tn
Great Father me have something to say to hin
The great Father took me by the hand, and b
fore me could say anything gave me jerk whic
sent me down TO the other end of the room
Washetemka, chief of the Kas, did not con
here to be jerl,ed by the Great Father"
Mrs Henderson has been at home Friday
ings during Lent in her beautiful new house
the head Of Sixteenth street. These reception
were unique for Washington, where the flown
bowl is an accepted fact and always eXpecte
in that no wines are served. However, the hos
ess is charming, the house lovely and one NEE
the most delightful people there.
Teas and receptions are ALWAYS written uD Il