The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-04-05
GOSSIP OF THE GIRLS.
Alice Confides to Dear Louise the
Goings On in Washington.

MY DEAR LOUISE: We have been suffering
here from persevering monotony of down.
pour-a steady persistence of falling weather
that is aggravatng in the extreme to the
girls who are anxious to display their pretty
spring fixings. The children, who look for
ward to Easter Monday as fete day second
only to Christmas, have goue through bitter
disappointment in the delay of the annual
egg-rolling in the Presidents grounds. And
the Easter brides have been unable to catch
glimpse of the sunlight that is supposed to be
so auspicious. The weather all winter has
been thoroughly uncomfortable and un-
healthy. Friends returning from the South
have had, like ourselves, grievances against
the weather. So all around there seems to be
general indignation at the capers of the ele
ments.
People are beginning to map out their tours
for the summer, and, as usual, very large
proportion will cross the ocean, This Is
always the first step with the families of the
"nou0edur riches" especially when the daugh-
ters are grown up, as 1t enables them to
spread themselves to their new dimensions
and gives Gclat to the subsequent flourish at
home. 1t used to be that residence in Paris
was the goal. All this IS changed now and
England is the objective point Of ambitious
the shape of reciprocity, for America is looked
| upon as the best field in the world for Eng
| lish fortune hunters. The whole l.
family will pass the t'merry, merry month of
june in Carlsbad. This great. German
| watering place is getting to be looked upon
! by Americans with almost the same feeling as
that expressed by the German, who, in pro-
| longing his feats at table, exclaimed, ''No
matter, Carlsbad will set all right
There is one thing I really believe about
Carlsbad, and that is that where the waters
| afford relief a want is created that renders
them necessary the rest of ones life. The
| Sprudel, l think, ought to rank with the won
| ders Of the world, as it bursts boiling and
thu obbing from the earth, many feet from
| the surface, with an ever-repeated convulsive
sound and movement. And think of the
temperature-165 Fahrenheit! Mrs NJ
| spent six weeks at Carlsbad last summer, and
| she greatly amused me by her description of
the several thousand people she met from all
parts of the world and of all conditions of
| life. AS for princes and princesses, she said
they were so common that really you wished
they would get out of your way.
Mrs. Mckee and Mrs. Russell Harrison are
going to take Europe in this summer. These
ladies have sufficient American go-aheadism
| to-
Gather the roses while they may,
| Old time is still a-iyingn
But two short years remain in which to Gull
the aforesaid roses, and tour through the
capitals of Europe as the daughter of the
President of the United States will present
golden opportunities that would never fall to
Mrs. Mckee as the wife of indianapolis
tradesman in the shoe line. By the way,
Louise, heard a real funny piece of gossip
the other day. One of the most exalted of
the diplomatic families resident here expressed
surprise at receiving call from the ladies of
prominent tradesman family, the aristocrats
remarking that they purchased such and such
things from the firm, but did not expect a
social call from the women of the family.
Now, to my thinking, such remarks
show that the foreigners have not
commenced to understand the true
inwardness of American institutions and the
conditions of social life. Why they should
draw the line at these people, when the Post
master General runs a bargain counter and
Mrs. McKee's husband shoe store, is some
thing beyond my perhaps dull comprehension.
The genius of our institutions permits every
one to rise, and American women are great at
rising
nature (and it is to ne hoped she Is not) she
must suffer considerably from the constant
recurrence of unkind criticism of her family.
The attack on Mrs. Dimmick was certainly
unfair, and as her brief holiday In the White
House had been brought to q close by the re-
turn to this city of her sister, Mrs. Parker,
with whom she always lives, 1t seems hard
that she could not escape the disagreeable
things that found their way into
the newspaper gossip of the mo-
ment. Mrs. Dimmick and Mrs. Parker
are both interesting, handsome and cul
tivated women, but, like the rest Of the Harrison
connection resident in this city, never appa
rently had the means to live In the smart set
They, with their mother, Mrs. Scott-Lord
boarded economically, and naturally came il
contact with plain people, such as are moi
suitable acquaintaDces for the White House
} and as the line had to be drawn, have NJ
doubt the attack on Mrs. Dimmick wa
prompted by Spite
You remember our childish admiration fo
Mr. B. Well, saw him the other even
ing at the tbeatre-the very wreck of beau
something like a fly which has outlived tn
summer, half dead and stupefed. Alas
Alas
This is certainly silk era, for silk petit
coats are being made as foundation skirts TO
ginghams and all other cotton gowns. 1t /
also Greek era, as the most distinguished
summer robes will be in Greek style, of whit
or black crepe, the first having garniture O
ropes of pearls and the last of jets. The un
derwear must be In dimensions to suit tn
classic drapery of the Greek model How be
ruffied and dressed up the parasols are thi
year, have seen some beautiful ones i
chiffon-muslin, and some made of forty-inch
wide lace iouncing. Everything that is stylis
is beautiful but everything that is beautiful |
not stylish was the conclusion arrived at afte
tour of inspection through San emporium c
8 fashion" 10y your friend, ALICE.