Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
THE ATTRACTIVE FAD
Wealth and Travel Usually Furnish
the Reasons for Its Development.
WHAT ONE SCRAP BOOK HOLDS

WHAT ONE SCRAP BOOK HOLDS
Cards Of Invitation From Nearly Every One
Proninsnt In Society During Many Ysars-
The Inauguration Ball Programs Since
observation-disclosures Which They Bring Up.
TvERYBODY NOWADAYS SEEMS TO BE
IL getting together collections Of one sort or
another. Some run to china, others to bric-a-
brac, some to old MSS. and books long since
out of print, others again to pictures or en-
cravings. Old furniture Of the quaintest and
oldest patterns appeals to others and they give
it shelter like they would an old friend, and
some find pleasure in adding to stores Of old
silver of long forgotten makes and uses.
Others again find the greatest satisfaction Of
their lives in keeping together old family
possessions and in keeping alive by them their
family traditions. II is only the few after all
who can hope to enjoy this latter feeling, for
time and circumstances generally contrive to
scatter such belongings for the most Of people.
TIE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTISTIC TASTE.
Wealth ard travel are the two reasons for the
development o. the artistic taste which is the
clities are more widely enjoved and the results
have given distinctive characters to the decora-
ton of many Washington homes. Many inter-
estiDg people have Only travelled In fancy and
their opportunities for picking up treasures
along the journey through life have been lini-
tied. 1t does not follow that these same men
and women may not develop the collection fad,
and the very paucity Of material upon which
they have to work makes them all the more
keen witted in the chase. These are the very
first to attach Importance to the fact that in
the capital city of a great nation every trace
that its famous visitors or residents have left
behind them are objects OF interest. 1t may
only be n visiting card or it may be signed
photograph, but in any case If there are enough
OF them together to dignity as collection there
is no question but that somebody will wish they
owned it.
THE GROWING TOUCH.
That is the browning touch to any collection;
a something so interesting that somebody else
wants it Wealthy people like these simple
things very much. too. You can live over
again in fancy many year gone by in gazing
over the photographs and pictures, which so
frequently find the most attractive forms Of
display In the drawing rooms and libraries Of
the West End The elegant screen which Miss
Josephine Patten made herself and which forms
conspicuous ornament in the library of her
home Is an evidence Of how tasteful collec-
ton OF photographs can be made. The pic
tures are of many of the foreign ministers Who
have been here of late years and other noted
Residents both mon and women. Mrs. Lamon.
durIng her four Years residence here made q
collection Of photographs and it brings back
many pleasant memory to her as size looks at
Them. arranged in rows above the books on her
library shelves at her home. now in New York
city. When Mr.. keifer was Speaker Mrs.
heifer always kept the visiting card of every
person who called to see her At the end of
each winter she took them all home and her
Young sons had an opportunity to display
their taste and ingenuity In filing scrap books
with them.
MRS. MKEE's SCRAP BOOKS.
Mrs. Mckee began almost with the first of
the wonderful stories printed about Baby Nc
kee to keep the newspaper clippings together.
She had soon materialenoushfor many volumes
and, while he does not enjoy quite such wide
prominence as he did at first, there will be vol.
umes yet OF pretty things written about the
manly little grandson of the President. Nat
urally. as Mrs.. Mckee says. many of the state
ments printed about her baby bow are news to
her. but she thinks Benjamin will enjoy read
ing them all some day, improbable as they are.
The wives OF public men, in many instances,
Keep together every newspaper clipping they
md OF their husbands and paste them all re-
Lgiously in scrap books. Many ladies have a
se' OF what they call good books and bad books,
OF all pleasant and unpleasant things said Of
haps, the largest collection OF these books in
existence. Though comparatively only small
part OF even days clippings are kept the
quantity OF what is written about the stan
lords seems without limit. These books and
the countless other mementoes of the public
life OF the Senator and his family are to find u
resting place in the Leland Stanford, jr., mu-
scum, now In course of erection in connection
with the Stanford University at Palo Alto. The
yoang people OF future aga, will iad pleasure
N tn.E Is,rrn . hal, -
with all the costly treasures which will also be
displayed.
CARDS OF ISvrTArIoN, Frc
1t is by no means an uncommon thing TO see
collections OF cards Of invitation, menu cards.
name cards, theater programs. concert pro-
grams and a dozen other "reminiscences OF social
Life Kept In scrap books by both men ard women
who have been and are yet promiaent in 40
ciety. Justice Field has a book made up of the
name and menu cards Of every important din
ner that ne has attended while he has b. an on
the supreme bench. Two-thlrds. of course, of
this collection are veritabis works Of art ami as
q resume OF all the notable dinners which have
taken place in nearly two decades the book has
an historical value and intcres: which IL would
DO hard to overra.e. His is remarkable in |
stance OF how public men in the rush OF busy
life find pleasure in keeping together these
Little reminders OF gala occasions.
LUNCHEON NAME CARDS.
For the Last four or Ave years the fashion for
dinners and luncheons in the way of name
cards and souvenirs changed 90 often that
hostesses fairly racked their brains to preunre
pretty and novel. Some ladies who
were invited out continuously had the thought |
to keep ali the pretty cards, many OF watch |
snow the artistic Skill Of their hostesses. and |
their scrap books are at once q source of envy
as well as Of joy 70 their owners. feature in \
many OF the parlor cabinets is tire corner re- |
served for luncheon souvenirs, cups and |
saucers. bonbonieres and other tasteful little |
gifts, which are just satisfactory evidences
OF water social triumph as are the GERMAN
favors with which a reigniug belle decorates
her boudoir.
People Who devise splendid entertainments /
are naturally battered when they are remem-
Dered, and II they send their guests home laden |
with beautiful gifts then the complacency is |
m mutual.
A lady in this city who has been prominently
Identified with its social life the last ten wears
has kept together all the invitations abe re- |
ceivcd, and this big collection, the tasteful ar.
rangement OF which is the work of another
lady who has no less interesting series. makes |
complete data for references Of anv important |
social event during that period n Il shows |
nothing else, it proves conclusiveiy that fn.h- |
IONS III this particular expression OF polite So
ciety have. scarcely varied jot. What was |
considered good form ten years ago is Just as |
good today There is one exception TO thi, |
rule, and this applies to the tickets. invitations