The critic., 1891-01-28
IN THE SWIM.

II is evident to observers that the ladies
whose husbands occupy official and dip
lomatic positions here are greatly inn
posed upon ON reception days by vulgar
men and women whom they do not
know, who seem to think themselves at
liberty to overrm the houses and invade
thRprivacy of homes without the formality
Of an introduction or card of invitation.
They see by the papers that there is going
TO be reception at this Senator's or that
Foreign Minister'S and they descend in n
horde on the unhappy and helpless
victims Of their impudcnce. The
life. Private families even find them
selves walked in upon on their re-
ccption days by people from their
part of the country visiting Washington.
These tourists assume that because their
victims are from the same State they are
therefore free to drop in and introduce
themselves TO the hostess who never saw
or heard of them before. Having satiated
their ravenous curiosity and seen all they
want to, they smilingly bow themselves
ont and proceed to do somebody else
The remedy for these abuses is simple
enough. Admission by card alone to the
receptions at the White House when not
u public reception, admission by card TO
the receptions of the Supreme Court
ladies, the wives of the Senators and Rep.
rcsentatives, the Foreign Ministers and
private houses. There has been to much
social liberty in this town. II has degen-
Grated into impertnent license and inso-
lcnce.
~
Mrs. Secretary Noble will be assisted in
receiving to-day by Mrs. Burrows, Mrs.
Thomas Wilson, Mrs. and Miss Mattingly
and Miss Denver.
aw4
The dinner given last night at the
White House to the Supreme Court was
attended by the Chief Justice. the Justices
and their wives, the Attorney-General,
Mesdames Dolph, Daniel, Edmunds Rea-
gan, Hawley, Cultivate, Kitchen, Foster,
Mckee, Russell Harrison, and Senators
Ransom, Dolph, Edmunds, Blair, Daniel,
Hawley, Reagan, Governor Cheney, Rep
resentatives Cultivate and Adams, Mr..
Thompson. Mr.. Caswell, Mr.. Curlct of
Montana and General Beale.
Miss Armstrong, No. 1923 Nineteenth
street, has issued cards to tea to be given
on Monday, February 2, in honor OF her
friend, Miss Enid Yandell of Louisville,
KY, who is to be her guest after that date
for perhaps fortnight. Miss Armstrong
is the daughter of General Frank ARM
strong who was dashing Lieutenant in
the. First Dragons of 'the old Army"
and afterward one of the best of the cav
airy Maior-Generals of the Confederate
service. His step-fathcr, General Persfer
| Il. Smith, was one of the distinguished
| heroes of the Mexican war. This tea will
be a notable one among 'old Army" and
Southern people.
Wv
A spirited renconi,e is said to have taken
place at n swell german the other night
between millionaire's spoiled darling a
| young and favorite member of foreign
legation and q, visiting and well-posed so.
| ciety leader. II seems the young diplomat
happened to move the spoilt darling
chair, whereupon she turned to rend him.
"Ifow dare you move my chair?n "I'u'-
don, mademoiselle, / did not intend to
take your chair" said the young diplomat
politely. "You did," said the $. d., and,
turning to her friend, she said, with with
ering scorn: This man dares TO move my
chair" The visiting social leader turned
o look il was, to be stire!-which seeing,
the $. d. was taken in hand by her friends,
who vainly endeavored to pacify the
pretty being who withdrew in wrath.
With what Incompatible good breeding
the young diplomat behaved! Could any.
thing have been more crushing than the
look of the lovely woman who gave it?
#x*
The Misses Williamson, daughters OF
Chief Engineer Williamson, U. s. NJ, gave
most enjoyable tea yesterday afternoon
Miss Carrie Parker, Miss Bainbridge, Mis-:
Julia Wilson, Miss Eastman, Miss jamie
Cox, Miss Skerritt, Miss Toland of Phila
delphia, Miss Blackjack and Miss Lena
Gaines of Warrenton, Va. Among thu
guests were Captain Alfred Taylor and
Mrs. Taylor, Lieutenant w. b. Caperton
Miss Meade, Miss Norton, Miss Walthall
the Misses Blackburn, Lieutenant ant
Mrs. Lemly, Mr.. and Mrs. Aspinwall
Thompson Miss Scranton, the Msse
Hutchinson and Miss jenkins, daughter
of Admiral jenkins.
Nv
Among the coming nice things to b.
given are: General and Mrs. Rochester
dinner, February Z, to Mr.. and Mrs
Julian II. Davis of New York; Mrs. An
drews' tea, on Wednesday, February 4
and General and Mrs. Edgar Allan's te
on the 30th instant.
wv
At the marriage of Lieutenant Levi
Nixon, U. S. n, to Miss Sallie Wood, tn
daughter of Mrs. General Blake in tn
Church of the Covenant tomorrow, Thurs
uuy uOOH, tllc tlslcTS Will Dc llculeIluil
W. s. Cowles, y. s. N; Captain William
Crozier, U. S. A.; Naval Constructors J
]. Woodward and w. l.. Capps, U. s. N
Lieutenants T. s. Rogers and Philip n
Alger, U. S. n. The best man win b
Naval Constructor ID. w. Taylor, u. s.
A wedding breakfast will be given by Mr.:
Blake afterward.
, x*x
Commodore and Mrs. Skerritt and tn
Misses Skerritt have infused new life int
, the social circle at the Navy-Yard. TIL
: Commodore, who is in command of th
, his house is, of course, the centre of til
life there. Mrs. Skerritt, who is natiy
of Norfolk, is one of those charmin
: women to whom hospitality is the fir
} social duty, and she is assisted in doin
: the honors of the ecommandant's resident
: by two daughters who are as attractive an
agreeable as they are cultivated and wei
, bred.