The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-22

specimen of weather as even volatile March
ever produces, but no weather is ever bad
enough to keep a clever society woman at
home il there is an interesting event on the
tapis to call her out. 1t was quite good
sized audience that greeted Mrs. John Sher-
wood at Belcourt, the beautiful residence of
DR.. and Mrs. William A. Hammond, to listen
to a well-digested, thought-out, and wrought
out paper on "The Possibilities of the Ameri-
can Salon." The audience was highly ap-
preciative. not only of the lecture, but the
beautiful interior ''court" in which it was de-
livered Dr. and Mrs. Hammond received
the company, and quite little preliminary
social took place in advance of the lecture.
Miss Amy Hare opened the exercises with two
or three choice piano recitals from the Nor
wegian Wedding Song, while Miss Harlan
rendered couple of vocal solos most ac-
ceptably in her rich contralto voice. Mrs
Sherwood was the most interesting figure pre-
sent. She is large woman, in her prime,
with noble features and intellectual counte-
nance, and of very genial manner. She wore
her dark hair in large puffs at the side
of her face. Her gown of garnet satin
was trimmed with rows of gold braid.
With much grace she thanked her audience
for coming out on such stormy day. She
then began TO read her essay in a well-modu-
lated voice. Beginning with the history
OF the French salon at the time of
Louis XIV and the Duke of Orleans, she
described the women OF that salon to be
s'women who discarded all the decencies of
life." Mrs Sherwood, with a fine sense of
the fitness of things, found much to commend
and more things to condemn in the French
salon. She then gav' a brief history of the
English salon as it was during Lady Mary
Wortley Montague time, which she de-
scribed as "a unioi of fashion with intellect"
''We see there what society has done for
genius and what genius has done for society,""
Mrs. Sherwood then gave graphic descrip-
ton of the English salon as she had found it
during five annual visits to London, where
reputation for intellectual supremacy un-
locked all doors. 'In France It is patent
of nobility for woman to have done some
thing, and in England intellect is superior
to rank-deep rooted as that is in the English
character" Mrs. Sherwood said she thought
that Washington, having established official
grades of society, seemed to have the material
for the political salon. New York was not a
promising field. Mrs. John Jacob Astor tried
it, and her failure was humorously detailed.
Here it seemed different There were people
OF political opinions, scientists, intellectual
men, and progressive women. Our modern
society is passing through social revolution.
We have ministers as tender and sanity as
Fenelon, men of letters, and the most charming
women in the world. The only thing needed
is the hostess of culture, grace, and tact, who
will sink self in bringing out the best in those
she summons to her salon-one who will be
genial to everything but vanity or stupidity
Society needs this elevating and refining in
fuence. The salon is to social life what the
orchid is in the flower world-the rarest, most
unique flower of all-which it takes cultiva-
ton and refined taste to appreciate. Mrs.
Sherwood said, in conclusion, that she had
hopes of seeing Washington society yet dig
nified and elevated by breadth of view
emanating from some clever woman's intro
duction of the American salon. At the con-
clusion OF the brilliant essay 1t was interesting
to note its effect. A society lady present
said: "Well, l tried getting the clever
people, the politicians, the scientists,
and the authors together, but l found
the politicians too busy with affairs to take
to the salon idea, the scientists looked down
upon society from great height with half
tolerant derisiveness that was amusing, and
my authors of both sexes knew much more of
the ways of imaginary people than of this
work-a-day world. So wrote failure over
my good intentions after one seasons trial"
81 would help if | could" responded an ele-
giant young woman thoroughly cultured by
travel, "but Washington is given over to the
married women, and We single women cannot
carry out our ideas of society without chap
erone, Mrs. Grundy, at our elbows. ssAll the
same, in due time salon, or something that
corresponds to it in intent, is bound to find
place in the social life of this city, fast becom-
ing cosmopolitan, and hence open to all the
influences of higher civilization" said an
other attentive observer. Among those pres
ent were Dr. and Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Mitch
ell, Miss Mitchell, Mrs. Bacon, Mrs. Noble,
Mrs. George B. Loring, the Misses Henry
Mrs. Cilley, Mrs. Stone, Mrs. Ackley Mrs,
Audenreid, Mrs. l.. Def Jennings, Mrs.
Ffoulk, Mrs. Justice Harlan, Mrs. Fisher,
Mrs. Babbitt, and others.
On Thursday Mrs. jerome G. Burnett, 1905
street, gave small but elegant Lenten
lunch in honor of her sister, Mrs. Deloss
Gould, of Terre Haute, Ind. The guests were
all ladies who formerly resided in that State:
Mrs. Parks, Mrs. NJ. g. Lee, the Misses Curry
and Mrs. e. H. Sherwood. Mrs Gould
favored the company with several artistically
rendered vocal solos.
Mrs. John Sherwood, of New York, is dom
iciled at the Arlington. During the first of
the week she goes to Fortress Monroe for
brief rest. After few days she will return to
Washington and be the central figure at sey-
eral dinners to be given in her honor imme-
diately after Easter. Mrs. DR.. Hammond will
give the initial one on April 2.
Miss Ada Sherwood, daughter Of Mr. and
Mrs. Tyler Sherwood, was married on We'd
nesday, at the Calvary Baptist Church, 1920
U street by DIR. Green to Mr. William H.
Dickerson, of Baltimore. Mr. and Mrs.
Diekerson started Immediately on a short
bridal trip.
Miss Williams, who has been spending the
past month with her uncle, Mr.. Frank Han
yey, OF 234 New Jersey avenue, returned to
her home in Lynchburg, Va, the first of the
week.
Our juvenile department is the most com
Plete In Washington, and prices the lowest.
Eiseman Bros, 7th and e.