Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07
LONDON ON A BROAD GRIN.

| LONDON ON A BROAD GRIN.
The Queens Loyal Subjects Asking or An
swering . Riddle.
PROCESSION or HKl soArsups MAyrsrY or PARIS
AND HER RETISUE-A BEAUrIYuL SPECTACLE
'oUIDA" Has eRIKvAxCx-LArEsr PERSONAL
GOSSIP IN THE FASHIONABLE WORLD.
l Special Cable Letter to The Evening Star
LONDON, March T.-Society 10 amusing itself
with riddle ct present Its royal zeal having
| for the nonce got the better Of its Judgment
1t IL now engaged in the more or less congenial
task Of asking the newest conundrum. No even
ing party can be considered success at which
this scrap of would-be wit does not make its ap-
pearance. 1t is the riddle Of the season, and
as such its duty Is evident. 1t must be en- evi-
| dence everywhere although Il would have en-
ragged the soul Of DR.. johnson, who declared
| that the man who would make pun would pick
pocket. for it is on this Lowest form Of wit"
| according to Sydney Smith. that the whole
point, SO far as it has one turns Still it serves
society at present, and loud are the shouts Of
laughter which greet the correct answer.
Whether this laugh is altogether sincere 10 .
little questionable. II it is not, il says much
for socistys good nature and not little for iss
power OF acting, for after having listened to
this riddle a few dozen times 1t is apt to pail
even on the most loyal and conundrum-enthus-
| ing individual
This riddle il: sWty In the queen like
Nebuchadnezzar?"
| All sorts of answers have been given, Of which
the Following may be taken as a sample: "Be-
cause she has set up I. golden image Of Prince
Albert in Hyde Park"
Wrong, wrong" the asker cries.
| because she is at rest in her house and
fourishing in her palace
| wrong again, cries the interrogation. .
| The true reply is: because the queen il
| going forth to Grasse." This. il ia almost
superiuous to add is received with wild hilarity
When her gracious majesty returns from her
trip there will be q new conundrnm for her
loyal subjects in which she will again figure.
Several society wits have, it is said, already be-
gun to cudgel their brains in the manufacture
OF an equally exeruciating query which shall
put the memory Of this one completely in the
shade and which each fondly expects will run
through q regular season with as much success
as the last fashionable play. When it makes its
appearance you shall be sure to hear of it.
PROCESSION OF LAUNpREssEs.
The procession Of the laundresses in Paris,
which is always one Of the sights of the besuti-
full city, was this year a most marked success. In
fact people say it has not been equaled in years.
| There were hundreds of thousands of people
along the boulevards, all eager to see the
parade and all testifying to its excellence as
compared with the last ones. The heroine Of
the occasion, she who has been elected by her
fellows as the queen Of the laundresses, is
Mademoiselle Louise Sicard, beautiful
| brunette of twenty-six summers. She is a
statuesque creature of tall and commanding
| figure, which, though powerfully built, is
nevertheless exceedingly graceful. Her profile
Is classical. out of a type which Is common
| enough in the province Of which she is a native.
She has a low forehead a head of wavy, jet
blackshair, dark, ardent eyes and an open
\ hearted smile. SO, as You may imagine,
she was not long in winning a popular place
in the good graces of the assembled multitude.
ton at one of the public laundries. where she
received the devoirs Of her faithful subjects
| for the nonce. Her hair was decorated with
flowers and she wore beautiful bouquet in her
corsage. The coach which is reserved
for the triumphal procession of her
with crimson velvet, heavily fringed with
| gold. 1t is decorated with real camelias
and the seat behind the box is canopied with
| these flowers, which were SO much affected By
coachman extraordinary to the queen drove
| four horses and took his seat supported on
each side by negro decked out in fantastic
clothing.
| HER MAJEsrYs GOWN.
| Mademoiselle Sicards dress was exhibited at
the wash house in which she is employed and
attracted the usual gaping crowd. It is really
a very magnificent garment, every bit as fine
| as the dress which was sent short time ago by
one OF the first modistes to the czarina. 1t is
of cream brocade, with fern leaves plenti-
fully embroidered in gold as almost TO cover it,
and it is made after the fashion of that set by
Anne of Austria.
oUIDAs GRIEVANCE.
| Mademoiselle ALA Rance, who, Of course, is
more widely known as "Ouida," is, as usual,
| the heroine Of a grievance. She is wild be-
cause some African mining spectators have
named their company after her. She has, there.
fore, ayailed herself OF that course which
seemingly everybody with a reputation and
| nearly everybody without seeks when he wants
to grumble. viz: She has written letter to the
| Times in which she complains Of the impudence
OF these people ut what she no doubt considers
o dissertation of the name Of, perhaps, the
most prolific author living.
| JAMES PAWN JOINS PUNCH.
There is good news for those Anglo-maniacs
who affect Punch, which it is the fashion to say
is the most dreary comic paper ever produced,
but which in spite of this reputation every
body considers it his duty to read. The good
news is that Mr.. james Payn, the celebrated
novelist has just joined the staff and will of
course take part in the weekly dinners which 1t
holds. On hearing of the new appointment
heard gentleman remark: Thank God, he
may relieve its deadly dullness" But mo-
ticed be had copy of Punch in his hand.
AN AMERICAN PLAY ABROAD.
| The next production at the Vaudeville
Theater where "Woodbarrow Farm" which
Mr.. Sothern is playing in America is running,
will be Diamond Dean" a four-act play, the
work Of an American author. 1t was to have
been produced, SO the gossips say, at the Hay.
market Theater, but the success Of THE Dane
ing Girl" made the date of its production so
indefinite that Mr.. ThOrne obtained the right
| of II from Mr. Tree II will he nrO6nca1 with
all the advantage which capital cast can give
it Mr.. H. b. Conway, who was last year
member Of Mr.. Frohman's company, will make
his first appearance in 1t in London since his
return from America. Miss Jessie Millward
win have the title part, while Miss Dorothy
Done, who il described as an American actress
| will also be seen in it.
| Disastrous Sneese.
| From the San Francisco Chronicle