The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-18
GOSSIP FOR THE GIRLS.
Alice Confides to Dear Louise the
Goings On in Washington.


Goings On in Washington.
My DEAR LOUISE; 1 am quite stirred up on
the subject of reception days for people in pri-
vate life, and it seems so difficult for individuals
here to make the distinction between the official
and private society of the Capital. 1.-THE SER
wants of the peoplen come here expecting to
entertain the masses; and l am sure, as a rule,
1t is great pleasure to these people TO have
their houses thronged with a crowd on stated
days. 1t is a novelty to the women of the
family to have such prominence, and there is
only brief four-year term in which to enjoy
the distinction; after that comes the return to
the insigni6cance of small-town life. There
fore it is but natural that they should enjoy
'gathering the roses while they may" 1t is an
entirely different affair for the resident Wash
ingtonian. At a private house it seems to me
that no self-respectng man or woman would
call without an invitation from the hostess.
Yet here people not only take this liberty for
themselves, but add to the offense by taking
a friend along. 1 know of case where
it was utterly impossible for the hostess
to freeze out the intruder, who became a
weekly caller with staying powers of the high
est order. heard great deal of complaint of
this nature last season, and to some extent
remedy has been applied by ladies having this
year only very few reception days. This has
cut off the selfinviters and bores from their reg
ular round; in fact, am sure they have had to
mark off from their list many comfortable
berths wherein good cneer and good company
were formerly to be had Amy calls these peo-
pie the tramps of society, and l think they
might frequently be characterized as the 'army
of occupation"
AT the Wednesday receptions of the Cabinet
families one can see great deal of the genteel
comedy of life and study the characteristics Of
the various sections of the country. Just now
the city is filed with strangers. Where do they
all come from, and what are their conditions of
life on their native heath? 1 am led to ask this
because heard a woman who was evidently the
leader of her group give orders for five plates
of salads, three cups of coffee, and two of tea in
the same tone and manner she would use at a
cafe, and she was addressing herself to daint-
lily gowned, @sthetic-looking girl, one Of the sup
elementary hostesses at a reception This.
however, did not occur at Cabinet house, but
at very notable mansion. "What did the girl
reply to this insoence ?' hear you ask. She
very properly said, "The waiter over there will
attend to you, madame" Such occurrences
are having their natural result In new order
of things, for in many houses the refreshment-
room is now given over to the charge of hired
walters. 1 think it such pity, for it was
charming custom to have the hospitality Of
the house administered by the chosen repre-
sentatives of the hostess l have also observed
that where the walters are left to themselves
they are perfectly and supremely Indifferent to
the refreshment of the guests. At one house,
| where a choice table was set, wished the host
ess possessed the brd-like quality of being in
two places at once, for she would have seen
| ''the colored gentlemen hired to officiate in
| the dinng-room sizing up each individual be-
| fore serving him or her, exchanging their own
| little jokes while pouring the cold tea and
| coffee, and in various small ways displaying
| their Indifference to the guests. 1t was really
too bad that the hospitable intentions of the
people of the house should have been thus
| frustrated, for there was an exquisitely adorned
table containing all the usual reception dan-
ties. With member or representative of the
| family present L am sure these walters would
not have offered stone-cold tea and coffee.
| The absence OF men at the afternoon recep-
| tions and teas is really distressing ooh where
did she get all those lovely boys?" exclaimed a
girl who has been nineteen for two years as a
party of young men entered the reception-room
| of house where tea was in progress
The Dancing Glass, which is not composed
entirely of buds, has adopted Cinderella hours,
and their balls are over promptly at midnight,
SO the girls have the chance of a little beauty
sleep to nurse the fading roses. This is the
year for the married men! 1t is now not an un-
common thing for them to officiate as ushers at
weddings, and at the beautiful opening ball OF
the Washington Assembly on Wednesday night
! at the Arlington the cotillon was led by Judge
John Davis. l wish you could have seen the
elegant suite of rooms In festive trim.
Just think, Louise, of minister OF God being
requested to leave his charge because he brings
poor and questionable element into the con-
gregation Such, l have been told, is DR.
Douglass reason for requesting the resignation
of DR.. Pyne. There many in st. Johns
Church who have most affectionate remem
brances Of the father of Rev. Mr.. Pyne, the
former having been the incumbent of st. Johns
for twenty years. Through regard for hi
fathers memory and good works, as we'll al
appreciation of his own individual merit, anG
the feeling that religious congregation should
never degenerate into a mere fashionable as
sembage, quite stir has been raised in St
Johns over Rev DR.. Pyne's treatment DR.
Douglas has not been heard from on the sub
ject
The great event of the week was the mar
riage of Miss Florence Audenred and Count
Devonne The ceremony was performed will
all the pomp of the ritual of the Catholic
Church, and the decorations in st. Matthew
were the most beautiful ever seen in Washing
ton. The ceremony and reception have been 81
thoroughly written up that forbear. One lit
tie incident however, has been overlooked
The Countess DeVonne took away with her OF
her wedding journey her little pet dog, wht
went off with a wedding favor of white SAITH
ribbon fastened to his collar.
Senator and Mrs. Leland Stanford's Dime
on Thursday night, at which the President ant
Mrs. Harrison were the guests of honor, quit
took the lead of anything of the kind ever givei
here. The cloth was edged with Irish point
and the only flowers used on the table wer
orchids of the costliest variety lilies of the val
ley, and orange blossoms. There were fires
Strawberries and other fruits sent from Cal
| fornia for the occasion. This was the fines