The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-02-08

King-a Cabinet Day at Mrs. Wanna
maker's-Her Dining-room and Her
Famous Bethany Punch.
Lent begins next Wednesday, and Washing
ton society for the next forty days will,
metaphorically speaking, put on sacllcloth, eat
fish on Fridays, and squat in the ashes of re-
pentance. The season has been gay one, and
the dinners, teas, and receptions have been
numerous and extravagant. The Cabinet re-
ceptions gave a chance to the tourists and the
bridal couples to see the noted women of
Washington, and the Cabinet ladies tell me
their callers were numbered by thousands. These
Cabinet receptions are peculiarly American
institution. All the wives of President Har-
rison's counselors are supposed to be at home
every Wednesday during the social season and
the doors are thrown open to all 1 suppose it
would be small estimate to say that Mrs.
Wanamaker has shaken hands with twenty
thousand people at her Wednesday receptions
this season, and you could hardly crowd the
cards she has received into a two-bushel basket
Let us join the crowd of tourists and make a
call upon her. The streets are dry, the day is
pleasant, and we walk, going past the White
House, by the Corcoran Gallery, past the Metro
'politan Club, where Count Arco Valley, with
his monocle tightly pinched by the flesh around
his left eye, looks at us, and on up to Farragut
Square, on the south side of which is now rising
the cream-colored brick mansion on the ruins
of the fire which caused the death of Mrs
Secretary Tracy.
THE wANAMAKER RECEPTION.
AT the corner Of Farragut Square we turn to
the right, along l street, and stop before big
square three-story mansion of red brick with a
sort of Grecian portico over its front door,
The street is filed with carriages, and coachmen
and footmen in livery with bugs on their hats
sneer at US as they sit stiff and straight on the
carriages of the nabobs A wide awning ex-
tends from the front door to the edge Of the
roadway, and there is a carpet laid across the
sidewalk and up the steps in order that Dame
Fashion may not soil her feet in coming in
portly butler stands at the head of this, and
the door has apparently opened by magic,
swinging noiselessly back on its big brass
hinges as we walk up the steps. He takes our
cards on what looks like collection plate and
motions US to the right. We keep on our
wraps and go in as our names are announced in
loud tones. A handsome lady in evening dress
stands near the door, 1t is Mrs. Wanamaker.
She is straight, we'll formed, and fine looking
and the smile with which she shakes our hands
is genuine one. She says word or so about
the beautiful day, and then passes us on to the
other ladies Of the reception party, who are also
dressed with trains, and who are among the
distinguished women of the country | note
that one of them is very pretty and that her
dress is corncolored silk, and that another
has light-blue crepe with gold girdle and
trimmings. This last lady is quite Young. She
has beautiful form and her face has strength
as well as beauty. Her name was slurred over
as we passed by her, and my friend asks in
whisper who she may be. "Why that" was
my reply, sis Miss Minnie Wanamaker, She is
the daughter of the Postmaster General, and she
is one of the brightest girls in Washington. The
diplomats are crazy over her and she is one of
the best catches in America. Wanamaker is
worth at least eight million dollars and he has
only four children.
SOME OF THE CALLERS.
These words are whispered and we move
back under beautiful painting, and give a
running comment on some of the visitors as
they enter: ''That gray-hared lady in black
with the bright eyes and fresh face, is Mrs.
Gen. Logan. She is well-to-do now, and she is
just beginning to go into society after her hus-
bands death. She dives one of the finest turn
outs in Washington, and there is no more pop
ular woman in the country. The pretty, dark
faced little girl behind her is Mrs. Mai. Tucker,
and that tall, ,ine-looking manis her husband, the
Major. You see, men call here as we'll as women,
and the old call well as the young. That
tall, thin, old man who is now shaking hands
with Mrs. Wanamaker is Horatio King. He
was POSTMASTER General over forty years ago,
and when Buchanan was President and jeff
Davis was q society beau he had the place that
Wanamaker has now. He is seventy-five years
old, but he is as bright as dollar, and he es-
pecially likes young girls, and l will give you
an introduction if you want it," My friend re-
piled that she did not care TO be introduced
just then, and | went on:
"That tall lady with the rosy cheeks and
brown hair is Mrs. Senator Sherman. She is
fine looking, isn't she? She has been in society
here longer than Horatio King, and she came
here with John when he was elected to Con
gress, away back in 1854"
'Before you were born ?''
''Yes know; but she likes to go calling as
we'll now as she did then, and this Washington
society is thing that grows on you. What
lot that woman has seen She knew Harriet
Lane. She noted lady when Lincoln was
President, and for four years she had the same
place that Mrs, Wanamaker has now, when
John Sherman was Secretary of the Treasury.
She has been one of the leaders of the Sena-
torial circle for years and years, and she pre-
sides over the Senator's big mansion on X
street. That girl with her is her daughter
Mary. She will probably be as big an heiress
as Minnie Wanamaker, and she is one of the
best liked girls among the daughters of the
Senator'S
WOMEN WHO OWN MILLIONS.
"We seem to have struck the rich people to-
day That plainly dressed lady there who is just
coming into the drawing-room is Mrs. Stanford.
She don't look like the wife Of the richest man
in the country, but you ought to see her at
big dinner or at a White House reception She
wears jewels at such times that are worth for