New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-11
HOME AND SOCIETY.
WHEN NAMES MAY BE HYPHENATED

,ors when used in this country in connection
~ the family name may. in the majority of
aas he regarded IN the light of harmless put
r,evhat ridiculous piece of conceit. In most III
,onces they are adopted for the sole purpose Oh
sou,np commonplace Anglo-Saxon patronymics
Ii, q glamor of gentility and arstocracy-Just III
the same way that so many people bearing Du'ch
- German sounding names cooly assume without
INV right the predicate of wan or voh' ana
chose possessing French. Italian or spanish hanies
ro6x thereto either de- or d. Inc assuinp-
~ the bvphen is only justified when the bequest
~ landed estates personal property Is haue con-
d,tional on egatees adoption OF the name Oh the
,,otor in addition to his own the two patronyrncs
Tin, IN that event connected by the little line or
union known as the hyphen
with this exception, hyphenated names have no
"raison d'etre" whatsoever. and their use Is mercy
calculated to provoke that contempt which is al
wavs excited by snobbery for 1t is difficult TO
oscrihe the growing frequency of hyphenated names
both in England and in this country 10 any other
failing than that mercilessly satrlzed py mack
erav In Great Britain 1t is mostly people OIL 'he
,dd,e classes endowed with social aspirations and
r,ahean names. who adopt the hyphen Du Maui
rer the English caricaturst, is never tired OF por-
craving in the pages Of Punch parvenus who
hone nv hyphenating their cognomens or Jones'
Robinson or Smith TO the aristocrauc names Oh
Ponsonby. Montmorency or Cavendish' 10 diinhish
the commonplace character of the former. Obvious
of
serves to accentuate their quality. In one word
the abortion of the hyphen must be regarded as an
ectation of superiority to the class ana STATUS 10
,hcb the hvphenator really belongs, and. while 1t
may serve 10 render the patronymic genteei, 1t
will never succeed in making 1t gente.
Fashion is all powerful in everything nowadays
and change is eagerly sought for In every direction
This is all as It should be. perhaps when IL alects
things ephemeral but 1t ought not TO dominate
bouse at great expense permanent habitatlon
than they find that the tide has turned and only
what is Grecian, its Colonial imitation Is au-
n,,red Undoubtedly II Is the modern style OF puilu-
ing cheap ediices, and the use of wood as ma
teria which cause these rapid transitions and pre-
$50 . nerroanent standard of taste but 1t is quite
,rua that the cut-up Queen Anne cottages. whlch
every one considered so pretty and picturesque
few wears ago. look out of date and uhatrac'Ne
now to eyes accustomed 10 the severe smplci'y ana
annie proportions Of the present admXture Oh gre
clan and Colonial. Perhaps 1t may be that 'he
,araard itself is better however inappropriate the
materials with which II is carried out
A charming example of the latest thihe III IRE
clan design merits description. 1t Is common De-
lief that classic effects must be monotonousy reSu-
lar whereas it was OF the principles or Heilehic
building that although the component parts must
So hormon,o,,s they NAV be quite irregular In ar
ranpement In this instance availing himself OF
this license the architect had evidently taken 'ne
Erechtheium at Athens as his model entrance inc
portco with its futed columns being raised IN Iroil
over a basement and approached with TWO nisnts
of steps while the wings were each on d oii-
,arent love, the one reaching the ground level with
lofty columns that extended past two stories, and
the other commencing on the level Oh tne mann
building but extending TO only half its helsh' Oi'
entering the effect is extremely pleasing the nan
being in the shape Of half-circle. with d PERI
styIe effect Of pillars OF yellow marble, supporting
:, GALLERY which gives access to the bedrooms by
means Of exqusitey carved stairways at ei'hei
end This rotunda hall is lighted from ABOVE
with yellow cathedral glass. The moor is oI ""''e
marble covered with tiger skins ana whl'eoear
rugs; and under the gallery are the uoors ieaurHs
IN the drawing-room. dinng-room and library be
teen these doors are inches filled with vases hoio-
ing spreading palms. all Of the WOODWORK peihg Oh
white enamel The effect OF this entresoi Is
ingly beautiful and makes the visitor long 10 see
the glories beyond. The footman in livery ought 10
have been a Grecian youth IN tuhic anu s"nua'''
wosb,npton society is one OF the most peculiar
social organizations extant: nothing Ike 1t can De
found anywhere else in the civilized world LOO
small to form itself into distinct classes "hich
would also be impossible on account OF poh'icai
,h,pations and diplomatic usages. there are never
theess marked sets and cliques; ana these now
eyer often they mngle in public, nave very oe-
fined lines and boundaries that are not az easy 10
pass as it would seem. The transtory character oi
w which
son Of the constant changes In official ana dipio
o.,o c,rc,as and which heretofore has rendered
ANYTHING like a permanent social organization i'm
possible is nevertheless, one OF It's greatest charhs
and 1t is no wonder that cultivated people or leisure
and comfortable fortunes are beginning 10 hno
that In vulgar parlance. they can get more io'
their money" at the Natoh cdpi'ai '''"" any ~
else in this country.
The climate too is greatly in its favor, being
wintry enough to suit healthy constitutions with
out the rigors Of an absolutely Northern ia'itude
Every year. therefore, brings desirable addluohs u
the permanent resident population. which VIII 10TH
the real nucleus Washington society in the cou
NJ time and which will, undoubtedly, become as
conventional and stereotyped as that OF Londoh OF
Paris Then the happy go-lucky days. win '"ei'
queer makeshlfts and curious admixture or poverty
and wealth, ceremony and laissezaiier, the isho'
rance Of the new world hobnobbng with the SAVIOR
faire Of the old. and all the strange contrasts ua'
have made the Washington OF the past so provn'
cial and vet at the time so cosmopolitan VIII
gradually disappear. and our seat or government
will eventually become the social. as wen as the po
Utical metropolis of America At present however
In spite of the many improvements or the pas
decade II is still the Washington OF old-iovaoie
and delightful with all its Inconsistencies and IN
congruties but still In a way rustic
at is curious" said OF the diplomatic corps
who had come most unwillingy to Wash'"s 'o'
from a gay European capital. "how quickly on'
becomes used TO the life here. and grows u
like IT, although at first 1t seems such an aiioiia',
and so crude find that New-York. although 'nuc'
more in touch with the world does not reahy oos
sess the ingredients for good society that exist /"
Washington; IT is too commercial. and The inner 'e
yelopments OF society are not possible III suc "
atnoosnbere But for Washington there are grea
possibilities"
IA q rule the stranger visiting Washington seer
very little of the inner social life, and Is APT
Judge of its society by the big political fuhcuoh'
which are open to all comers and which are nee
sssarily composed Of the most heterogeneous e'e
ments This constitutes the first or outer Circle d.
!, were into which every one can enter who owns
a decent gown and a card-case. The entertain
ments in this circle the various receptions heie
by those in official hfe the levees at the whir'