Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-13

most enjoyable musical selections. Mrs. McManus promises these delightful en- tertalnments weekly and they will be an ticipated with much pleasure. The fol lowing guests were present. MT. and Mrs. Robert McLester. Dr. and Mrs. Baine, MT. and Mrs. A w. Miller, MT. and Mrs. J. w. Pollard, MT. and Mrs. Shock, Mir and Mrs. c. s. Simmons, MT. and Mrs. George Passe, MT. Harper and Miss Nellie Harper, Captain Bryan and Mr. Beckworth and Miss Lineker, MT. Bryant and Miss Fowler, MT. Hines Francis and Miss Lillie White. Professor Schuster, Dr. Stewart. MT. c. Randolph Chears, Miss Phillips. Miss McLester, Prof. F. M. Roof, MT. L. P. Hill and Miss Passe, MT. P. B. Merry and others.
 Mrs. Ledbetter of Little Rock, who has been the guest of Dr. and Mrs. s. l.. Led better, left yesterday afternoon for Compton. She will return to Birmng- ham in few days.
 The Clonian club entered regularly upon the literary work of the season Fri day afternoon at the residence of Mrs W. s. Brown, on Sixth avenue. Mrs. Browns handsome home was elaborately decorated with beautiful roses from her own grounds and was filled with their subtle fragrance Mrs. Brown served de- licious refreshments during the after noon. The quotations for the meeting were selected from Alabama poets, and Mrs. J. W. Barclay read a report on the best histories of Alabama Mrs. Brown gave a report of the best authorities on the English language. and Mrs. G. M. CruikShank read a poem by Whittier upon October" The committee appoint ed to decide upon a course of study for the Clonians made a report It was de- cided to adopt the plan of the committee, which Is to study the history of the southern states. beginning with Ala bama. At each meeting there will be an historian. a reader and an essayist, ap- pointed by the director, Mrs. Robert Cunningham. The historians and essay ists will give the material progress of the states under consideration and the polit- ical and social history, which will be dis cussed in a conversational manner by the members of the club. led by the his torian of the occasion The reader at each meeting will read selections from the poets, and also editorials from Ala bama newspapers bearing upon ques- tions of import. The membership of the C]ionian club was enlarged and Mrs Sturdivant. Mrs. Robert Stone and Mrs. Robert Newman were elected members. The club will meet next Friday after noon with Miss Bessie Blinn.
 It has been suggested that it would be an excellent idea for the ladies of Br- mingham to come to some understanding regarding reception days, as 1t would render visiting in every way easier and more satisfactory. Many ladies have adopted the plan for years of having a reception day. when they would be at home and at leisure. But during the past season very little regard was paid to the matter. If any ladies desire to se- lect certain days to receive their friends and will send me their names and days it will give me much pleasure to publish the list.
 Miss Ava Hardie Bradford writes in this exceedingly interesting way of her European experiences:
 "London. Sept. 24.-You see I am back in old England once more. We arrived at 745 this evening. We came across today from Clippe to New Haven, and the channel was as smooth as river. We enjoyed our stay in Paris very much. We had a beautiful day at Versailles; the weather was delightful during our whole stay in Paris. At Versailles is one of the finest palaces in Europe; the picture galleries are so excellent, too. The Gallery of Battles contains paint ings of the French battles from the earli- est times down to the present. The pictures of Napoleon are splendid. There
 Is a small statue of him as an old man. Louis XIV's bed is there, all hung with tapestries. and his grand salon is the | the Crystal roOm,' for on one side there are mirrors the whole way and on the other side are windows, with magnificent chandeliers hung between. The gardens are simply filled with fountains; there are thirty or thirty-five of them. of mar ble, bronze, etc. They cost $200, 900, GOO to be made and $2000 every time they play as the water has to be brought from a great distance. The fountains only play once month: and we were fortunate enough 10 see them. The grand foun- tains throw the water 72 feet high. Near the palace are Grand and Petit Trianon, and the Museum of Carriages. At the Grand Trianon is the bed occupied by Josephine just before she went to Nal mason, which Queen Victoria used once afterwards. when Napoleon III received her there The bed is there also pied; 1t is a rather plain little bed, rather short, though very pretty. There are some exquisite Sevres vases there and elegant inlaid tables; one, feet in diam eter. is of solid oak. black and carved. given to one of the soyeregns by Pope Plus VII. The splendid malechite font, which was given by the czar of Russia for the baptism of Napoleon III. The room is there in which Marshall BaZaine was tried and convicted. At the Petit Trianon is the little hamlet of houses that Marie Antoinette had built for her self and her court ladies to play at peas ant life. They are lovely little houses, and covered with ivy; one was built for dairy, with water running under it. In the Museum of Carriages were the vehicles used by different sovereigns. among them that of Napoleon l. This was beautifully carved and lined with white satin. These things certainly make history real. feel as if had seen the old sovereigns themselves. I have been going all day, and 1t is so hot here am rather worn out. shall not attempt to tell you anything about tke shopping. We have been to Redferns; r is certainly an elegant esta ablishment The new