The Washington times., 1895-03-10

cause to thoroughly comprehend the mean
ing of the phrase 'skin deep" To their
friends generally the statement has been
given out that they have been suffering
from severe attack of the grip, but in
reality this fashionable and all prevail ent
malady has had nothing whatever to do
with their enforced retirement from the
gay world. They have been suffering, it
is true, suffering considerably more than
ssNn deep, but it is all because OF their
own vanity and foolhardincss.
The fact that their complcxions have not
been all that could be desired has been to
them for years a matter of gray est concern
and frequent doctorings, but il remained
for the present time for heroic measures
TO be taken in this respect. One morning,
while on shopping expedition down town,
they came to q counter in one of the large
shops at which was advertised in the most
steaming processes for beautifying the
complexion.
To notice such statements as were there
set forth was with them to investigate
with view to personal betterment. Then
followed a trial of the steaming OF their
compilations, and finally il was agreed
that the woman in charge of this method
of improving the complexion should be
allowed to visit the ladies at their homes
and carefully remove the otter cuticlc OF
the faces OF the two desrous of improving
their complexions.
This was accordingly DONE to the infinite
pain and decided danger of the two fool
hardy ores. They were necessarily CON
| fined TO their rooms until the new cuticle,
devoid of all bemishes, had time to form.
and in the meantime, of course were in
( no condition to see any Of their friends.
Fortunately with the aid of the family
physician they pulled through the ordeal
all right, but all things considered they
are never likely to repeat the dangerous
experiment, and moreover, live i'll haleful
fear chat the real secret OF their temporary
retirement from society may leak cut and
cover them with everlasting confusion.
There has been considerable feeling,
| as well as trouble, engeuGcred during the
past season by persons neGl Getting to answer
| luncheon and dinner invitations until
| shortly before the entertainment was 10
/ take place. In a number of instances Tie
usual mistake has been made that persons,
even the guest Of honor, from forgetfuincss,
neglected to put in an appearance until
the day after the feast, while others, equally
at fault, have arrayed themselves and
gone forth to the house Of the entertainer
a day in advance.
! Even in the matter of replying to White
House invitations the virtue Of promptncSS
has been in scy eral cases altogether ignored,
ana considerable trouble caused thereby
There has been nothing so flGgrant in this
matter, however, rs an incident during the
/ first year of Mr. Cieveland's administration,
when Mrs. Cleveland gave luncheon, and
/ at the last moment was obliged to send Il
] mounted messenger to one of the invited
! guests to know whether or not she in
! tended to accept the invitation ard be
present.
Something decidedly in this order hap
! pened at q recent card party One OF the
/ most prominent ladies invited failing, from
! what cause does not appear. to reply, the
! prospective hostess was obliged to send
/ two notes to her on the subject before the
matter was settled by the delinquent one
| finally declining the invitation.
BoSton's blue-blooded society, as repre-
/ sented in Washington, does not always
come out on the matter OF history as strong
/ as might he expected Blue blood is, as
| all the world knows, n matter of inherit
ance. A knowledge of history is, on the
other hand, altogether a matter Of per
! sonal requirement due to apple alton and
| memory. That culture and blue blood
! should be synonymous is popular idea in
| so far as Boston society is concerned. When
| some prominent representatives of the great
! educational center of the universe slip up
in the matter of historical data it rather
! knocks the bottom out of cherished beliefs
and plays havoc with preeonceiyed idess
! as TO tie eternal fitness of things. This is
! just what has happened in Washington
within the past fortnight.
1t all came about because of the magnifi-
cent Rocco concert given on Shrove Tues
day night as most fitting wind-up of
the phenomenaIly gay winter in Washing
ton. Invitations issued for that enter
tainment contained tie request that the
/ guests should attend in the costume OF
| 1770. since the concert was to be in every
| respect typical of the time of Joseph
/ Haydn, whose music was rendered by
| Sedl's Orchestra in court costumes of
| that time, these costumes having been
ordered by the entertainer especially for
! the occasion.
| For the most part the guests We're ele-
gantly costumed, and the entertainment
| was beyond question the handsomest, as
well as the most unique, ever given in Wash
| ington Strangely enough, the depar-
| lures from the desired conventional dress
| ing as typical of ITO were mainly on the
part of Bostonians.
One of the Boston women went to the
concert gowned as Priscilla, the Puritan
maiden. Reference to history will reveal
! the narrowing fact that in 1770 that famous
| young person had been sleeping the sleep
/ of the Just that knows no earthly waking
| for more than century. This insignificant
| fact had evidently not been allowed feath-
| ers weight when it came to the matter of
planning costume, even Supposing it was
| taken into consideration at all. The Bos-
| tonian desired to attend as Priscilla, the
| Puritan maiden. and therefore did so re-
hgardless of, or perhaps unknowinS, the
Historical discrepancy of which she was
| thus guilty.
The invitations called for Colonial cos
tunes of the time of ITO, it must be remem-
bered, and, therefore, it was decidedly in
the nature of a genuine surprise when
| another very prominent Boston woman
/ made her appearance adorned with a mob
/ cap and gown, typical of woman of
| fashion of the French Commune. Just
| what possible relation there could be be-
| tween the French Commune and the Co.
| lonial danes remains for the Boston woman
| in question to unravel and set before an
| inquiring public.
| Still another Boston woman, with an airy
disregard for the triviaities Of gowns,
| history, or any such matters, seemed to
| think that by wearing diamond star
upon her forehead. and back OF that be-
coming bow of soft white chiffon of the
| tiniest dimensions, she had made the re-
| quired concess ions to historical data.
| The fact that she wore an up-to-date bro
cade gown did not in the least interfere with
| her enjoyment of the music or her environ
ments generally.
] One Boston woman went to the enter