Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
IN THE OPEN AIR
Social Diversions Which Bring Peo-
pie Out of Doors.
GREEN LAWNS IN CITY and SUBURBS
An. important Factor at This Sea-
son is the Wheel.
q N D Err THE Rec S

Given pretty oak grove, a stretch of
well-kept lawn, some gay-colored tents and
soft drinks to match them in tint, strings
OF Chinese lanterns or fairy lights around
the trees. let every lassie have her laddie,
ana there you are well equipped for a
lawn party. The prevalence of this partic-
ular form of social diversion at this sea-
son Of the year ought only be bounded by
the number of those who possess some of
the above advantages and have acquaint-
ances enough to make up the last condi-
ton. There is another indispensable
feature, too. which is essential to the per-
lection of the whole idea, and that is the
weather. Next to the awful responsibility
of the making up of the feminine mind as
to what to wear comes the narrowing dis
cussion as to what kind of weather may
be expected. Lawn parties and picnics
have always had the same depressing eff
feet on the barometer, which is an invaria-
BILE accompaniment of the circus and other
al fresco events. The present week. with
its two lawn parties, of which more than
usual pleasant expectations were formed,
had gloomy mornings on the day Of each
fete but the meteorological improvement
with each hour of the advancing day was
more favorable, that when evening came
the weather conditions were simply per-
feet
The number of Washington residents who
have grounds about their houses sufficient
ly large to entertain in this way is not very
large. Some of the most spacious of the
West End mansions have the most meager
provision in this line.
Some City Lawns.
The White House gardens have not been
used for this style of entertainment for
many a long year. Its open-air hospital
tiles have scarcely overlooked the south
balconies. Corcoran House gardens have
been frequently used. There are large gar
dens attached to the Riggs mansion on
street. Mr.. John r. Mclean has a very
generous sized garden adjoining his man
sion. Judge Wylie has another, and most
dcsirably located, and the grounds about
the Taylor house, on Vermont avenue, give
a woodland beauty TO the block. The
grounds around the Louise Home and the
gravel-pathed and f!ower-decked garden
facing 10th street would make another
beautiful place for a city lawn party.
The British embassy has gardens suffi-
GENTLY large for a good tennis court, and
so has the Japanese legation. The French
embassy has a nice oid-fashioned garden
adjoining it H street. but the open-air
festivities of the ambassador and Mrs.
Patenotre very properly date from Clifton,
the suburban residence west of the city,
which Is their home between seasons. The
| ambassadors after-wedding reception there
was one of the beautiful fetes of recent
years.
The suburban homes which are now be-
coming numerous around Washington
present all the advantages for this kind Of
recreation. Mr.. and Mrs. Gardiner G.
Hubbard always entertain this way during
May or June each year. as do Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles ]. Bell, whose lovely home is in the
immediate vicinity. Mr.. and Mrs. A. L.
BARRIERS place, Pretty Prospect" Tenley-
town road, was utilized during the past
week by a charming event of this charac-
ter. Bonfires fed by the debris of the old
houses which have stood as landmarks on
the place for years We're one of the fea-
lures, and gave py-go-Iucky air to ar
rangementS OF the most elaborate kind.
Miss Barber was the hostess, with three
young lady friends. Miss Davis, Miss
Kaufman and Miss Teel.
At Mr. Crosby S. Noyes' country hcme
moonlight lawn parties make regular
fairyland of the place. The avenues ap-
preaching the house are bordered with fine
old trees, and with strings of lanterns sus-
pended from one to another. the effect is
very pretty. Mr.. and Mrs. John r. Nc
Lean do not occupy their country place very
often. but they fond of loaning it out,
so to speak, to their friends. 1t will be re-
membered Mr.. and Mrs. Curzon spent the
first week Of their married life there and
doing away with the old romantic ideas
that honeymoons are necessarily duets
tuned to the sweetest harmony enter
tanned their friends every night at dinner.
every noon at breakfast and every after.
| noon at O'Clock tea.
Society OH Wheels
With the wheel so necessary a feature to
modern locomotion, open-air enjoyments.
p.cnics, country dinners and suppers are
touches of spring began to make the hill
sides take on a new dress, Inequalities, es-
pecially among the younger set, have been
4 Ill.