The herald., 1897-02-21
Observation-Disclosures
: Old and new Washington ;
- y
Neutrality-suspicious.

when Miss Harriet Lane was the first
lady in the land" or when Mrs. Frellng-
huysen and her three daugh ersreceived
all the Washington world in their infor-
NAL circle-the changes that have taken
place are little short of marvellous. No
where, even in charging New York or
Newport, can the signs of the times be
read so clearly The federal city was,
in the memory of even younglsh people,
the mecca of the retired official or of the
army or navy officer. who found the
happy combination OF great economy
in living and the society of his equals
there he could educate his boys and in
troduce his daughters into the world"
without strain to his narrow income.
To all this circle the sun rose and set
at the White House. The Official balls
and receptions represented all that his
children knew of society. A few days
at Fortress Monroe or Cape May was the
limit OF the summer outing. There half
ruined southern families could maintain
a semi-state in their picturesque old
houses, of which the Beale house on
Lafayette square is so good an example,
low and roomy, with it's slave-Quarters
in the rear.
What change from this post -bellum
simplicity! Washington has become q
great metropolis, the wintering place for
thousands of wealthy Americans, drawn
there by its really charming climate and
many material advantages, who have
built for themselves whole quarters with
their splendid houses-for whom the
president hardly exists, and a function
at the exclusive mansion" is as archaic
an entertainment as a New York charity
oall, and who would be frankly puzzled
to say who is secretary of state. How
an oid Washingtonian would have stared
10 near Oh eleven balls on eleven cOnsecu-
1--WE nlghts between December "a and
January 4, such as have just been given,
or luncheons at the Country club for
nifty Even the afternoon reception is
becoming extinct, as in New York. the
men having refused to attend. and the
women finding it rather poor fun with
out tnem. That is one bore less in life,
but its death is typical-it means that
| people nave more amusing things to do
With all this influx of wealth, a gem
| eral rise in rents and the cost of living
has come and revolutionizedi the whole
social structure. The O'Clock dinner
has given place to an or even s: 80 me all,
like recent dinner where 115 guests
We're served at little tables, followed by
cotillion, which in its turn was fol-
lowed by seated supper as elaboral lie
| as dinner.
When this state of things exists, and
a club can offer an entertainment such
as the Chevey Chase gave last week. rot
:,
question rises, where is the half-pay
| officer to take his place. how return his
obligations? end one thir'ks half sadly
Of those quiet evenings at Prof. Henry's
(of the Smithsonian), or of Col Bona
parties dainty little dinners to a half
dozen friends
The Borapartes are a very charming
connecting link between the half-re-
GREETED past and the brilliant present
| and Miss Bonaparte's marriage to
Count Won Moltke, although small on
| account of mourning in both families,
brought representatives of many con-
tending factions, and was very inter-
| esting historically and socially. AS soon
as you cross the threshold of that house
| on X street you seem to step back into
the past. The fine historical portraits
/ on the staircase, the furniture and
painted mirrors and the great flag, with
| Its NapoleOnic devices, speak of an in
teresting past, while, the cards attache d
to the wedding gifts, with names like
those of the Duchess de Dudoville, Wag-
ram, Sagan, hint at a smiling fortune
| By the way, why is it that in all the ar
| tlcles written about this marriage. when
| so much was being made of the bride S
| descent from the rather commonplace
| brother OF Napoleon not a paper men
| toned the far more interesting fact that
| she Is also the great-granGdaUghte of
| Daniel Webster? Surely this is the
greater honor. Is it that we are-what
| our enemies say-snobs, ard that a title
| dazZles us, or is 1t that we are passing
! through a curious period where it is
| good form" to affect to ignore our own
| country and its greatness? Another
| rather typical point was caught in 4
| conversation when one of the great
| western ladies, whose Eame is the syn
onym of hospitality said to friend:
@t-xr - rr,x, 1, 49,
| same evening as Mrs. Cleveland, for it
| spoils both our entertainments" Shades
| of Martha Washington, are you listen
ing?
| From a climatic point of view nothing
| can be imagined more perfect than
| Washington during the last two weeks.
| The air had the feeling of spring in it,
as you breathe 1t at Monte Carlo or
| Cannes; and as one stood in front of the
I capitol and looked over the smiling,
| sunny city, with it's broad avenues and
| greensward, the illusion OF being in the
| south OF France was strong--strengthen
ing, perhaps, by glance at the new ma
tional library, just opened to the public
| (aithough not finished), the inauguration
| of which will probably be Cleveland s
4 last public function-the creation of O
Washington architect who has peli.aps
| been inspired little too strongly by the
| modern French school and has copied d
| the facade of Carriers Paris opera house
! bit too frankly but the effect as a
| whole Is fine, always excepting the low
| broad dome, which is not fortunate in
| effect. or the inside the less said the
| better although the staircase has fine
| lines ard good deal of the marble work
! is good. But the cold gray color is not
| happy find for it makes the too, toe
| gorgeous frescoes scream. The artists
| seem to have been inspired by the poster
| craze now in vogue. When will the youth
| full architect learn that he coannot put
| all he has seen and admired abroad into
| one poor building. and that ceilings after
| the Doge's palace, corridors in mosaic
| copied from Pompeii, and facades from
| the Paris boluevards do not make a kor-
| monious whole. 1t is just here that the
| Boston library shines by contrast-a SIM
| pie idea, simply and artis tically carried
| out. Flagg's new Corcoran are gallery
seemed to me but little better; of pseudo
/ classic and lacking outline sadly
| After all, it is hard TO do better for
| Washington than the. really fine build
| ings with which the city was started,
| and one feels fresh regret. as each new
! public building goes up, that the origin al
scheme has not been more closely ad-
| hered to- The new postoflce is a blot
! on the fair city that ''cries to heaven
ard wondered as I rode through some
| Of the old-fashioned streets beyond the
capitol what its occupants think of all
| these changes; of this invasion of their
| city by people of another world, with
| their liveried English servants. opera
| boxes in New York. ana smart balls, who
| fee away with the first warm cay, with