The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-14
SACKCL0TH AND ASHES
HOW THE FAsHIONABLEs OF THE
CAPITAL PASS THE LESTEN SEASON.
The Mckinley Household Now Fairly
Established in the New Home-some
New Leaders OF society.
speciaI 70 The indianapolis Journal.

Special 20 the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. March l2-Although So
ciety has entered upon its forty days of
ostensible fasting and prayer. its sack
cloth is still made up in the latest mode
and the ashes OF penitence are not painfully
apparent OF course, the great functions
that characterized the winter are no longer
en- reggie; but the newcomers into the tip
top circle are being introduced by a round
of elaborate luncheOns. musicales and other
small affairs. three or four deep per diem.
Just now IL is the proper thing for the fash
ionable world of the capital TO attend the
weekly concerts given by the Marine Band
at their barracks. and every Monday after
noon, between the hours OF and 3, the
driveways around the marine barracks are
crowded with carriages containing every
body as is anybody in society. Among the
younger members of the haut ton. clubs
are the present rage To- while away the
short season before Easter Sunday Among
the dozens of clubs-formed on all sorts of
pretexts from cooking to the study of Ib-
sen. or on no pretext at all except for small
cliques 10 get together and talk things
over-the most popular the charity
clubs. To devote an hour or two a week to
of impossible garments for the poor puts
one so into the spirit OF the lenten season,
you know. and imparts a conscious glow
of duty done. Perhaps the most useful of
these clubs-of the charity that 'begins-at-
home sort, in the saving of pater famili-
ass pocketbook-is composed of young Ia
dies in the smart set. who are learning to
''cut and ft' under the direction OF a COM
petent modiste. for the avowed object of
making their old gowns
BY the way, did you know that ii Is now
adays a fashionable fad with society la
dies-not all OF them of the Romanish faith,
either-to retire from the world for a week
or two at different times during the year,
or. in the language of the church, TO make
a retreat2" There is special time for
this practice and it is by no means gen.
eral one. but IL is said to be greatly the
increase. especially in Boston and New
York. Washington has no great convent,
like that of the Sacred Heart in Boston. for
example. but the Sisters of the Visitation,
whose abode is on Connecticut avenue. will
at any time receive a limited number of
ladies who are DESTROYS to go into retreat
for such mild modification of the flesh as
their fancy may dictate. number of the
most shining lights OF capital society, wives
and daughters of distinguished men whose
names are household words in the land.
have more than once been secluded with
the Naturally Nor women are
moved to the practice during l. 1T than at
any other time at the close of The social
season. to recuperate for joys to come at
the summer resorts; but a few call halt in
the gayest part of the winter. towards the
end of January, for the sake of starting the
new year afresh, equipped with set of
ironclad resolutions for effectually resist
ing the flesh and the devil in the guise of
selfishness and vanity. The nuns make
their retreat in summer. The idea that the
gentle sisters can get away from the world
any more than they always are seems pa
thetically amusing to outsiders, but
even nuns within clustered walls
have their little distractions, and
retreat with them means absolute
silence. When the wording comes
to the convent-the matter having been
previously arranged with the mother SUI
perior-she generally arrives in an escutch-
eoned carriage with pomp of glittering
trappings and liveried coachman and foot
man. but the fair penitente is clad in her
plainest black gown and shorn of all FASH
ionable gew-gaws. bolt is drawn inside
closes with a hollow sound, like the falling
OF clod on a coffin; my lady climbs some
oaken open stairs to dim corridor, passes
behind an iron grating, and is lost to the
world. for as long a time as she elects to
remain. But she is a wording STILL though
reduced to the lowest possible terms-as
different from the nuns as her plain black
gown rustling with silken Innings and emit
ting a faint odor or violet satchet-powder
sewn in the hem, differs from the dress of
the order. But when my lady comes out,
after fortnight OF comparative silence in
which she has made the acquaintance of
her own soul, after many confessions and
frequent sessions of prayer, on her knees
three hours at a stretch, she really has
changed very much for the better Physi-
cally she is thoroughly rested; her face
wears new expression, born of TRANQUIL
meditation. and simply as a beautifer it is
worth trying by the jaded ones She re-
ceives parting blessing. bestows some
aims for the order (often a large sum of
money!, the great door swings open, then
closes behind her. and she is of the world
once more.
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
The question as to who will preside in
the White House. its mistress being an in
Mckinley has announced that she herself
will perform all the duties that have de-
volved upon other Presidents wives. unless
the Unforeseen should happen. Her ailment
consists chiefly in partial paralysis of one
leg. which causes no pain, nor even much
bodily weakness-simply some difficulty in
moving about Otherwise she is as Well as
most people of middle age. Had she been
a woman in the lower walk of life. COM
PEELED to support herself and perhaps
others by the labor Of her hands. the slight
lameness would hardly have been taken
into account. but the daughter of wealth.
the idol of a fine. loving husband and of
wide family circle. every member of which
Is ready 10 wait upon Ida" and foster the
weakness that befeu her when the children
died. more than twenty years ago, is quite
another case. Coming 10 the White House
has brought her out of herself. so 10 say.
to a wonderful degree Already she seems
stronger than at any previous times i'm
many years. and accomplishes things with
out apparent fatigue which a few months
ago she would have thought quite out of
the question. Attending her first informal