The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-15
WASHINGTON SOCIAL WORLD.
Events in swell Society at the
National Capital.


of the giit-edged variety. pronounce Wash
ington slow The omission of the New
Years reception and the merging of the
first evening reception by the President
and Mrs. Mckinley (Which heretofore has
always been given in the exclusive honor
of the diplomatic corps, into joint recep-
ton for this body, the judiciary, and the
entire body of Congress, are not relished
by the representatives, of kings and en-
perors. 1t is great blow to the foreign
RS not to be singled out as the prime plums
upon the social tree, and they are so ac-
customed to whet the appetites of the So
cially-hungry who stand open-mouthed be-
meath the tree, it is little wonder that a
disgruntled feeling is engendered for be-
ing regarded as prunes rather than plums.
There is universal rejoicing, however,
among the less exalted of official socie-
ty, now that invitations are out for the
first formal event at the white house.
period of mourning is never welcome
IN Washington where so much
is expected in the way of en-
PERTAINING and professional CAD
apouts are anticipating with curious in
terest the evening of Jan. 10, when the
PRESIDENT and his wife Will receive linn
lted number of guests between the hours
OF and II. No special guests are named
and the card does not imply that the re-
ception is in honor of any branch of So
ciety, as in past seasons. The McKinleys
have lived in great seclusion since the
death of the Presidents mother, and few
have seen the mistress of the executive
mansion save upon the occasion of her
daily drives and infrequent shopping tours.
ie co -,
OF great benefit to Mrs. Mckinley, and
that she is in splendid physical condition
to meet the demands of society. These
demands will begin tonight when the
Vice President and Mrs. Hobart viii en-
terrain al dinner in honor of the President
and his wife
All the cabinet families have issued SIM
liar dinner invitations, and the President
and Mrs. Mckinley have before them the
prospect of much feasting within rather a
limited period 1t seems to be understood
that when the President will dine at the
various cabinet homes this winter, the
guests viii not be confined to the other
members of the cabinet, a custom which
has prevailed for the past years and
which was monotonous in the extreme
Chester A. Arthur was probably the
greatest dining-out President ever known.
He invariably met at dinner not only his
own special favorites, but also the other
prominent people of the day, as well as
the visiting lions. The present outlook is
that the rational and delightful practice
win be resumed during this administration.
The result of this evenings (Fridays 81
gayetes will settle several questions that
have amused and agitated society not a
little for more than a week. All the world
is familiar with the name of Letter. the
many times millionaire, whose wife is a
social and whose son is a wheat plunger
Mrs. Letter is rather an Anglomaniac and
has been known to receive at an afternoon
tea in a Gainsborough hat, according to
the custom of garden party hostesses in |
London. However, a woman of extreme
wealth may possess eccentricities and
they only count for characteristics" and
Mrs. Letters mansion and entertainments
are features of Washington life that would
be difficult to reproduce.
A social sensation was produced when
the organizers of a subscription dancing
club, known as the Small and Early" |
were reported TO have clashed with Mrs
Letter upon matters of detail. The lat |
ter, it was rumored, would corner the |
Washington social market in consequence !
of the disagreement, and she would not |
only refuse her patronage for the Small |
and Early" but would queer" the first |
dance by giving a Small and Early of |
her own in her private ball room upon |
the same evening. Now, a small dance" |
at Mrs. Letters means the assembling of |
at least 200 of the smartest girls and most
desirable men in Washington and New |
York, and the utter failure of any other |
affair occurring on that night. Further |
more, it was stated, Mrs Letter would |
punish her enemies by having a series of |
functions on each night of the Small and |
Early" had arranged for.
No wonder the fashionable dancers of |
Washington were keyed to the highest |
pitch of excitement over such carpet war |
Tongues were waggiug busily, when an
other spoke was inserted in the sensational |
wheel This was nothing short of the is |
suing of invitations for third dance for |
the same date, and by woman who, by |
reason OF a fine new mansion and several |
recent functions of great magnihcence. |
has blossomed forth as an important |
though new, entertainer. If this last |
claimant for a wrangled-for date is to be !
a social power, no one can afford to offend |
her, and, with three attractions pulling |
in as many directions, feeling akin to |
animates the dancing element, |
and society at large awaits the outcome |
with extreme impotence. 1t is the Opin- |
ion of some that the parvenue has be- |
come an actor in the Jan. IA contest sim |
ply to advertise herself as a person of So |
cial importance, for it is true that to wo-
men of fashionable pretensions notoriety |
is quite as important as IL is to their sis |
tiers of the theatrical profession.
An International marriage to occur on |
Feb. promises to be an event of great |
The bride prospective is Miss |
a descendant of the old Car
roll family of Maryland She is to marry |
he Ma rquis de Saybe of France. and the |
ceremony, to which the fashionable world |
If shington will be hidden, is to take |
place ian the Chapel of st. Anthony at
ached to the new St. Mathews Church |
This chapel Is the gift of Mrs. Robins of
New York, the daughter of eX-Gov. John
Lee Carroll of Maryland. Mrs. Robins |
s a cousin of the future marquise. The
,hapel is especially beautiful, the decora-
ions being an exact reproduction of a
chapel in Padua that is one Of the famous
jhrlnes Of Europe.
Mrs Stevenson wife of the ex-Vice
President. has been q guest in town for the
,ast tell days. She was laid siege to by
III the entertainers of the capital and it
vas wi tn difficulty Mrs. Stevenson escaped
omphte submersion beneath social flood
:de
Her visit at this time is on business con-
lectS d with the board meeting of the |
)aw yhters of the American Revolution,
# which she is the president general. The