The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-20
SOCIETY In WASHINGTON
Mi-careme Gayeties EnIiven the
Week From Beginning TO End.
Diplomatic Dignita ries and Pretty
Society Girls Act as Walters at
the Home for the Aged.

st. Joseph, the patron saint Of the
Home for the Aged, was honored yester-
day, as is usual. on his annual feast day,
by the Little Sisters Of the Poor, who
gave a gala dinner to the inmates of the
home. being aided in their gracious task
by many prominent maids and matrons
and a number of representatives from
the diplomatic corps. The home exqui-
sitely neat and airy, was fragrant with
plants and spring flowers that decorated
the shrines of the virgin throughout the
various dormitories and halls. In the
chapel the sanctuary was beautifully or
namented with hyacinths, lilies and
roses, and the figure of St. Joseph on the
side altar was almost empowered in
bloom There are over go men and wo-
men in the home, including white and
black, all Of whom are over sixty years
Of age, Each sex and color has its sepa-
rate dining room and all four of them
yesterday were covered with snowy
cloths and decorated down their lengths
with flowers-some costly hot-house bios
SONS. brought by the visitors and others
made Of bright tissue. Alternating, were
pyramids Of oranges, iced cakes and
sticks of candy and beside each plate
stood bottle Of beer The age Of the
inmates, together with the feebleness of
many Of them. necessitate a small daily
stimulaut and a comical incident Of the
feast was furnished by several Of the sea
sons pretty debutantes who made valiant
but Intellectual attempts at the cOrks and
were rescued from their situations by the
deft fingers Of the picturesque little
whitc-capped sisters, who poured the
beer, as they did everything else that
was useful, in the quietest cheeriest and
most expeditions manner. At 1890 o'clock
the building was thronged with society
women. many Of whom had protected
their handsome toilets with the big white
apron provided for them by the sisters
and which they donned Immediately upon
arriving.
At the announcement Of dinner the
ladies and many Of the gentlemen were
assigned to their duties in the various
dining-rooms, and acted as walters
throughout the feast Al the close of the
banquet the ladies washed the dishes
and put them away. Dainty little Miss
Fox. the granddaughter Of Senator Stew
art might have posed in society tab
leau as an ideal home fairy" 50 bon
ME did she look in her snowy apron as
she waited on the lucky old men allotted
as her portion and nothing more capti-
waiting could have been imagined for a
companion picture than lovely Mrs. Per
rim wiping plates.
Among the visitors were the French
ambassador. NJ. Cambon, NJ. BOeufe and
other attaches of the French Embassy
Mr.. Pi0da, the minister from Switzerland
and Mrs. PiOda, Madame CalYo. wife of
the minister from Costa Rica, Senior and
Madame Rengifo, eX-Queen Liliuokalani
with her suite, and Col John Richardson
a number Of ladies and gentlemen from
the Spanish and Italian legations, the
minister from Portugal and Viscountess
de Santo Thyrso. Miss McKenna Miss
Letter, the Misses Riggs, Miss Helen
Dangerfield. Mrs. Lancaster, Miss Wheel
er, the daughter of Gen. Wheeler; Mrs
Moore. wife of Gen. Moore: Miss Dali
rymple, the Misses Mitchell, Miss Drane,