The sun., 1898-02-20
SOCIETY IN WASHINGTON.
A LIoK or BRaEIhE0T IT THE
OFFICIAL WORLD THIS WINTER.
EGcct OF the Maine Dishster-ChanEes IN So
eiety ut tho Cnpitai-A Rage fer Trss snd
MANY fnnoyntiona-rss Fresdent's RE-
rnntinna Nnn lnclnl nennrfnre.

etety ut tho Cnpitn1-A Rage Ter Tess anu
MANY fnnoyations-rss President's RE-
eeptisns "A Sew ssctai Depnrtsre.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 19.-In ofiicial society the
gay season at tho capital this winter has been
less brilliant than has been tho rule in re-
cont years; but the dwellers in wnshngton's
real Vanity Fair. those who prefer to DO FASH
ionable and somewhat exclusive rather than Of
fetal, have not ceased to DO gay for n moment.
Their gayetics aro now at high tide. aud the cbb
will conc only with Ash Wednesday. The
gayety was temporarily interrupted in somc
quarters by the naval disaster at Havana, but is
now proceeding without interruption.
Socially Washington may DO said to be In a
state Of transition and tho time seoms to bo fast
approaching, IL indeed it has not already
rived, when social leaders will no longer take
their cue from the White House or the houses Of
tho members of the Cabinet. Time was when
the New Years Day reception at the Executive
Mansion and the diplomatic breakfast at tho
Secretary of States were the signals that set the
society ball rolling In all sections OF the city.
This year the White House was closed on the
first day OF tho year. as Its inmates were in
mourning for tho Presidents mother, and the
breakfast to the diplomatists was for the same
reason omitted. The period OF official mourning
lasted until Jan. H. but the fact had no restrain
ing influence upon those not prominently con-
nected with the Administration. They went on
In their gay career without thought Of turning.
President Mckinley is himself responsible for
an innovation that may possibly revive the old
time popularity OF the White House receptions.
He was determined to reduce tho crowd in at
tendance TO q point where IL would be possible
for a woman 10 push her way through the rooms
without fainting from exhaustion. as has often
happened. or without having her clothes liter
ally torn from her back. as happened at least on
one memorable occasion. So Col. Bingham. tho
army officer in charge of public buildings and
grounds. and Secretary Porter undertook to
remedy the evil, and they did 1t by cutting
down the invitation list and announcing
in the local papers that cards would be
requested at the door. or course. the
cards were not asked for. but the an.
nouncement produced its effect, and those
who had not been invited. with very few excep-
tions, remained at home. The unlimited who
did go to the White House at the first re-
ception regretted 1t because admittance was
denied to them, and they did not appear sec
ond time. Congress and tho army and navy
were divided up into four sections, and only
one section was asked to each Of the four func-
tons. This made some Of the officers angry and
the Congressman angrior. but the few who
were angry enough to decline the invitation
were hardly missed in the throng that filled
over. never took place. 1t was scheduled for
Feb. 16, but was indefinitely postponed because
of the great calamity to the battleship Maine
and her gallant crew. Tho public reception an
nounced for Feb. IL abandoned for the
same reason.
President Mckinley is as diplomatic in social
matters as in politics, and his personally scru-
tinized invitation list, even after it had gone
through the pruning process. contains the
names OF all the unofficial social lights Of the
city. those who entertain in q style more elab-
crate. more up to date and more lavish than
Presidents do. 1t also contains the names of
many of the citizens of Washington who. while
not fashionable people, are prominent and in
fuential in the business world the church
and the local political life Of the city, if
there can properly be said to be a local
aspect 10 political affairs In community
where the right OF suffrage is not posse ssed.
Tho Congressman, officials. and military men
who were not invited to ali the receptions are
disposed to resent the fact that they had to mako
way for people who. according to their theory.
are not entitled TO White House invitations.
The President likes the idea OF limiting the invi-
tations to 1000 for each reception. and will
probabl adhere to it.
For many years il has been subject of gen.
ernl complaint that tho social tun lions OF
Washington were stupid because there was
little dancing or otner forms OF amusement;
nothing but 'gabble gobb!e. git" as Western
woman expressed it. This saying applies with
less force 10 the social habits ana customs OF
modern Washington. All the big houses have
their bathrooms ana their music rooms nova.
twenty years ago. At the official receptions.
however, those that are described in the news.
papers, and the only ones probably that the
Senator s wife above quoted had personal knowl-
edge OF; there is no dancing and rarely any mu-
In unofficial Washington the season has per-
haps been more brilliant than usual. There
nay nave c aSt oeen 80 aFge ar ipen as
pancy OF the Corcoran house, but the dances and
musicaies have been supplemented by innu-
coming more popular in Washington every sea-
son. Indeed. Washington dinners are coming
to ha an international reputation. and those
who have sat at the ttbe or famous hosts and
hostesses the world over testify to the fact that
reaesnE The o
and the private entertainments Of the the most
bsre 81 sas Of soSSS %
have ever been looked upon with curious eyes
by the other portions OF the population, until
TO do something to keep their heads aoovo
water has rcsu ted in an epidemic OF teas. high
come the order OF the day and are having u larger
run than progressive euchre ever had even in
noboay feels Ssrse "os to- have ea wheh
In Washington means n bowl OF punch. supply
Of ices, anu a crowd of anywhere from three TO
ter there has been a decided innovation in the
tea business-in fact, several Innovations. One
hostess, in order to be able to entertain all her
friends and acquantances.. invited different
groups for different hours OF the afternoon be-
ginning early and ending late. Another hostess
dep rted from the usual plan OF seuding invita-
tions from tn or z. the usual hours,
and had the lalcnstring out from o to 10.
This seemed TO be very inconvcnient house
keeping. as one lady expressed it, "ncither be-
fore nor after dinner, put the house WAS crowd.
ed TO the doors all the same. Nothing can
diminish the popularity OF teas in Washington,
not even inconvcnent hours. But the most in
teresting innovation OF all with respect to teas
was that OF q hostess who had n large number
OF ladies assisting her ut a tea ending at
O'Clock. and ali attired in full evening dress.
This was reminder OF the days not very
long ago when Washington men, Including
those or the most fashionable set, made calls
on New Years Day from noon 10 midnight,
wearing swallow-taicd coats and white ties and
gloves. However, everybod seemed 10 be
pleased with the ladies in their low.cut gowns,
no matter IL II was all over before sunGown.
In addition to giving teas, everybody in Wash
ington receives on fixed Gays of the week Even
Liiluoksani OF Hawaii, whois SKILL called Queen,
although she is moro properly plain Mrs. Dom.
inis, receives at the Ebbitt House. She hoped
to receive President Dole when he was here as
they were schoomates in their youth and
friends until the overthrow of the monarchy