The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-23
N WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
,.7,,1E SEASON, NOW AT IT'S HIGHT,
AND GOING BRILLIANTLY.


washington, Jan. H.-The glory of
,.al Washington winter is ''on," and
.rose persons who have made comparisons
favorable to the present season find
-rsmselves mistaken and unpopular.
.,,roe has hoWled at all hours, and from
.-rlv morn till dewy eve; and from dewy
eve till deuced late" has been the order
~ life for the socially elect. One weeks
.,s+roDonic record of the average woman,
with the winning and the dining; the lunch
,rr and the munching, makes one skepti-
cal of the correctness of the Gibsonesque
t,re of American Beauty. To be realistic
tas conservative society woman should
IN. aepicted as both large and elastic and
suggestive of an unlimited capacity.
washington takes the lead as a dinner
giving city, and dinner invitations are is
sued a full month ahead to secure the
desired guests. Every one gives dinners.
Not only families of great wealth, but
those whose means are but average, and
now that it is excellent form to omit all
vines. the attendant expense is not enor-
nous.
Despite all that has been written con-
corning the fashionable Washington girls
and the latitude accorded them in the way
OF drinking wine in public and otherwise
adopting the cosmopolitan customs of the
foreigners, it is the exception when unmar-
red women patronize punch bowls or take
anything stronger than apollinaris. With
a dinner every night, q luncheon every
noon, and dear knows how many teas and
al-homes sandwiched in between, not to
mention the night suppers at dances and
receptions, no girl could endure the addi-
tonal dissipation of thek sparkling glass;
And so it has become tho proper thing to
dispense with wine at the majority of
fashionable dinners where young girls are
guests.
originality in decoration and serving Is
what counts most at the ever-popular
luncheon, and at this function there are
seldom served more than five courses in
Washington. The average number Of din
ner courses is eight.
Tuesday was a brilliant day The sun
shone, and the birds touched the harp
gently" thinking spring had come. The
world of fashion was abroad, and best bibs
and fuckers were displayed generally. The
several hotels which house the families of
representatives., usually from ten to twen-
~ strong, INDUCED in unwonted social fes-
sional round found much to entertain
them. This is the modus operandi: Drive
with as much clatter as possible to the
hotel entrance. Rush in with catch-a-
train rapidly. Crowd into the elevator
with a dozen other rustling toilets and a
score of nodding feathers. Somewhere in
the midst of this gorgeousness there are
faces, but you do not observe them, you
are so busy sorting out the correct num-
Der of cards and turning their proper
edges. Arrived at the desired floor, you
dash for the parlor, meeting, on the way,
friends, who call out IN passing: "How1y.
Great crush in there. See you at the
Blanks tonight" Friends gone like a
flash. No time for conversation. Twelve
visits to be made in one hour
Now you are confronted with a collec-
tiOu of baskets on a table. Looks like
bazaar counter. Every basket has the
card of its owner tied in a conspicuous
position, so you have no difficulty in drop
ping your pasteboards into the basket be-
longing to your particular acquaintance.
This rite performed you enter the parior
and summon all your intelligence to select
your friend In the long line of receiving
women. They are in festive attire, and,
coming from every state in the union, you
hear more sounds given to the letter a,
and more slurs to the British than your
rhetoric ever introduced you to.
Mrs, Smith of New York, Mrs Green OF
Dakota, Mrs Jones of Maine, Mrs. White
OF kentucky are all there, and each host
ess, for the glory of her state, seeks to
Guido the others in point of hospitality.
Refreshments are varied. The Southerner
introduces you to a typical punch, the
New Highlander to a correct cup of tea,
the Westerner to strong coffee and before
they are half ready TO let you escape you
are giving a very high shake and trip
ping lightly on. Not great opportunity
to become well acquainted, but before
week has elapsed these women will have
returned the visit with one equally flip
pant upon your own reception day and
there you are. 1t is one phase of society.
Satisfactory? Hardly. Entertaining? Very.
1t Is even more entertaining to visit the
Mexican legation, and as Tuesday brought
the first of the at-homes given by the
Mexican minister and Nine. Romero, hun
dreds upon hundreds called at the Legal
uon between the hours of and 6. There
We're fully thirty receiving; important ma
irons and fetching debuntantes. There
We're flowers and refreshments, and the
famous Mexican punch bowl, the contents
OF which tasted like rosewater favored
WIN sandalwood fans, straw combreros,
WIN Just seasoning of rusty stilletos.O One
.aste was convincing and sufficient for the
majority of curious guests.
Inc mirror-lined ballroom reflected nu-
meious dancers throughout the afternoon,
ana such crowds were in attendance that
p1oW-room was out of the question.
Inc Mexican legation is the one house
IN town to which the general public is
a ,.INled and where all stratas of society in
81 termingle.
q edhesday night brought clashlng of
o.Uacuons. About 1000 attended the levee
a. Ae White House, which witnessed the
1l"..ia state reception given by the Presi-
u n- ana Mrs. Mckinley The function
r ~a9 Ia all respects splendid. The dplo-
eiaIs ana their woman-kind arrived at 7:45
a 'gI yne remainder of the invited were not
F-un'led to the grounds until O'Clock.
In mat hour until II o'clock a we'll
~. crusn of fashionables We're greeted
oy W, .le chief Executive and the first lady
Gs, ."e and the wife of the Vice Presi-
ner una the ladies' comprising the cabi-
n t',tai departures from old customs dis
t,.'-Hed me reception, notably the sta
sor, 'S OF the Marine Band in the con-
FL NJ. 'oly and the playing of the Fort
81 NJ =, Arqllery Band in the main corridor.
Ri cbair Mchinley received in throne-like
Of = Oh olue velvet, and her costume was
s. H'HNN White satin NTH bfgI bodfaa