The evening times., 1898-03-02
The Difficulties of Roman Society.

tfTOm the London Telegraph
An unfortunate instance has been re-
Gently given here Of the gulf that still
separates the Papal party and the kingly
party. socially as we'll as politically. An
extremely rich foreign countess, who has
many friends both among the Blacks and
| Whites. and wh0 is noted for the cOstli-
ness Of her cOtillOn presents, sent out
cards for weekly dances for the whole Of
the season. The first dance passed off
brilliantly. the rooms being crowded with
people of every variety of opinion. Be
fore the next dance took place il was
rumored that the Count of Turin would
be present with the result that few Of
the Blacks put i'm an appearance. The
following week the general attendance
was so small that the hostess has msde
the royal ball a the Ouirinal the excuse
for not receiving this week, and has gone
to Florence to nurse sick sister, with
out. 1 am told. giving any intmatiOn
that her receptions are discontinued. See
ing that her position I'm Rome was as
sured the lady in question has some
grounds for the Indignation she is said
To feel, since. being "A foreigner, her pal
ace was neutral ground.
Some years ago q similar incident hap
pened To an American woman who had
been honored by the appearance of the
Duke of d'Aosta at one Of her balls.
She had issued invitations for a second
ball. but before ii took place she learned
that the presence of the Duke had caus-
ed much senseleSS gossip among the
Pontifical Romans. and that a great many
of the people who had accepted her hos
pitality were publicly giving out that
they did not intend 10 go to her house
again. That woman took no notice of
the rumOTS but on the night of the
ball when two hundred or three hundred
carriages drove up to the door, their
occupants were informed that Madame
did not receive, Nor did she ever
entertain the Romans again.
The foreign hostess in Rome is GER
taiuly in a position Of great difficulty. II
she receives royalty the Black party re-
fuse to attend her parties. and where
the Blacks among whom are the nOblest
and oldest Roman families. do not ap-
pear many of the Whites, and certainly
all Of the lesser fry. have trick OF
Struggling their shoulders and saying
that the woman whose hospitality they
are enjoying cannot be bien vue, be-
cause there are so few Romans here
Once in while such hOSteSses retort
by closing their doors on Blacks and
Whites alike and either shake the dust
of the Eternal City from their feet or
satisfy their hospitable instincts by en-
tertaining the foreign colony; but every
winter INffc are tIlH bI ilttt liiStdllNtS
of the kind. If either the Blacks or the
Whites had definite line of action these
contretemps-which undoubtedly give
foreigners the opportunity of crit
icisms the reverse of favorable
would not occur. But in society. as in
every other department of Italian life,
the old is struggling against the influence
Of the new. and these "reminiscences of
the bitter division between the POpes
followers and those of the King are re-
ally the old spirit reasserting itself. IL
the present representatives of the Black
party rigidly kept aloof from all society
which was not solely on the Popes side,
did their fathers, a foreigner living in
Rome. whose sympathies were not Who'll
ly Papal. would never be admitted with
in their circle. Time will probably bring
about the desired fusion. but in the mean
time IL is distinctly hard on foreign hos
tesses-without whom the winter season
for the Romans would be shorn of much
of its brillancy and gayety-that the
present distinctly chaotic state of things
should lead to their humiliation.