The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-31
HOLIDAYS IN WASHINGTON.
THE QUIETEsT PART OF THE
WHOLE YEAR AT THE CAPITAL.

| III AMC
Some Other Washington Matters
of General Interest.
Washington. Dec. 29.-The Presidents
two young neiees. who will spend The
winter in the executive mansion, are to
leave their Western homes during the
week. in time to be here for the New
Years reception.
Secretary and Mrs. Hay have no house
guests for the holidays, and have arrang-
ed no special plans. Mrs. Hay will be
lat home on Wednesday next for the
first time this season, as well all the la
dies of the cabinet who are in the city.
Secretary and Mrs. Gage are passing
the holidays very quietly, having with
them, as guests, their daughter Mrs. E.
T. F. Pierce, their neice, Miss Ruth Gram
don, and Miss Jennie Cox, all of Chicago.
The new Secretary of the Interior, with
Mrs. Hitchcock and their daughter. have
gone 20 ST. Louis, but will return before
the end of the year. Mrs. Griggs, wife
of the Attorney General, is also out of
| town. Her mother is still very ILL., and for
| that reason she can make no definite plans
for her return. The Secretary of War and
Mrs. Root, having young sons and daugh-
ters at home, are In the thick of a merry
time this week Wednesday night the Sec
rotary and mis- wife gave a large theater
party, followed by supper to Sir Henry
| Irving.
| Gen. and Mrs. G. Y. Bristow-the
fourth assistant postmaster general and
his wife, are this week entertaining Gov.
and Mrs. Stanley of Kansas. Senator and
Mrs. Cushman X. Davis have a party of
! holiday guests from Minnesota. Senator
and Mrs. Fairbanks were to have had
Gov. Mount of Indiana, as their guests
this week, and had issued invitations for
dinner-party which they were compelled
| to recall at the eleventh hour, owing to
! the Governors postponement of his visit
| to Washington. Senator and Mrs Fora
ker are entertaining almost as frequent
ly and sumptuously as their predecessors,
the Brices, whose social career in Wash
| ington has seldom been equalled and nev-
| er surpassed. For the past fortnight che
| Forakers have had as house-guests, Miss
| Reba Wallace of Philadelphia and Miss
Mary Brooks of Cleveland. A series OF
| dinners, receptions, balls and theater par
| ties have been given in the young ladies'
! honor by their hostess and-they nave
! also been invited everywhere. BY the
way, it is whispered that A Rustem Bay
of the Turkish legation and Senior Riano
of the Spanish legation have both lost
| their hearts hopelessly to one or the other
OF the charming Foraker guests; but no.
| body can say to a certainty which is
which" the two distinguished foreign
ers are always seen in close Attendance
| and so are the chaperones, the la tier wise
| ly preventing the bad form of any special
| pairing-off in public.
The Christmas ceremonies of..Lqran cap
have edpP1tncfscan monks, whose re-
cently-completed monastery is an exact
| counterpart of that in the holy city. Both
| are patterned after the celebrated st.
! Sophia, and their high, rolling arches and
| transcripts add double power and
volume to the solemn chants.
| The Franciscan monks have es-
| tablished themselves as special
guardians of all the sacred places around
the home of our Savior. There are good
many members of the Brotherhood of St.
| Francis in this city, not only in the mon
| astery but connected with various
churches and the Jesuit College in George
town. and all took part in the celebration
of midnight mass according to the rites
and ceremonies which mark the event in
Jerusalem. Although the new monastery
is four miles from the city, hundreds of
people made the night journey in order
to witness the strange ceremonial. The
mass was the usual ceremony of the
Catholic Church, except that during its
lengthy course the monks, in their cowled
robes. hempen girdles and sandals,
marched three times around the great
temple, chanting "Adeste Fideles."
Owing TO the Illness of Madame WI, the
Chinese legation, usually so very gay, has
remained closed to society until his week
Now that the little lady's health has
mended, she has resumed her informa
Friday receptions, to the especial deligh
of visiting strangers whose curiosity con
corning the home which was transpantet
almost intact from the Flowery Kingdom
is never satiated Mr. and Mrs WI ar
! the most hospitab.e of Orientals. Thel
; legation is in the heart of the fashionabl
part of town, and besides being one o
r the largest and handsomest houses i
| Washington, is gorgeously furnished il
i | the Chinese fashion, making il a shinin
= mark for sightseers. Mr.. and Mrs. WI
i | dressed as always, in their native cos
t tune. receive each guest. invited and un
r invited. in the most cordial manner
though frequently the crowd is far to
n | great for two pairs Of hands 10 shake
q with all those extended. The minisie
4 sneaks and understands English perfec ly
d but his little wife Is not so proficient; an
g therefore a number of American ladie
usually assist her in receiving and /
,e pouring out the tea, which is a proninen
% feature Of the Chinese receptions. An
what tons Of tea must be consumed IN tha
: | lerationt il makes one blush for Amer
= can manners to record that last Fr day
le reception was literally jammed wit
g strangers who made no effort TO conces
70 the fact that they had come for che mel
m est curiosity who fingered the furnituf
n and hangings and bric-a-brac Is the
- would not be permitted TO do in any pul
lie museum, and treated the members
the legation exactly as II they had bee
wax figures set up for their inspestio
d some OF the bodost and rudest even con
ne nented audibly upon their dress, and sly
es of wearing the hair and the size Of MAJ
IA anne Wu's feet! The minister's wife
A. learning English and spesks what 81
no knows I'm the most delightful pidgin fas
~ ION One Of her favorite remarks Is:
ld Hkee Amelika because Of rs Flsedom 4
A. | China lady" She must feel, sometime
- that the boosted "heedom' OF Americ
"a women should be checked with "a ne
10 oriental seclusion n not occasional s9l
IA tsry treatment with Something d7gerin
al like boiling OIL"
u. Mr.. J. KOmafa, the japanese minlst
~ II eHli visiting 20 Philadelphia. I'd" iia
. / t,an tffrfafar ana Mira f,rrnf have ifaE