The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-11

daughter, Senator CIarke's dauea,.
ter. Mn Reginald de Koven 81
others. The play, prettily staged ana
thoroughly studied, passed off with a
smoothness not always characterisuo -
professional first nights" and if hnpor-
tunities are Needed the performance win
be repeated a an early date. The ban
was beautifully decorated with red sill
line curtains and chandelier shades ia
walls and ceilings yelled with Southarn
laurel The performance did not begin nm
til $3.50 O'Clock, as all the guests cazna
from the several dinner parties that ~
ceded the play. Among the various air
ner hosts and hostesses were Secretary
and Mrs. Hitchcock, the Russian ambar.
sador, Senator Depew, Judge and Mrs
Davis, Senator and Mrs. Wetmore and a
dozen others; ii having been carefully ar
ranged that the 250 invited spectators ~
the play be divided among the dinner host-
esses. Miss Alice Hay was the staga
prompter. Miss Witmore wore the same
splendid white satin toilette in which sba
impersonated Queen Elizabeth at the fam
Gus Bradley Martin ball, in New Yorr
After the performance, the members of
the cast were entertained at supper hv
the Secretary of State and Mrs Hay In
casting about for something new undar
the sun, the society first took the dinner
dances, which were SO greatly enjoyed dur
ing the winter; and now that dancing il
tattooed during Lent, these dinner ANA.
teur theatrieals will supply the wished-for
diversion.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. who
sailed for Europe last week will ioin a
party of English friends at Genoa ana
take trip along the Riviera before going
to her place in Kent. which she calls
"Maytham Hall" Just before leaving bar
ha a chi inc
very largely attended reception, assisted
by her son, Mr.. Vivian Burnett The
young man, who was lately graduated
from Harvard College, is engaged in Jour
nalism in Denver. Col, but came on ia
spend month with his mother. In com
piment TO him the Burnett parlors were
decorated with the deep, rich crimson OF
the Harvard colors. Although as a col
lege boy, the young man was daily guyed
to the point of desperation as Little Lord
Fauntleroy,' beseeched to wear his velvet
knee breeches and importuned to dis
close what he had done with his yellow
curls-he has turned out very loveabe
and promising young man. 1t made no
difference in the guying process that he
was not the hero of his mothers famous
story. His elder brother, Lionel who died
some years ago, enjoyed that distinction.
DR.. Burnett the divorced husband of The
authoress, still lives in Washington, with
nome
He is said to be a fair professional, and a
gentlemanly agreeable man, in a quiet
way; but like many another who has been
overshadowed by an unusually talented
wife, one seldom hears of him EXCEPT as
Mrs. Bunetts ex-husband"
BY the way. Mrs. Burnett's newest
American novel, In connection with the
Willoughby Claim has had a curious
history. 1t was begun several years ago
and originally intended to be a story Of
political intrigue, with Washington as tho
scene. When the novel was half complet.
ed, work upon it was interrupted and
the authoress devoted herself to other lit
erary projects. in the interval that fol-
lowed, her son died, her divorce occurr-
ed and she made her home some time in
England, where she devoted herself to two
historical novels of Queen Anne's time-"A
Lady of Quality" and His Grace of Os-
monde" both Of which have been emil
nently successful. The desire to finish the
earlier work had always remained strong
with Mrs. Burnett and recently she took
it up with renewed interest and finished
it-but not on the lines originally laid
down. Perhaps with her changed life and
fortunes and the added experiences of a
dozen years, her mind worked differently.
At any rate, she recast the entire story,
to divest it of it's political character and
to lay the chief emphasis on the human
interest attaching to the fortunes of Tom
de Willoughby and his adopted daughter.
The new minister from the Netherlands
in the United States, Baron de Gevers,
who presented his credentials Tuesday to
the President, says he considers himself
an American in blood. And no wonder
his grandfather having been Senator
Wright of New Jersey, and his mother a
native of that state. He has an uncle in
the city Of Newark. Col. e. H. Wright.
The Baron was born in the Netherlan ds,
but speaks our language fluently. He has
represented his country in Servia and
Roumania, and comes to fill the place here
of the recalled minister Mr.. De Wecker-
lin.