The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-06
SOCIETY AT THE CAPITAL.
A FEW OF IT'S sPRINGTIME AMUsE-
MENTS.

A SVEN sure IOE SWtct
Charity's sake-A Cake Walk i'm
High Life and Other Notable Hap
Denings-Personal Mention of Some
Well known People-Other Mat
ters of Interest.
washington, D. c.. May 4.-No city in
the world wakes up TO more brightness
and beauty in spring-time than this of
Magnificent Distances-'-with its long,
long streets embowered in sycamores and
NAPLES, now dressed in Giving green"
IT'S innumerable small parks, all filled
with blossoming shrubs and beds of flow
ers. and its many extensive government
reservations, which are veritable groves
of splendid trees. Spring begins early in
this latitude, and the birds are with us
month before they are singing their
best in New England and the north-mid-
die states. Naturally, after the particu-
larly unpleasant winter, everybody wants
TO stay out of doors in these first warm
days and balmy evenings; therefore
coaching trips, arden-parties, yachting
excursions down the Potomac-anything
that keeps people out on the sweet
spring sunshine are greatly in vogue.
For the same good reason. golf, tennis.
and even old-fashioned croquet have their
many ardent devotees; but just now the
popular fad of upper-tendom is the
fencing club, of which Count Cassini and
y Henry May are chief officers. The
has admirable quarters in the heart
o the city, besides its country linn" and
membership already numbers nearly
rr hundred-among whom are men and
srs men, young and old, from the highest
= @ialS and raGidaOt Including
IT, rye delegations from the foreign EN-
5sies, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court
and both houses of Congress. The youn-
ger ladies, have developed amazing am
Z billions to become expert with the foils
and rivalry runs high among them
= Every day, early and late, some of them
may be found in the club rooms, receiv-
ing instruction from the fencing master
Prof. Dariealat, who is by all odds the
hardest-worked man in Washington.
Among those who are especially skillful
l@N be mentioned Miss Cassini. a slim
am raceful girl, not yet twenty; Mrs.
mise 9ol.ant, wife of an attache of the
uuo Ian legation; the daughters of Sec
oN" try Hay; the Misses Hitchcock, Prince
mp lbetskoy and Chevalier Trentanove.
le re is talk among the members of re-
ing the public entertainment of
'li * ago and outsiders are, on the qui
Iu, We of expectation.
society,s motto appears to be anything
or amusement" and the farther remov-
ed from the conventional stiff entertain
ment, the more amusing it is. In this line
nat notable entertainer, Senator Depew
eads the van. Last week his handsome
home, the historic Old Corcoran mansion.
was the scene of a regular coon cake
walk. right merrily participated in by $50
young and youngish people, married and
single, from the innerr<)st circles of
hftlrr - sol
" rooms and wide corridors of the first floor
were thrown en- suite for the walk" and
lavishly decorated with boughs of fruit
blossoms, tulips and other spring flow
ers. The corners were f1ll5d with palms
and tropical grasses and the air was mel
odious with the inspiring strains of dance
music, furnished by an orchestra from
the marine band The Senator's eldest
niece, Miss Paulding, made a charming
hostess, assisted by her cousin, Miss
Hegeman-the former in lemon yellow sat
in and cherry chiffon; the latter ia deli
cate green satin, trimmed with chiffon of
palest rose. Mr.. Richard Walach, a
wealthy young bache or. acted as grand
marshal of the cake-walk, which was
danced by the entire company in coon
costumes, worn over their evening toll
cites. After a grand romp, which con-
Vulsed the few specially invited or~.ook-
ers with laughter, the funny costumes
one might have thought Cinderelas fairy
god-mother was somewhere about. Supper
offered delightful intermission in which
TO exchange admiring comments upon the
success of the first "swelr' cake-walk in
Washington society; and afterwards came
cotillion, led by the late grand mar
shar' and Miss Paulding. The favors
were unique and lovely, including boas of
spring blossoms for the maids and ma
irons, with huge balls of flowers suspend
% ed from neck-ribbons for the men. There
were quaint sun-bonnets of pink muslin
q with chin-strings of gay ribbons; tall silk
mats and Walter Raleigh caps for the cav
alters, and no end of other pretty things.
The most original figure of the dance
ealled for promenade in the old-fash-
/, Toned garden of Corcoran house, among
, the flower beds and box hedges The
garden was illuminated with myriads Of
, slectric lights in red, white and blue.
During this fresco performance the la
ules carried gorgeous Japanese parasols,
sparkling with tinsel, while their part
ners swung heavy dude-headad canes.
.
A few afternoons later millinery sale
was the novel magnet that attracted all
fashionable Washing ton to sena ior De-
pe"s home. 1t was a charity entertain
ment, for the benefit of the Girls Friendly
society, to secure funds 10 help on an ex-
cellent work. "A LOT of beautiful hats and
comets donated and trimmed by num-
per of society bellies, were displayed in gay
booths of red and yellow umbrellas,
among the lilac bushes and flower beds CT
the old-fashioned garden. There were al o
Moss-roofed bowers scattered about under
me ancient trees, where pretty maids.
sweet and fresh as the posles they sold,
made small fortunes for charity's sake be-
lore the evening was over. A stringed or-
enestra, stationed by the fountain. render
ed beautiful music, in concert with the
robins. Jupiter Pluvius was for once in
iull sympathy with the occasion and with
held his showers until after the last guest
mad departed-when he deluged the earth
with vigor enough to make up for lost
TINE. Among the patronesses of the
girls Friendly are Mrs. Hay Mrs. Hitch
cock, Mrs. Elkins, Mrs. McMillan. ana
other well-known ladies. Bishop Satter-
lees daughter the Misses McKenna. the
Misses Hay, Miss Root, Countess van
Moitke.Hwtfeldt, the Hon. Sybel Paunce-
Tote and Madame Bonapartes' daughter,
served as models for the "tryin-On" Of