St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-04-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Academy of ScIences-OIeO-margar
inc.
(From our regular correspondent.
Sunday, April Is, was almost uni
versally observed in the city churches
here with appropriate sermons anG
Easter music. Easter lilies and po'
ted palms and ferns were in great de
mand for decorations. Florist:
doubtless reaped rich harvest, fol-
they charged a double price for many
flowers. The beautiful mild day
brought out crowded congregations
in the churches and the bright, airy
hats and spring costumes made one
realize that spring is here. The pro-
minence given to Easter music in the
evening often brings out a very
crowded and uncomfortable audi.
ence from the suburban towns. PEG.
pie begin to appear at 6 p. m. in
order to secure good seats and grow
FESTIVE or leave the church before the
service is over, in order ito catch
their train" which detracts from the
solemnity of the service. Easter
Monday was a lovely day and thou
sands of children, their parents and
friends enjoyed the egg fete in the
grounds of the White House. At 9
a. m. children were seen vending
their way thither with their baskets
filled with the bright-colored eggs,
determined to make the most of the
day. | have never seen so many
thousands there before on such an
occasion, and it seemed as if the
throngs of people were largely colored
people, and you are ready to credit
the that they compose one
third Of the present population in the
district. We were told that in 1894
they numbered about rs, 600 but had
increased to 10000 this year. Some
one remarked that they seemed to
spring out of the ground, so rapidly
did they increase. The New Eng
lander looks with silent amazement
at the exhibition and display of new
styles amongst the colored men, wo-
men and children. There has been a
great change in their style of dress
within a few years; no longer do the
majority dress in the loud colors but
in the light delicate shades; mauve,
pale gray, light blue, heliotrope and
all OF the latest colors, hats to CORE
spond trimmed with chiffon, pompons
oflace and flowers and they wear
white kid gloves. The colored men
many of them wore light overcoats,
light drab hats and children were fes-
tive with new hats and dresses. The
colored people were many of them
dressed more stylishly and hand
somely than the white people. One
generous New England lady who had
just sent a donation to a coIored
school down South" was so sur
prised at so much Smart dressing,"
that she remarked to her friend, 1--WE
seem to be the only plainly dressed
people here" A Washington lady
observed that the many Jew stores
here are growing rich fast, for they
attract and absorb most of the trade
of the colored population, who have
a passion for dress and the clerks Sc.
lect the goods and advise them how
to make dresses and trim hats. Thus
you often hear the remark made that
a girl has spent every cent that she
has earned and if sick, is entirely de-
pendent upon charity. We have
heard many ladies speak of trying to
make them save little money and
put it in savings bank to no pur-
pose. Yet there are those who have
acquired quite a competence, but
thieving is called the great sin of the
colored people and it will take con-
siderable education to bring them up
to a good moral standard, on &C.
count of this great passion for dress.
Within two or three years the ques-
ton of revlving suffrage has been
agltated by business men, who have
grown FESTIVE in not having a vote
and feel that they have no more in.
tiuence than a woman; while others
question the wisdom of asking suf-
trage because of the rapid increase of
the colored people, thinking that they
would soon control the nations cap
ital, and they do not feel that they
possess high ethical standard
enough at present to qualify them
for this place. There are two sides
to this question here as we'll as at
the South, which is largely the result
of slavery. There are many northern
people who now say that the vote
was given to the negroes too soon
and that they ought to have re-