The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-03
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
,,uy THE BELLIES AT THE Ma
TION's CAPITAL ARE SAD.

s,.1,ness and Death Have Denied
rbrm Opportunities for Wearing
r,.,r Costly Dresses-No Epter-
,ments mt the Homes of Diplo-
ats on Account of the Queens
n,s,b-solne of the Receptions of
,ne Week-MentiOn of One or Two
osthe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Matters
nj General Interest.
washington, Feb. i.-Ambitbous bellies
49,, went abroad last summer to have
..--3srfu) tot cites created for the win
.~s social campaign. and less wealthy
amos who had to content themselves with
,.7,s. taIsnt, but drained the pockets of
-s- milias all the same. are to-day
owing in the very slough of despond.
qsf- irunks are unopened-their clothes
.ho- 7st such a world of care and cash,
al a many cases such heartburnings
,-5 hard pinches, are practically use. ess;
.s..s the season is ruined, and before
.,,t-.r rolls around. Dame Fashion,
-,s-t-j by the dressmakers, will demand
.tirs.v different styles. 1t is sad indeed,
,.et there is no help for it, If such a
,bips as moral may be lurking beneath
-,s disappointment. it will probably pass
vnDoaced by those whom it might benefi'.
FIRST the Presidents illness put a fms
- white House functions before they
were fairly begun; then best-laid social
.lens in highest circles were made to
gang aglee" by all-pervading grippe;
and now the passing OF Englands Queen
clotbes the diplomats in deepest court
mourning and closes al, official houses
Tor .onger or shorter period.
BY the way, the seeming Inconsistencies
of court mourning are many. All the
foreign ambassadors, ministers and at
taehes in Washington, of Whatever ma
+i5naHty who had cards out for balls,
receptions, dinners, etc, recalled them
Immediately on the death of the Queen;
and they also cancelled all the invitations
N official functions which they had pre-
viousiy accepted. But while they may
not entertain in any simplest manner I'M
der their own vines and fig-trees, SO to
saw. and must not, ON any account, be
seen in the houses of any cabinet officer,
ar other official of our government, or of
aDv other government, for that matter
the depth of their grief does not compe.
them TO withdraw their society from din
ners and other entertainments in private
homes That may not be the way the
subject would present itself to one unac-
ouainted with the details that make up
the etiquette of foreign courts, none of
which seem to thrive very well when
transplanted to American soil.
-,,r ,.ar,,b1inop ideas dinner &c a
dinner, and dance a dance, whether it
occurs in the parlors of the Secretary OF
State or in the palatial home of Mrs. John
Smith, and one would not interfere more
than the other with genuine grief But
the members of the diplomatic corps are
perfectly well posted in all the polite OBJ
eervances Of their respective courts, and
it may be taken for granted that they
will always stand well within their prop
er rights and make no mistake about it.
That is an important part of the long and
arduous training which foreign diplomats
have to undergo before entering the SER
vice-for the United States is the only
country which can pick up man from
any walk of life and send him to repre-
sent this government among the Couruers
of the world, without an idea in his head
as to what to do when delicate questions
Of etiquette arise. If accepting hospital
lily at a private board, while at the same
time declining if from an official host
even recalling acceptanees of an invita-
ton for which costly preparations have
been made-may seem a trife inconsistent,
perhaps it is no more so than the great
er freedom of action permitted a foreign
representative if temporarily absent on
vacation from his post at the capital.
For instance, should one Of these mourn
ing diplomats. whose front blinds are now
all pulled down while people leave cards
of coincidence at the door as if there were
corpse. within, chance to run over to
New York or Baltimore. they might throw
their mourning to the winds and attend
French can-can, if they liked and strain
no point of court etiquette providing they
resumed the habiliments of woe and went
mo retirement as soon as they got back
TO the capital
Last summer it will be remembered that
court mourning was prescribed for the
Duke of Saxe-Coburg; aud while it caused
great inconvenience and disappointment
% certain Washington hostesses, whose
previously accepted invitations had to be
resclhded, 1t did not prevent the British
Ambassador and his family from taking
prominent part in the social life of New
port. Six months of deep mourning, 10
NC LOlloWed by SIX months OF halfmOurn-
ing viii be observed by the British dip
ohauc service all over the world In
other countries, the court mourning Will
last a month. On the day of the Queen IS
luherai all the legations and embassies
III Washington will observe a second pc
liod OF mourning. flying all their flags
at half mast. The British legation, all
uraped in black and shutters closed from
atuc to cellar, looks as if the Queen S
uouy We're really lying in state inside.
Now speculation is ripe as to whether
Lord Pauncefote will change all lthose
Sdrus and yards Of expensive back 'drap.
cry lor purple, in Difference to King Ed
Maru latest command. As the German
emperor and the Czarina are grandchil-
pteh OF the late Queen, the German and
russian embassies are in deeper mourn.
ins' II possible, than the British. The
German Ambassador had several hundred
"''1auons out for what was expected to
"9 one OF the grandest entertainments OF
we season, for Feb s. but OF course recall
tAem. Just before Victorias death.
me Dutch government gave instructions
~ tts representatives throughout the
oilu TO celebrate in some fitting manner
Sne marriage of Queen Wilhe.mina. Baron
Ne'ets of the Netherlands was arrang-
Ing Tor his first large entertainment II,
'ushlugton, and society was eagerly an
-Hpalng the event. SO it has appeared
every diplomatic household. Closing
, sayest doors of the national capital