The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-03
3OSSlP OF THE CAPITAL.
WASHINGTON WOMEN ENJOY MUCH
FREEDOM.

FREEDOM.
Go About at Nights as They Please
without Troubling Themselves for
Male Escorts-A Victoria Doll for
Cabinet OmciaI's Little Daug hter.
Washinston's Charity Ball Bril-
liant Anair-The President Cele-
brates His 5Sth Birthday.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 2.-There are
few cities where the women enjoy such
thorough freedom as Washington The
absence of factories and other laborlng
centers does away with night-rovers, SO
that it is possible for women 10 go about
unescoried with perfect safety after
nlghtfall. There is such diversity Of en-
tertainment that husbands and wives are
at liberty to consult their individual pref
erences and go their separate ways with
out comment. Washington is as quiet as
great village after 10 O'Clock, except on
those streets where cars run. The cars
are 50 perfectly equipped and commodious
that the vast majority of residents pat
ronize them in the evening and the women
in their ball gowns and opera cloaks make
brilliant showing, going to and from
the various centers of entertainment.
Theater parties for women, formerly
counted as afternoon affairs, have now
become popular for the evening. Women
have been driven to this by the numer-
Gus stag dinners that engross their hus-
bands. Many a choice supper after the
play is enjoyed in Washington, at which
men are conspicuous for their absence.
Surprise, and perhaps CONSERVATION, was
occasioned few nights ago when a party
| Ct prominent men, who assemble weekly
10 play the national game, were inter-
| rupted at midnight by their wives, who
| arrived merriiy in cabs from the theater
to partake of supper and Incidentally car
ry their husbands home. The wife of the
host of the evening had arranged this
little surprise which broke up the game at
a seaSonabie hour and was more sa It's
| flying to the winners than the losers.
/ Sometimes, even in Independent WASH
ngton, the worm will turn.
The little daughter of a cabinet official
was rendered happy by the gift of doll,
dressed and presented by one of the old
est Inhabitants" who reverences every
thing of an historical character. The dress
OF the doll is of chintz. bearing a design
that was in vogue the year of Victoria
! coronation. A bunch of flowers composed
of the roses of England, the thistles Of
Scotland, and the shamrock of Ireland,
alternates with the gracefully formed
monogram, V. R.-Victoria- Regina
/ against a buff background. 1t is a piece
/ of the gown worn by the giver of the
doll when she was 7 years old, and it cost
81 a yard. 1t was ALSO, the first dress
( of the sort worn in America, the material
! being sent by an uncle in England. If
/ the little girl is wise, she will keep this
| dolls dress as a souvenir for posterity.
A brilliant feature Of the week was the
charity ball that blooms annually in
Washington with the most satisfying
financial results. Il was held in the Ar
lington suite and the mirror room was
a superb spectacle Of flowers covering
the ceiling and festooned in innumerable
yards of delicate blossoms and aspa-a-
gus vine with enormous clusters of or
chids hung at intervals. The guests did
not assemble until after 10, and the bril-
Liant companies that arrived from din
ners, of which more than a dozen large
ones distinguished the evening, were su
perbly gowned. 1t was the banner night
or the Washington season as far as in
regard to costumes.
The hfty-eighth birthday of the Presi-
dent was celebrated on Tuesday at the
White House with due ceremony, al
though no formal entertainment was Civ
: en-, and only two or three old friends
I were invited to join the family dinner
party. Mrs. Mckinley, whose health is
mending, shared the distinction of re-
! ceiving the many congratula tons which
| poured in upon the President throughout
| the day. The British ambassador and
Lady Pauncefote were among the visito
and their cards were deeply bordered in
black
The state dinners deferred on account
| OF illness are to take place at an early
| date, but there will be no receptions al
| the executive mansion this season. The
| funeral services for Queen Victoria will
| be held at St Johns Church on Satur-
| day. 1t is to be regretted that these GER
| emonies are not to occur in a more COM
| modious building than St. Johns, as there
/ is an universal desire to be present by
the entire leisure class of Washington.
pleasant excitement was occasioned