Evening star., 1902-04-18

than in the matter of restaurants. The time
was when little more could be obtained at a
| restaurant suitable to the ordinary purse
than steak or mutton chop, and for a
lady to be seen in one of these places was
to run the risk of severe criticism. All is
changed. The west end, especially around
Piccadilly, has these last few years SIM
ply blossomed restaurants, all exqtlfsitely
decorated in the light and dainty French
style, the service admira BILE, and frequently
a string band in attendance to aid d.Ees-
ton.
There are dozen places IN London where
you can get really excellent little French
dinner of seven or eight courses for half
| crown. There is nothing cheap about
the dinner except the price itself. Indeed,
to drop into a west end restaurant, baz-
ing with light. flashing with mirrors, all
the tables adorned with flowers, ever ybody
In the gayest of humor, and the strains of
the waltz taking the edge, as it were. off
the chatter, you might imagine you were
In frivolous Paris instead of solid Lcndon.
Wane of Artists Hospitality.
Easter day was show Sunday among artists
who exhibit at the Academy, but that is
an institution which is fast dying out For
the past five years the hospitality Of the
artist has been on the wane, so that now
only one studio opens it's doors where ten
used to welcome q critical world 1t is
somewhat too early yet to judge what the
picture harvest will be, but from many
signs l am afraid the coronation Academy
VIII not prove one of great Importance.
On all sides there are stories of unfinished
pictures due to Illness, the many fogs
and other troubles but Judging from a peep
into few studios where the pictures are
resting for the last time, there is bound to
be good number sent up for hanging on
the happy dispatch at Burlington House.
one picture which will attract much at
tent1on is by Mr.. j. n. Bacon = The Wei
,t,,,,
200 portraits of the guests at the historic
scene in the Guildhall on October %, 1900
Lady Butler has picture for the Academy
Tent Pegging"-a painting of some Ben
gal lancers, while another work is a South
African scene of a dispatch rider pursued
by Beers. Mr.. Yeend King has two Of his
beautiful country scenes, and Mr.. RyaIn-
Shaw Shakespearean study OF Richard TT
and Isabel of Vaois, his queen Sir Ed
ward ]. Poynter p r. A, IS sending a pic
ture to the Academy. STERN Nymris'
and also water-color portrait
Changes at Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle was reopened to the pub
lie on Monday for the first time since the
death of Queen Victoria. OF the many al
terations made, the principal have been in
the private apartments. In the arrange
ment Of the kings writing room, which con-
tains one Of the finest Georgian bookcases
ever made, false ceiling has been put in,
thus considerably reducing the height of the
room. Queen Alexandria's bath room has
been lined with marble, brought from the
Island of Skyros in the Grecian archipel-
ago, out of the quarries reopened by her
brother, the King of Greece after being
closed for nearly 1000 years. Another in
teresting apartment is the queens studio
which has been entirely covered with
studies in water colors and oil by the queen
as we'll as sketches done as souvenirs of
travels in Denmark and the south Of
France. Other interesting treasures which
hoar Job
during the removal include Roman bronzes
from Pompeii. scraps of mosaic from the
Roman Forum, cups and articles from Dan
ish watering places.
Ladies' Army and Navy Club.
Much amusement is caused by the perse-
verance Of the promoters of a so-called
Ladies Army and Navy Club The object
of the club, is not, as I understand, to de-
velop corps of amazon mothers The OBJ
ject Is patriotic, to bring together ladies
who desire to help in movements designed
to aid in maintaining the honor and we'll
being of the army and navy. Such a club,
for instance, might exercise a powerful in
fuence for good by its members refusing to
receive at their houses persons who slander
the army by speaking of it's methods of
barbarism, or of it's internal atrocities"
or of it's slaughter of innocents.' The
humorists are at present employed in dis
cussing short title for the new club.
Naturally an adaptation of THE Rag" by
which the real service club is known first
suggested itself. 1t has. however, been
unanimously agreed that 1.-The ladies' rag
would not be polite. and accordingly "the
frocks and frills'' has been suggested as
more courteous and gallant appreciation of
the ladies in arms
Westminster Abbey Closed to Public.
Westminster Abbey was open to the pub
lie yesterday for the last time prior to it's
impending Transformation for the great
ceremonial Of next June. Today the ven
erabe building was transferred from the
control of the dean and canons to that of
Earl Marshal, who, as it curiously happens
is Roman Catholic. While the Duke of
Norfolk will be the nominal man in possess
SION the abbey authorities, through the
board of work will still have a good deal
to say as to the structural notifications of
the interior. The king is said to have ex-
pressed desire that no permanent dis
fgurement Of the building should be per
mltted. If this wish is to be obeyed it will
be necessary for some one to keep vigil
lant eye on the proceedings of the work
men. Windows are to be transformed into
doorWays, new stalrcases are to be erected
both inside and outside the building, gal
lerles are to be erected in the transepts and
there are to be many other structural inno-
VationS which, 1t is to be feared are hound
to leave their mark on the gray walls.
l.. H. MOORE