Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-11
Queens Repast at Alexandra
Trust Cost 9 Cents.
CHEAP MEALS FOR POOR
ENGLISH ENGAGE IN USUAL PRE-
EASTER SHOPPING.
Coming Out of Princess Patricia
Curzon Acquires Walmer Castle
Notable Elderly Duchess
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

cents dinner of which she partook last week
at the Alexandra Trust, run in connection
with Sir Thomas Upton. who financed the
scheme originally. A man who has tested
the meals at the Trust, however, speaks
convincingly concerning them. He says:
There is no nonsense about these dinners.
/ paid my four pence-half-penny to the
smart young lady at the ticket office and
was promptly served with pea soup and
bread. roast mutton. potatoes. sultana pud-
ding and coffee. The whole made up one
of the Trusts justly celebrated and royalty
patronized Ihree-course dinners, and l was
not asked for a half-penny more than L
paid on coming in. Unfortunately, roast
lamb and mint sauce, which the queen had,
were not in today's bill of fare, but it is
dish which comes up regularly at least once
a week. and that, with the usual trimmings
costs no more than the four-pence-half-
penny, which the queen paid
But the resources of these democratic
ding saloons are really remarkable The
cheapest ''three-course dinner" is priced at
three pence. For this one can obtain soup,
bread. beefsteak pudding. pastry and tea,
coffee or cocoa. The -four pence haf-penny
changes are rung upon roast pork. boiled
beef roast beef, roast mutton and roast
lamb, so that regular diners can have plenty
OF variety during the week. The visitor
who wants to dine in first-class style takes
ticket for the special five-penny dinner
on the second floor. There he is supplied
with soup and bread. roast beef, roast
pork or boiled beef, two vegetables, pastry
and tea, coffee or cocoa. The food is ex-
c~ilent and ample. and any hesitancy about
eating will be dispelled by visit to the
well-appointed and clearly kitchens on the
top floor
1t is not pretended that the lamb costs a
shilling pound, but there is no reason
why IL should not be thoroughly good lamb
for all that. The beef is American chilled
AMI the mutton Australian. All the prices
are correspondingly low. Roast lamb with
mint sauce or beef, mutton or pork cost
two-pence- half-penny a plate if YOU take
them separately. A large beefsteak pudding
tmade fresh daily from prime OK beef is
th-0e pence, loin chop rump steak four
pence, rabbit pie three pence Sleeps heart
three pence, eggs three for two-pence-half-
penny and salmon and sardines one penny.
There Is great run every Friday ON the
fried fish, which costs a penny a plate In
the SUMNER cooling salads take a popular
place in the menu. and the three-course din
ners nnish on with Ice crea-l and mineral
waters.
Pre-Easter Shopping.
The west end streets, especially Bond
street and Regent street, are thronged these
days with people busy apparently with pre-
Easter shopping. Quite number seemed
10 nave been tempted by the bright sun
shlne TO leave off their mourning for half
mourning of gray or mauve, and some of
the younger lady shoppers had anticipated
Easter gaieties in the matter of pretty
flower toques and straw hats wreathed
with flowers. The enormous circumference
or the new hats in the windows of the mo-
dlsteS Is somewhat alarming. The fat
crowned Breton sailor has become sort
on cart wheel, pulled up at the sides into
enormous breadth. wreath of flowers
and a lace veil, the latter skillfully draped
and hanging down the back, are the favor
lite form of trimming. Another fashion in
headgear is the huge poke bonnet, with
garland or Mowers inside the brim. The
crown of the latest fashion in millinery ia
very broad, and when the brim is added
the circumference is at least equal to that
OF the hugest picture hat.
The GROWER" as the London four wheel
cab is called, is the best holiday barometer
possible. Ordinarily it is used by the equity
the nervous and paterfamilias en- famlle.
But as holiday season approaches it bios
SONS out into universal use, with trunk
bicycle, or a perambulator, or all three
on the top. Its one destination then is the
railway station. Just now one sees many
GROWERS" thus top decked and meander-
ing stationwards They tell the tale of the
lucky who are able to anticipate Easter
tide. The boardings for the time being are
confined to narrating the charms of many
resorts. these charms, of course, being much
greater at Easter than at any season. and
line judiciously placed in the glowing text
tells you which railway company is willing
to take you to these charms for quite a
nominal charge. The Easter holiday is the
most popular conversational theme.
The gaiety of the London season will be
perceptbly enhanced by the permanent
residence at Clarence House of the Duke of
Connaught, who on taking up the duties
in May next of inspector general of the
forces, will reside continuously at Clarence
House or at Bagshot Park the country
house which he acquired when he was in
command at Aldershot.
One of the events of the season will be
the coming out of the Princess Patricia,
the dukes second daughter and third child.
She is taller than her sister, the Princess
Margaret, and quite as handsome. She de-
lights in outdoor pastimes such as golf,
hockey and cycling. The duke intends
during the season to give garden party at
Clarence House and house party for As
cot at Bagshot Park.
Clarence House Is one of the small group
of stately mansions between St. James
Palace and the Green Park. Its title is due
to the fact that II was the residence of
William w when Duke of Clarence, but
was a small mansion then. Late last CEN
fury IL was enlarged and remodeled to suit
the requirements of the Duke of Edinburgh.
subsequently Duke of Saxe-Coburg. OPP
poSite Clarence House is the much more
famous Stafford House. the residence of the
Duke of Sutherland. with dining room
worthy of Versailles. and a picture gallery
World-famous.
What Lord Curzon gains by being APP
pointed lord warden of the cinque ports Is
the acquisition of Walmer Castle as a ma
rine residence. 1t was principally with an
eye to using Walmer Castle for change OF
air and possibly saving his short visits to
France that the late Marquis of Salisbury
took the wardenship when the late Marquis
of Dufferin gave ii up. II is a delightful and
health-giving residence, and constitutes, in
feet. the chief attraction of the warden
ship. No doubt Lord Curzon is looking to
II to recruit Lady Curzons somewhat deli
cate health.
But perhaps for the very reason of its
salubrity II is like the famous health re-
sorts for invalds like Madeira or Hyeres.
associated with many notable deaths 1t
Is not fair. perhaps, to include the great
Duke of Wellington, who died there in 1867,
for he had held the wardenship for nearly
thirty years. and would have retained it
as long as he lived But Lord Granville
died there and so did Mr.. w. III. Smith.
who succeeded him, and If Lady Salisbury
did not die there she was stricken there
with her last Illness and was taken home
from thence to die
Walmer Castle has special attractions for
the active politician, II is supposed that
it's new warden is going to be, for 1t is
within easy access of London and lends
itself most readily n the Indulgence of a