The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-24
The Vivacious Adopted
Daughter Of Russian ~
Ambassador Overcomes
Diplomatic Obstacles to
Carry Out Her Pet Plan
and is Meeting with Sue
cess

@7HE national capital has been, this
season, more than ever before,
what General Young, formerly
IEcMM commander of the United States
- army, has aptly termed "a city
of fairs fads and fancies." The climax IN
the reign of the three F's is to come, ap-
propriately enough toward the close of the
era of revelry and will take the form of
great garden party and bazar for the bene-
fit of the Russian Red Cross. now so active
in carrying on relief work of all kinds at
the theater of war in the far East This
picturesque fete will unquestionably be the
greatest show which social. official and dip
lomatic Washington has ever witnessed
and as participants and active contributors
to it's success there has been enlisted the
aid of practically everybody who is any
body in the city of celebrities.
There is only one woman on this side of
the Atlantic who could have piloted this
pretentious project to complete success in
the face of all sorts of obstacles. She is
the vivacious Countess Marguerite Cassini,
adopted daughter of the Russian ambas-
sador, and, in many respects, the most re-
markable girl in America. Her triumph in
the present instance but adds another
feather to the cap of the young woman of
twenty-three who, for more than a year
past, has held the important post of rank
ing hostess of the diplomatic corps. and for
three years previous to that had assumed
all the responsibilities of the position of
mistress of an important diplomatic house
hold. meeting light-heartedly, almost glee-
fully, the little cares and worries which
appalled, older society leaders.
1t is by no means easy to give satisfy
ing word picture of Countess Cassini. be-
cause animation and vivacity add so much
to face beautiful in itself. OF a Partisan,
rather than a Russian type, slender anG
hthsome and graceful, she is wonderfully
quick OF motion. Everything she does is ac
complished quickly and with an enthusi
asm that sweeps all barriers before ii. New
er was this better exemplified than in the
manner in which she has swept society and
oftcialdom off its feet by her present whirl-
wind project for the relief of the suffering
soldiers in the Orient.
No person less daring than this pretty pill
grim from ST. Petersburg would have ven
tured to propose war charity at the juno
ture chosen by the fair countess to an
nounce her pet project. President RoOse-
welt had just issued his peremptory order
every person in official life to observe not
only the letter but the spirit of the law of
neutrality in the conflict between Russia
and Japan on the other side of the world.
Right on the heels of this came the inyi-
lduohs from countess Cassini to every
woman prominent in public life to partici-
pate and assist in her money making enter
prise on behalf of Russian relief
IN A QUANDARY
Plainly. official society was in a quandary
The fashionable world had not the assur-
ance to refuse anything to the Russian
countess since. during all the six years of
her residence in the Republic she has been
giving freely of her time and her treasure
for every charity suggested, in addition to
being the greatest foe TO monotony the
American smart world has ever known
Yet, with the best of intentions and incli-