The Washington herald., 1906-12-09
.ADAM-SITS.
,BY-THE-FIRE-

tSiAA6 diu gossip anu dttct tilo aAioi
session, luncheon parties in the cafe or
| committee rooms.
You say the diplomatic corps was
well represented? It is new thing for its
members 10 take much interest in the
| proceedings Of Congress. l never re-
member seeing the diplomatic gallery
filed on opening day. but l do recall one
occasion when Mr. Yoshida and hts wife
were there that they attracted as
much attention as did the Senators
| themselves. Mr.. Yoshida was the first
Minister-resident from Japan to this
country and his wife was a dear little
mite Of a Japanese woman. slender and
graceful, with luminous eyes, who wore
her native costume-gOrgeous dresses,
heavy with rich Observation-Disclosures
she went Washington was much more
| provincial In those days than il is now,
and Madame Yoshida's appearance in
variably brought together d crowd; but
/ she accepted the attention she inspired
/ in perfect good nature, and in this. as in
all things, showed her superior breeding
and savoir faire,"
The Yoshidas were here In the '70s,
and If I remember rightly. Blacque Bey
was serving as Turkish Minister at that
time. There was a handsome creature!
Tall and brOad-shOuldered. with hair just
turning gray. and those curious, narrow,
slanting eyes. peculiar TO the Oriental
which see everything without seeming to
look, and read 10 the very bottom Of the
heart His diplomatic uniform was the
most gorgeous one in the diplomatic
corps, and, topped by his red fez. he
made a striking figure as he headed that
body on official occasions, for he was for
some time its dean. Blacque Bey was
not the great dean that one Of his sue
cessors, Mavroyeni Bey, became. but ne
made more than passing impression on
society, and those who met him have
never forgotten this servant Of the
Padishah" p"
The girl with the bird of paradise on
her hat asked madam if she had known
Hsrriet Lane Johnston.
Yes, I know her WELL" was the reply
in a reminiscent tone, "and, speaking Of
Harriet Lane, I am gratified to see that
her collection of pictures, autograph let
ters, and objets dart has at last found
resting place, for it has both an artistic
and historical value, and had it been
otherwise disposed of il would have been
a great loss to the nation. 1t strikes me
as an excellent idea TO place the collec-
tion in the Museum and make II a nu-
cleus for a national gallery, and I am
quite sure its acceptance by the govern
ment viii inspire the gift of other collec-
tons just as valuable. We are far too poor
in pictures illustrating historical Incl
Il
the Capitol to be sure; the pictures IN
the rotunda, and a few others scattered
here and there through the building, not
great works of art, any Of them, but
they serve their purpose, and so are ad-
mirable. What we want is more pictures
OF the same sort. and while Mrs John
ston's collection does not cover this want,
It is filed with interesting things, souve-
Mrs Of men who played a great part in
history, and Of her residence at the Court
of St James, where her uncle, Mr.
Buchanan, served before he was made
President
Harriet Lane was a wonderful girl II
is almost impossible 10 give you an idea
of her popularity IN England as well as
In this country. or of her beauty, her vi
vacity, or goodness. Every man who met
her became at once her knight, and pinned
her colors TO his sleeve; towns. battle
ships, societies, cravats, and other poss-
bic and impossible things were named for
her, and she was the toast Of the day. l
doubt if any girl ever had so many or
such brilliant offers Of marriage, offers
that would have dazzled an ordinary
woman, but she was never moved by
them, but waited until she could make a
love match. which she did finally, and
lived most happily with her husband until
his death
When she was in London Queen Vic
toria made a great pet of the chateIaine
OF the American legation, and went quite
out Of her way to show in what favor she
held the little cousin from across the
water. Indeed. the Queen is said to have
felt some chagrin that Miss Lane did not
accept one Of her titled subjects for a hus-
band, and remain in England, where she
had made so enviable a place for herself
King Edward. too. was an admirer of Har-
riet, and they became warm friends
when he was Prince of Wales and she the
mistress of her Uncles household The
prince visited Mr.. Buchanan when he was
President and IN the collection az the
museum there will, think, be found the
portrait Of King Edward, which he pre-
sented his host on leaving America, and
set of engTavings which was given to
Miss Lane as a slight mark of his grateful
appreciation of the hospitable reception
and agreeable visit to the White House
On her trips to England, whittier she went
every year or two in her younger days.
lT-c LOT er,fo f1sv
Victoria during her lifetime and other
members Of the royal family, and until
her death maintained a correspondence
with the King.
Il remember very well the occasion
when Mr. Buchanan received the degree
of Doctor of Civil Laws from the Uni
versity of oxford. Alfred Tennyson was
decorated on the same day, and the hall
was crowded to the utmost limit When
Mss Lane entered the students rose en-
rnasse to receive her, and the very
rafters shook with the noise OF the hur-
rahs given in her honor. Miss Lanes
experience in London was a great help
TO her when she returned to this coun.
try and was called 20 preside over the
White House, a trying position for any
one, especially for a girl Of her age, but
during the whole time she was there I
do not believe she made a single mistake
or a single enemy"
Il am told that there Is a possibility
Of Alan Johnstone coming back to US
as British Ambassador" said madam.
putting down her tea-cup and taking up
her knitting, but 1 can hardly credit IT,
He was such lad when he was here
twenty-odd years ago, so boyish in ap-
pearance and manner that I can hardly
think of him as middle-aged man and
dignified ambassador. A fine looking
fellow, as l remember him, tall and