The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-23

there were punches Of orchids at each
womans plate, with single ones for the
mems buttonholes. The bonbons were
colored mauve, the petits four we're tint
Cd nlauve. the ice cream was of the same
/ sickly shade II was verify a mauve din
ner, the only other notes being the gold
plate and the gowns of the women. for
| the "orchid hostess" as she was some
times called. never succeeded in persuad-
ing her women guests to aid her in car
rying out her color scheme by wearing
mauve gowns
Small Fortune i'm Fnyors.
A description of some Of the cotillions
given in Washington would read like a
page from the Arabian Nights" At
| some OF these the favors alone represent
CO small fortune. to say nothing of the
supper and ballroom decorations, Spring
/ hats for the women and walking sticks
/ for the men were the favors for one Of
/ the figures OF a noted german, and not
/ long ago gold viniagrettes, studded with
! Jewels, and solid gold cigar cutters were
/ bestowed upon the fortunate guests; but
/ no Washington german ever cost hun
1 dreds Of thousands of dollars, as did the
/ recent conning-out ball OF a young Phila-
/ delphia heiress. when the decorations Of
the ballroom were tropical butterflies and
singing birds
/ II makes one ashamed 20 write Of It.,
and II should make every one ashamed
/ who reads Of It. for such vulgar extrava-
gance would be bad enough If II affected
only those who indulge in il. but it has
/ its effect upon every weak mind and
every foolish soul who hear Of IT,
/ The mistake those in moderate circum-
/ stances make is in trying TO vie with the
rich. which is truer Of Washington than
/ of any other place. for at the Capital
there is a large population of officials
I who have nothing TO depend upon hut
( their salaries and who feel. and rightly
/ feel. that they are entitled to Just as
! high a social position as those who have
nothing 20 recommend them save an in
exhaustible bank account.
II a woman whose income is expressed
kby six figures has orchids on her table
fterrapin and canvas back on her menu,
and imported champagne among her
wines there IS no reason why a woman
whose husbands salary is only I'VE or
six thousand dollars year should affect
these extravagances. yet this Is constant
~ being done in Washington. a hostess
In moderate circumstances feels that she
should offer exactly the same menu that
/ is served by her pIutocratic neighbor be
cause people expect IT," and she has not
the courage 10 disappoint them or be-
cause false pride tempts her to assume
a magnIhcence her resources do not war
rant
only recently a certain government
official confessed 10 his friends that he
was forced 10 resign his position and
return 60 the practice Of his profession
because he could not afford to keep up
with the social procession"
Il occurs but TO few people that IL is
not necessary ITO keep up with the So
cial procession" and at the bottom OF
this false standard and false pride is
that universal and deep-seated feeling
peculiar 10 Americans that man must
live as well as his neighbor, that he
must not be outdone by any one, and so
the poor. that they may seem to live as
| well as the rich, make shifts that are in
/ no wise 70 their credit and put on a
/ veneer that deceives no one.
Knew Art of Entertaining.
| There was once upon time a woman
in official life-the dear lady Is dead these
several years-who gave frequent and
| pretentious dinners TO return the hospi-
| tally Of those who had dined her for
| her husband was a man high in the gov
/ eminent councils and they were con-
stantly entertained. Her only resource
was her husbands salary. yet she gave
dinners that sounded quite as well in
print as did those Of the wealthiest en-
| tertainers, and they had an acceptable
| flavor too.
Everybody wondered how she did it.
and many people found out, for she was
so proud Of her makeshifts that she was
wont TO brag Of them when she had an
appreciative audience At her formal
dinners a few natural flowers and foli-
| age were massed with quantities Of arti-
fetal ones. marvellous limitations in
mauve made by her own hands: her bon
| bons were bought at market for Is cents
a pound. but on top OF these were a few
pennies worth of peppermint waters
bearing the stamp Of a fashionable con-
| fectioner; the terrapin was made from
chicken and turkey giblets. favored with
slider or two. the canvas-back ducks
were ordinary puddle ducks, the very
smallest TO be had, cooked with celery
in such way that they had a flavor
| which suggested. at least. the birds they