The Washington times., 1915-08-15
.eJEAN ELIOTT
LETTER


that we are threatened with return
of serious -mindedness, and that It's go
ing to be iagrowing on the body social.
They coy that the war In Europe,
plus the woman suffrage movement.
plus again the tendency of the leading
women, is toward making folks think
more aad more seriously. There Is talk
here In town that an effort is even to
be made 10 popularize a nationwide
military interest among the men, and.
OF course they will want the women to
helr II along. The idea seems to be to
get the men to take up military affairs.
to promote such projecta rs the busi-
ness mems military camp at Platts-
burg. and generally to impress the COM
munity mind with .he fact that this
country needs to be ready for any turn
that the war might take.
Just imagine II the men, always
scarce in Washington. should so In for
popularizing military drill. join the Ma
oonal Guard. march when they ought
20 be dancing. drill instead Of attend
theater, and spend their summer vaca-
tion3 at the encnmpment rather than
the resorts! What more dreary pros
pect-unless the women get military,
In the patriotic pro, eedinss.
Last season there we've signs of some
little social reaction away from the
friVolit!es that We all denounce and
love; against the alleged boresomencss
or the ievities that we like, and in ia
for OF a return to the serious things
that We hate to think about. IT. too
early to tell whether ~ thing Is going
10 strike in. but ther, no doub, that
the women up at the Top OF the Official
social structure IN " ashington at PRES
ent tend toward the more serious AS
poets.
sol.Ic Il the c,l5s. am toll. are
getting ready to do \ line Of studying
the com rS winter. susYestcl directly
by the war. The popula rization OF
geography and medieval and modern
history, of studies In government. CON-
parisons Of thc-what was 1t that seri-
Gus young man said In my ear at the
dance last night? o. yes. The social
ideals and econom. purposes of the
national asp.rants for world leadership''
that's what We are con.r r,ntsd with.
Better get the dustiest and wisest tones
down and read UP.
-
Susan. dear, can you contemplate any
thing more heartbrcaking than such an
outlook? The girls will have TO be
earnest and sympathetic: let US hope
1t won't go so far q. soulful I'm sure
! will never succeed in getting Bob to
take me seriously II try to take In
terest in such awful things. However,
there's one consolation. I'm pretty sure
Bob will refuse to give his countenance
to any program Of devastating and
barbaric intellectualism. When 1t comes
to giving up the new dances. Bob will
make his first and most determined
demonstration Of q m lltaristlc DISPOSE
ton. guess we shall manage to live
through II.
Washington has been particularly in
terested in several recent changes In
the diplomatic corps. Sumner Welles,
for one, who married pretty Esther
Slater In the spring, was given his first
position, and Is to so to Tokyo, while
Henry c. May was changed from the
good berth Of second secretary Of the
American embassy at Tokyo to one not
80 good at Quito. Then abroad. Baron
de NaSell. who married Julia Calhoun
last December, has been assigned to
the Netherlands legation at Petrograd,
capital Of the country where a pretty
romance In the life Of the paron's
grandfather was enacted.
-
Baron de Nagell, the grandsire, ac-
companied William the Second Of Hol-
land. then the crown prince. to Rus
STA. whence he went to sue for the
hand OF tho beautiful daughter OF the
Car Anna Paulowna. who ultimately
became Queen of the Netherlands. The
young aide-de-camp to the prince
promptly followed suit. and fell in love
with the Queens favorite lady in walt
ing, wooed and won her. And the pres
ent baroness has now the magnificent
string Of pearls with a clasp of three
large Russian amethysts encircled with
diamonds which the princess presented
her lady in waiting as wedding pres
ent. Baron and Baroness de Nagel!
will go to Petrogrnd next week.
-
Myron Parker blushed-yes. actually
b,ushed also fairly beamed-one day
last week when l congratulated him
upon the good fortune Of getting pretty
Mrs. Jordan to be his bride. And he
did look so happy. Their engagement
was not surprise to any one. either
within or without their Immediate circle
of friends. for Myron's ardent admira-
ton for Martha has been most apparent
for some time and that it was not dis
agreeable to her was likewise evident
They make a very handsome pair, And
to think the wedding is all over and
they are we'll started on their way to
Canada. The home of Mrs Parker S
mother. Mrs. Elliott. in Ellicott City,
where the wedding took place yester.
day is n very fine one. and made i
beautiful setting for the simple but i'm
pressive ceremony.
-:
Have you seen. Susan. the latest thing
in purses which my lady carries? They
are so new that you probably haven't
They are of silk. usually striped. and
quite large. The edges OF the bag are
finished with a metal. lattice effect
silver or gold, which opens and folds
UP like the door oc an elevator. Wher
folded. this mouth of the bag is covered
with a round top. often Of enamel OF
the same shade as the bag and inside
of this top Ia sccreted a powder case
Inside Of the purse. which is quit<
10 nj hot ar