Evening star., 1925-05-10
cation Of magnificent country seats
in the world.

Burnett. who was for so many years
naval attache in Toxic. has received
nearly all the literary honors which
the Japanese government can bestow
Tor her marvellous mastery of the
language and it's intricate method of
poesy. Mrs. Burnett has achieved
what has never been accomplished by
an american before-she has learned
the language of Japan in the academic
and practical sense and she has writ.
ten some exquisite prose poems and
mas translated some Of the classics
from the Nipponese royal library. She
Is an unusually attractive person and
very often Is seen in the drawing room
OF Nine. Matsudaira and of the other
ladies' connected with the embassy.
Living so long In the Orient. Mrs.
burnett has become attached to for
eign ways and has taken up the west
ern domestic customs rather reluc-
tantly. She is partial to having small
companies Of friends served in the
ways which are familiar in Toxic and
an through the islands thereabout.
mrs. Burnett has several volumes of
Japanese poetry. and sometimes she
IS lured into reading some of her work
TO those few in Washington who un.
derstand this flowery language.
Mrs. Francis B. Biddle and her sis
| ter. Miss Cornelia Van Auken Chaplin
OF New York. are among the orRa niz-
ers OF a delightful club called the
Sharks, which is a spirited and con-
vincing way in which the younger
generation has answered the appeals
OF the leaders OF Gotham to organize
social life again on the lines laid
down by the late Ward McAllister.
These two ladies descend from the
Oldest and most distinguished fami.
mes OF Manhattan, and, besides DOS
sessfng good blood, many Of their an.
cestors were founders Of New York
IN the cultured and intellectual sig
nfhcance. Any return to the -four
hundreds" OF the McAllister time and
their descendants would necessarily
INCLUDE them on several counts. But
the Sharks have been organized with.
out the least regard to social lists in
certain approved publications or the
family trees of the Knickerbockers or
British and other immigrants. They
are chosen because they are brainy
and because they can talk intelligently
on the questions of the day and have
accomplished something worthy in the
literary, artistic or musical line, or
give fair promise of doing so. Every
Shark. to retain membership in good
standing, must dance well, play some
sort of musical instrument in more
than the ordinary way; must make a
rousing public speech, or must have
some accomplishment in the writing
line. There are soon to be tryouts Of
the dramatic efforts of the young
people, Of course behind closed doors.
Miss Chaplin. one OF the founders Of
comedy performed. ''The Ladies of
Bayeaux," with admirable success
The Sharks win also have a purely
social side, and will give dinings,
dances and afternoon levees next sea
son. when they are more closely knit
into organization.
Mr.. and Mrs. Drelincourt Martin of
Chicago. but now citizens Of the world,
have just translated q masterpiece in
Rumanian dramatic art, Eyes in the
Dark" and they are to have it. pro.
duced In some Of the Little Theaters
during the Summer, possibly In Chi
cago, where charming theater weather
prevails until mid-August. Though
Rumania has a venerable and virile
literature. the World War may be
said to have introduced it to all ex-
cept to the most scholarly Of Ameri-
cans and this too may be remarked
Of other nations which have assumed
a large importance since the treaty
of Versailles. Nine. Wroblewska, wife
OF the Minister from Poland, often has
regretted that none Of the charming
Polish fairy tales or its folk lore in
general is known even superficially in
this country, and that eminent Bull
garian scholar, DR.. Panaretoff, fire.
Quently expresses astonfshment that
Americans with their well developed
love Of dramatic prose and poetry
have not SKINNED the surface Of that
rich literature in his native tongue.
This Rumanian drama, Eyes in the
Dark" will be followed by other trans.
lations by Mr.. and Mrs. Martin. who
are making a special study Of this
| language and its spirited dramatic
literature. Prince Bibesco II much
| interested in the venture. for while he
has many plays to his credit he has
| written entirely In English and
French and not in Rumanian.