Evening Star Newspaper, December 28, 1895, Page 16

EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1895—TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. SECRETARY OLNEY’S RESIDENCE. CABINET HOMES Centers of a Good Deal of the So- cial Official Life. OF THE SEASON —s AT THE OPENING About the Houses and Those Who Preside Over Them. GENIAL HOSTESSES OCIAL CENTERS of great importance during the season are the homes of the cab- inet officers. The ladies of the cabinet have regular recep- tion days, and on these occasions the houses are thronged with visitors. Next Week the social sea- son opens, and from that time until the beginning of Lent the cabinet houses will be conspicuous as places of graceful and genial hospitality. The home of the premier of the adminis- tration is the big, white house at the south- east corner of Rhode Island avenue and 7th street. This Is the first winfer Secre- tary and Mrs. Olney have spent there, as they only moved in last spring. The house, then a very simple one, was bought some years ago by Mr. and Mrs. Bellamy Storer which is so desirable in the home of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of the Treasury and Mrs. Carlisle reside at 1426 K street. No house in the West End is better known. Mrs. Carlisle has not had any larger receptions since she became a cabinet !ady than when east Ai) hae Attorney General t..g mou's Residence she was a hostess of the senatorial circle. Her house could not hold any more. The house 1s as well arranged as any single house could be. The rooms open up. well ard are bright and cheerful in their ap- pointments. Mrs. Carlisle frequently adds something new in the gifts from her friends. Just at present two enormous polar bear rugs on the parlor floor and in the bay wndow of the dining room in- vite admtration. RETARY HERBERT'S HOME. and was by them co greatly enlarged and Deautifled that its original appearance was completely lost. The entrance is in the English basement, and the staircase, com- fortably wide, leads to the parlor floor. The parlors ure umong the most artistic, and the Secretary Carlisic's Residence. bay window in the front room is a most in- viting retreat. It has a window seat, which is piled up witn dainty pink cushions against the simp!e muslin draperies at the window. The pic $s at the end of the Secretary Lumont’s Home. pee and adjoining it is the dining room. hese are beautiful rooms, and have every elegant and fanciful touch to complete their adornment. The parlor suite, therefore, pro- vides the necessary room for entertaining Secretary and Mrs. Lamont’s house, 1607 H street, is ene of the few remaining land- marks of fifty or sixty years ago, when most of the fashionable hous2s were clus- tered in that neighborhood. It is the big yellow house adjoining the Corcoran house, and with the dainty taste and_ skillful arrangement exercised by Mrs. Lamont, the interior carries out the fascinating glimpses one gets through the big, square windows. The parlors, dining room and reception room give what might be con- ‘ered ample entertaining space, but every ch is needed when the host and hostess entertain. On these occasions the bal- conics are tnclosed and furnished, and make a preity addition to the. parloi Attorney General Harmon has a de idence In the house 1329 K street. a few years ago entirely trans- formed by its owner, Mrs. Fred. De C. May, and has all the modern touches. The drawing room is in white and gold, and XIV styles predominate in its lux- appointments. ‘The library and din- ing room are equally artistic in treatment, Mrs. Harmon is an ideal hostess, and will ce have this winter her married daughter, Mrs. Wright of Philadelphia, and Miss Harmon to assist ker. Postmaster General Wilson purchased No. 1741 Q street last spring Postmaster General Wilson's Home. after his appointment, and has since made it his home. It ts in the handsome block between 17th and 18th streets. The base of the house and the square bay window are of bright green stone. The house within is as attractive as without. The rooms are tastily furnished and ornamented, a work in which rs. Wilson has taken great pleasure since returning to town last fall. Mrs, Wilson intends to recelye on Wednes- days throughout the season, and the house will be a popular one tn the social world. Secretary Herbert has the big old-fashion- ed mension, 1925 F street, at the northeast corner of 20th and F streets. It ig sunny and bright, end in the heart of the dis- trict which years ago was frequently heard of In social matters, and fa again a center of the homes of well-known people. Miss Herbert is its presiding genius, and its ar- rangement Is entirely her care and taste. She fas but lately returned from a long stay in Eurcpe, and has brought back many pretty souverirs of her travels. Mrs, Micou, her married sister, also makes her home with her father. The house has an old-time conservatory at the rear of the parlor, which on festive occasions accom- modates the band. Secretary and Mrs. Hoke Smith have one of the daintiest homes in the cabinet round in the house 162% K street. It is vine-clad and hes graceful architectural lines, and the interior is most inviting. The stair- case and square hall, with a big fireplace, are as much a feature as the cozy library Secretary Smith's Hoase. on the front and the silver and blue draw- ing room on the same floor. The dining room has rich dark* woods in its construc- tion. The Smith household has several merry youngsters, and the nursery’ up- stairs is bright and sunny. Secretary Mcrton keeps house in a hand- scme suite of apartments at the Portland. Miss Morton presides for her brother, and no hostess is more agreeable and no re- ceptions more pleasant than hers. The apartment has its own dining room and kitchen, and the establishment, while in a contracted space, is nevertheless amply | sufficient in its arrangements. ———__ RINGING OF SHIP'S BELLS. A Language More Extensive Than Landsmen Suppose. From the Boston Globe. The language of a ship's bell, so signifi- cant to a sailor man, is full of mystery for the average landlubber, and most of the visitors to a warship leave the ship as ig- norant of the meaning of the bell signals as when they went aboard. Commander Rockwell, United States navy, has given some information on the subject which will be interesting to the thousands who have visited Uncle Sam's ships. “As bunting is the medium through which a ship ordinarily communicates with the outside world,” he says, “so the bell is that through which she addresses her- self to those aboard, and which in all the navies of the world rings forth the hours, summons to worship and peals the danger 2 landsman has probably learned and forgotten the method of striking the hour aboard ship, but the dullest may make sure of this knowledge for the rest of his life by geiting two or three things clear in his head. The nautical day be- gins and ends at noon, when eight bells is struck. The bell is struck half-hourly day and night, one stroke being added for every half hour, until eight Is reached, when the count begins again at one bell. “Thus the hours are indicated in every navy of the civilized world except the Bri ish. Here there is a curious deviation from the ordinary naval method of Indicating the hour. “In the matter of the bell there is in the United States navy a routine long estab- lished by precedent. The bell, usually a small affair, of rather high, light tone, hangs either just forward or just abaft of the foremast, on or under the forecastle. The captain's orderly keeps the time and reports to the oflicer of the deck the hour in terms of bells. Tho officer of the deck then bids the messenger of the watch to strike the bell “There is somewhat more formality at eight bells than at other times, for then the hour Is reported to the captain, and the bell is not struck until he has said, ake it so.’ : ‘Here is the routine at 8 a.m.: The order- ly says to the ofiicer of the deck, bells, sir.’ The officer of the deck’ rep ‘Report to the captain eight bells chronometers wound, sir. TI then goes to the captain and say: bells and chronome! wound, sir, ptain, if he be so minded, replies: ‘Ver vell. Make it so.’ The officer of the d Kk says to the messenger of the watch, ‘Strike eight bells,” and if everybody has been prompt the messenger strikes eight bells at exactly $ a.m. “Nobody knows whether it would be eight bells if the dignified captain should take it into his head to withhold his ma- jestic ‘Make it so,’ for an American naval captain is so powerful a person aboard ship and routine has so powerful a hold on the navy that perhaps the captain, if so minded, might put the nautical day out of Joint. “When ships are cruising . in the entire fleet lying in port awaits the flagship’s bells. On all the other ships the messenger stands by the bell, clapper in hand, and as soon as the bell has sounded the vells throughout the fleet are sounded. Lying, as they are, quite close together, the effect is interesting and agreeable. ae flagship also gives out the time to the other vessels every morning. Shortly before seven bells, at 7:30 o'clock a.m., a time signal is displayed by the flagship. At exactly 7:30 this signal drops, the clocks on all the ships are set and seven bells is struck throughout the fleet. squadron —_____+ e+ —___ FIGHTS ITS RESCUER. Cat, Imprisoned for Five Days, Be- nes Bloodthirsty, From the Louisville Courter-Journal, The family of Jacob Draudt, a grocer at Ja’kson and Madison strects, has been in a state of mind because of strange sounds, like the wail of a catamount, which have been issuing from their cellar for the past two or three days. The family was consi erably inconvenienced as well as intimi- dated. The case was laid before a police officer, who listened attentively to the sounds that came from within the cellar. ‘Iney me from a part of the cellar which could only be reached through a narrow opening in the sidewalk, the man who went after him took his life in his hands. Officer Prather considered it his duty, as a duly sworn officer to keep the public peace, to go in after the disturber; so, armed with a hatchet, he began to grope his way through the narrow, dark opening. He had been one but a few seconds when a wild screech came out of the pavement. Following this was @ yell of pain from the officer. The crewd attracted to the scene was thrown into spasms. Some were for sending in a rescuing party, but all appeared to be more disposed to stand by and listen. Then a yell of triumph from the dark recess re- assured the group, and two or three tried bravely to crowd into the opening. Fol- lowing this appear the form of a black cat. spitting and clawing, but clutched firm- ly ia a bleeding hand belonging to Officer Prather, whose smutty and scratched face was not long in showing out of the dackness. The black cat was the property of Mr. Draudt. It had been in the cellar for five days without food or water, and was furi- cus. When the officer dropped the cat to the grour d, {t flew at him fiercely and buried its sharp claws in his uniform over his breast. He struck the crazed animal one blow with the hatchet and put out what was left of its nine lives, Test of a New Rifle in Germany. The German military authorities recent- ly tested a rifle with which a man may fire twenty rounds in a minute without having to reload. In order that the possessor of the weapon may be perfectly safe there is a contrivance by means of which a bayonet can be fixed without any effort on his part. Since the war of 1870 Germany has had three rew models of rifles introduced into {ts army. There are on hand some millions supposed to be out of date. eee Good Advice. From Spare Moments, Old Lady—"That parrot I bought of you uses dreadful language.” Bird Desler—"Ah, mum, you should be very careful what you say afore it; it's as- tonishing how quick them birds ‘pick up anything.” TALES OF ‘GENE FIELD Mr, Sylvester's Recollections of the Wit aiid Poet. —_t_25___—_. HIS LOVE Of PRACTICAL JOKING Se Stories of His Newspaper Life in St. ‘Louis. poe a ae SS HIS GENEROUS NATURE “Yes, I kn»w Eugene Field intimately,” said Mr. Richard Sylvester, chief clerk of the police departmcnt, to a Star reporter. “As he would say, ‘we were boys and girls together.’ Our acquaintance began about nineteen years ago, when he came down to St. Louis from St. Joseph, Mo, Although at least ten years my senior, that did not di- minish, but only added to the interest he tcok in advancing my welfare. This inter- | est was not confined to the writer, but was evinced in every cose where he took a fancy to boy or girl younger than himself. I was a young man of eighteen summers and con- ducted the leading country newspaper of Missouri, the Farmington Times. I called it the leading rural jcurnal because I could boast of having the largest country circula- tion of any in the state. This was largely due tothe fact that I had one subseriber who paid me for several thousand copies of each issue of the Times. Located eighty miles south of St. Louis, it was quite convenient for me to visit my friend Eugene Field two or three times each week. He was writing paragraphs for the St. Louis Journal, a newspaper principally patronized on account of Eugene Field's connection with it, and his paragraphs were most of them of such @ personal nature that the managing edi- tor lived in constant dread of a libel suit or arsassination. Careless About His Dress. “In those days Eugene Field was not as neat in his attire as be became in after years. An attractive suit he owned was in imitation of searsucker, and after its first laundering the fit of the pantaloons to his long and somewhat spare legs was like siove fingers with the ends cut off on a well- drawn-out hand, while the coat drooped on either side from over-weighted pockets, and the rear formed the upper part of a circle. Extended feet and gaiters, a straw hat and white shirt made up the remainder. He was tail and angular, smooth-faced, and walked with a nonchalant air and swagger. His ecming upon a party of, friends was in- variably announced in deep, gutteral tones, some humorous appellation being applied to each one in the party, all of which would, } of course, be accepted good-naturedly. These were the days when Eugene Field ran with the boys. When politics were rife, in the course of a few hours’ outside recreation, he would gather personal history sufficient to supply his colu:nn ‘ef paragraphs the fol- lowing morning. It was his delight after a ‘foraging expedition,’ as he denominated it, to retire to his sanctum, the walls of which were coveredrwith ridiculous cuts and pictures, there to laugh and submit to an intimate friend the sarcastic lines he had written concerning some local politician. ‘Won't Smith be hot,’ he would say. ‘I'll have old man Turner in the shop when Smith comes in tomorrow and let him be thrown oul the window.’ In His Family. “When Eugene had his newspaper work completed he would go home to his family. The children were always dear to him, but he never hesitated to make them as well as others, the victims, in a mild way, al jokes. When a baby was born, he hingly told of how the infant recognized its grandmother the morning it was born when she gave ita bath. It was no uncommon thing for him to go a swim- ming in the bath tub with the children, ther at the ting of the State Press ield, Mo. The oc round fun, uninterrupt: two hundred p: ess Owl Club, con aj. G. W. Gilson, “We spent several days to arnual me tion in Spri one Mitchell House, in hot the streets. It was in. those ry Had a Little Lamb,’ Beautiful S ‘Ain't I Glad the Wilderness,’ ‘Var Am- “Go Way, Ole Man,’ 5 were new and refreshing. thing, the others were n imitator of local public on days when “Hi Hail! to Git Out burg'’s Show,’ speakers he remarkable. It was dur- ing this trip, while seated in a refreshment hall, a party gathered ‘round and solicited a song. Among them was a leading mer- chant, and Eugene Field had with him a fricnd in the person of a commercial drum- mer, who sold goods in the line which the aforesaid merchant was in the habit of purchasing. The latter begged for a song, a recitation or a story. Field and his com- mercial drummer friend 2ecommodated the merchant and others about him. Retresh- ments and an encore followed, and the merchant pleaded for more music. ‘I'll take another barrel of sugar from your friend if you'll repeat that song,’ said the merchant, It was repeated, and Field's friend, the drummer, placed the order for the sugar. Mirth and music continued,and when Field and his commercial companion left the place their performance had se- cured from the merchant a several hun- dred dollar purchase of goods. “It was his greatest pleasure to enter the hotei at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning, with one or two associates, reach the up- per landing and then begin to sing in the loudest possible tones, or repeat the words of Gov. Phelps or ‘Daniel Webster in a shrill voice, waking up all the sleepers and calling for the house watchman, while his companions hastened to escape possible embarrassment. In-the morning everybody would charge the disturbance to ‘Gene Field. A Joke on the Whole Crowd. “Returning to St. Louis on one occasion, the special train was made up of several coaches tilled with passengers, many of them ladies. Eugene Field, other friends and myself were among the number. It was ‘he practice of the sleeping car por- ters to brighten up the boots and shoes of passengers between the hours of midnight nd morning, when St. Louis would be reached. In doing this the porter would procure a pair of shoes, say from under- neath berth No. nd with white chalk he would mark the identical number on one of the shoes as a means of Identification that he might know, where to return the pair. On the night in question Field's friends en- gaged the porter while the journalist changed all the boots and shoes in the ca Those under No. 1 he would shift to No. 4, and so on. Morning came, and with It su phur, brin stone and fire. Men, women and the terrified perter Were on their knees on the car floor enddavoring to bring order out of chaos. The portersswore he was sober, numbered the shoes according to the berths from beneath which they came, and there could be no mistake., But there were two hours’ Confusion, through the midst of which Eugene Field fondly snored. How He Averted Trouble. “The Missouri’ demécratic state conven- tions were affairs which were attended by hundreds of the faithful outside of those who went as delegates. From all over the state the politicians would come to partici- in store. No one'entered into this fun more eagerly and enthusiastically than Eugene Field. He was always a leading spirit on these occasions. The Madison House at the state capltal was the principal rendezvous day and night for the workers. It was in the lobby of this old hostlery that such men as Marmaduke, Crittenden, Joe Shelby and Jim Burns used to gather and shape the future of state politics. One evening Gen. Joe Shelby, whose courage was never di: puted, became involved in a persoral quar- rel with a rival delegate. Words not the softest were multiplying and the prospects were excellent for some one to get hurt. In those days to go unarmed in Missouri was not respectable. Shelby's voice was heard to ring out, damning his opponent. It was feared blood would be shed. A happy thought struck Eugene. He hastily called together his Owl Club, crowded in between the antagonists, and the quartet sang ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee.’ The threat- ened trousle was evaded. Friends inter- ceded and the would-be combatants dis- persed. “At Moberly, Mo., Pat Carmody's hotel was the headquarters of the clans attend- ing a state convention. The parlors were pate in the good times which were always | given up to Field and his associates. Dur- ing the festivities which took place one evening a very handsome marble table was broken, and not the least responsible party for the damage was the leading spirit of the occasion, Eugene Field. While those present were expressing regrets the propri- etor of the hotel appeared on the scene with a claim for damages. Eugene and his compatriots swore it was done by a pros- perous clothing merchant on a near-by cor- ner, who shortly before had departed. Rather than face his accusers the mer- chant promptly liquidated the claim. “On this same ocession Eugene procured the truck cn which trunks were transported about the hotel, and during the early morn- ing hours aroused different good-natured friends who had retired. Himself and asso- ciates would take the awakening guests from their chambers in their night clothing, whether gowns or red flannel, place them upon the truck, and gloriously haul them about the long halls of the hotel. Made Victims of His Wit. “Eugene's escapades in those early days were many, and his escapes as numerous. But his explanations and apologies were al- ways unique and plausible, and the frre- sistible wag invariably got off. His, best friend was his ‘choicest meat’ for personal criticism in his pungent paragraphs. Re- ferring to one of them, who was a Visitor to St. Louis, he said: ‘A slender young man -with pink cheeks was seen yesterday wend- Ing his way to the Plum street depot. He were a broad-brimmed “vote-for-Clardy” hat, and looked like a. toadstool beneath a tropical sun. Close inspection revealed the editor of the Farmington Times “Another instance of his charity folloyed the visit of a young gentleman to a young lady relative of Field’s. The visit was in the country, and the aforesaid young gen- tleman had come in contact with that ferocious little animal called the jigger. Concerning this the wit published some- thing after the following style “Young Dick went down To Carthage town, To woo a fair-haired maid, But, lo, while there, The maiden fair ‘The deuce with Dickey played. Young Dick went down To Carthage town, To cut a dashing figure, But, lo, his body sore, Was covered o'er With many a jingling jigger.’ “It was the height of his pleasure to divulge, through his paragraphs, a personal and confidential conversation that may have occurred between prominent persons. When asked where he obtained it he would in- variably lay it at the door of each one of them, which would often provgke much bad humor and embarrassment, to be eventually made worse by the explanation "Eugene would make in his column of paragraphs. Eugene Field was, above all, generous to a fault, charitable to all. Many steps out of his way he has often gone to serve a friend. His loss will be mourned by a loving wife and children, and a legion of friends, who loved him for what he was. oe ER ON DEADHEADS. An Actrens Talks of Their Effect Upon Her Work. From the New York Evening Sun. In an elevated train the other morning an actress who was playing an engagement at one of the West Side theaters sat with her hose pressed against the window pane all the way from the Battery to Harlem. You must really excuse me,” she ex- claimed to her companion, as they left the train at 125th street; “but I was counting my Hths. When we go down town again presently you will probably find me just as unsociable. I shall sit on. the other side of the car, though, and keep both my eyes Peeled for all the fences and billboards on that side of the train. Don’t think me con- ceited in doing this. I am not doing it, I assure you, for the pleasure of gazing ‘at my own physiognomy in seven colors or in onler to admire my name in lecters that are three feet high. It's a combination of my commercial and artistic Sts that ebkiges me to indulge in th: pecies of counting up’ whenever I get a chance. You see, I like to gauge my audience in advance when I can. Now, after I see all those tures of myself I shall know exactly how play my part tonight in order to please my patrons. * “Do you follow? No? Well, I scarcely B yu could. But I'l explain e fully. Toul Tuesda night there is always a gre: per in the combination hou: ver’ in a doub ang ex- In the firs ean dead- and in the I mean deadh which are even to Harlem I saw ithographs of elf in the shop wi That means that there will he 158 persons in the theater tonight who haven't paid their way in. For each of those Hthographs my manager bas to give two tickets of admission, Tonight I shall probably play to a mixed assemblage of . bootblacks, coalheavers, with an oc- onal longshoreman thrown in. rtunately, Tam starring in what fs known as a popular play this year, so {t doesn't matter so much. The bootblacks will be upstairs. of course. I always love playing to bootblacks, anyway, they're al- ways so enthusiastic. It's the cooks that always worry me. Intlucace of the Cooks. “You see, when a cook gets a lithograph ticket she feels that she has a certain po- sition to keep up. So she and her gentle- man friend take their ‘liths.’ to the box office, pay an additional 50 cents apiece and ebtain seats in the orchestra chairs. That's where the rub comes in. I don’t care if three-quarters of your orchestra chairs are filed with the most aristocratic persons in New York, and the other quarter is made up of cooks, it's going to be the cooks that will regulate the applause and enthusiasm every time. If they like you—that is to y. if you play a part that is in no way ricate, and which appeals directly to their ideas of what a per: t lady should hbe—nothing is too good for you. They'll break their hands in your behalf if neces. ry. But showld you offend them in any ‘ay, say smoke a cigarette or recall to mi by some little trick or mannerism & recOllection of their mistress, you are doomed. When a cook is out on a lth. ticket she's going to get her window's wo of blood. And the worst of it is, they make their remarks so loud that they ugwally reach the actress’ ears direct and thout any assistance from those of her dearest frients in front who may happen to have overheard them. “Clara Morris once put me up to a clever dodge about the lithx.."" continued the actress. “I was barnstorming then in ‘Frou Freu,’ ‘Camille’ and all the other Frerch ladies. “Take my advice, my dear,’ said Morris to me one day; ‘whenever you know you're going to have a heavy lith. house put up “Camille.” It makes them pipe their eyes every time and will be idolized in every kitchen in town for months afterward.’ I took Morris’ advice and it worked beautifully. Of course, in the play I'm in now the liths, take to’ me rather kindly anyway. I'm a heroine with lots of thrilling adventures, but no past. And then I get married in the last act in full view of the audience. Still, even now, when I know that there is going to be a jot of liths. in the house I always ac- centuate my house a bit. But it is only when an actress is doing a really artistic piece which is more or less caviare to the general that the liths. become a whole bush of thorns in the flesh. ses Her Reasonable Hypothesis. From the Chicago Evening Post. He was smoking and musing over the ways of the world. “Odd, isn't it,” he said at last, “how few people attain their ideas in this world.” “In what way?” inquired his wife suspi- ciously, for sne was not a woman to be caught off her guard. “Well,” he replied slowly, “I was think- ing of Jones when I spoke. He had an ideal woman that he was always talking about when he was in college. She was | and stately, and he seemed to have no piace in his heart for a small woman. And yet—and i “Well “Why, he finally married a little thing who hardly comes to his shoulder. I won- der why?” “Perhaps, John,” she said very distinct- ly, “he is like the majority of other men, and was afraid to take any one of his size. When he spoke he changed the subject. ————+e+ Then and Now. From the Cincinnati Enquirer. Wallace—"Did you believe that the de- cline of dueling is due to the fact that men are not so brave nowadays Hargreaves—"Naw. It is mostly due to the fact that men have stopped drinking so hard.” CANADA'S CAPITAL Convening of Parliament and Open- ing of the Social Season AT THE OTTAWA WHITE HOUSE Commons Keeps Late Hours and the Senators Try Divorce Cases. FOR SOCIAL PROMINENCE ITH A BOOM OF twenty-one big guns from the fortress at Ottawa at 3 p.m. Thursday next the sixth session of the seventh Canadian parliament wlll be of- ficially opened. We do not burn powder on this side of .the line when our Con- gress comes in, but then our Canadian cousins do all these things w.cn a great deal of ceremony. Their official exercises always have a smack of royalty about them, presumably that the Canadians may not forget thit they are subjects of the queen. When Lord Aberdeen, the governor gen- eral, goes to set the wheeis of legisiation in motion he attires himself in a resplendent military uniform, pins on his glittering royal decorations and+surrounds himself with a staff gorgeous in gold lace and waving plumes, 4s befits the personal rep- resentative and spokesman of her Britan- nic majesty. At the main entrance of the imposing new palaces which parliament inhabits he is met by the gentleman usher, an im- pertant perscnage, who wears a cocked hat, a swallowtail coat, tights, hose aud buckled shoes. The gentleman usher car- ries a black rod. When he sees the gov- Lord Aberdeen, Governor General. error general approaching he tucks his cocked hat under his arm, grabs the black rod with both hands, and executes three solemn, back-breaking obeisances. Then he leads the way into the throne room. The Canadian senators meet in a far different place from our Senate chamber at Washington Instead of the Speaker's desk there is a thrcne, hung about with silicen curt and rich stuffs. The whole cham- ber is richly carpeted, and all the furnish- ings are rather ornate. The approach to the throne is oyer soft rugs, and above the throne itself is a canopy of silk, with tas- sels and cords of gilt. When the eighty senators have filed “in the governor general will address them as “honorable messieurs,” their traditional title, and read a speech supposed to be in- spired by the queen herself. Then some ‘ored member will move a reply to the ress, as is done in the English house of fter which the regui siness of m will be taken up. The Democratic Commons. The proceedings in the house of commons will be more democratic, and the scene will more resemble that of the opening of a session in our own national House of Iep- resentatives. The Canadian senate is a distinctly aristocratic body. Its members are appointed by the governo> general, and they hold office for life. Their number is limited to eighty. The commoners, however, are elected by the people, much as our Representatives are. The commons is as powerful as It is democratic. It makes and unmakes the governor general's cabinet, and its voice is generally listened to A great respect ‘The queen herself is always rather guard- ed in her speech through her repr tive, the governor general, to the C dians, and leaves them, as a rile, to their own affairs without much interfer- ence. There are over 200 members in the house of commons. They ‘iraw a salary of $1,000 each, with an ailowance for imile- age. The speaker of the hoi of $4,000 a year. gets a sal- F Senators are also al- jowed 31,000 annually and mileage. The gentleman usher of the black rod geis more than this, his salary being $1,350) an- nvally, with a residence in the parilament house thrown in. The speaker of the house of commons and the chief executive officers, such as Premier Bowell. clerks, sergeant-at-arms, etc., are very r-uch at home in the parliament house. In fact, they live there in richly fitted apart- ments, furnished by the government. This always strikes Anwericans yather pe- s culiar. What would we say to a propo: tion to house Speaker Reed and his clerks in the Capitol buiiding? The Canadian parliament has queer hours, according to our ideas. The sessions are begua at 3 p.m. From 6 to 8 o'clock there is a recess for dinner. On reassem- Ving the session often continues long past midnight and occasionally light, when important Jebates ar ve The senate rarely convenes a hour, but the commons sits iate into the night, as a rule. ‘The different parties in the house sit in different sections. On the sneaker’s right are the government supporters znd on the left sit the members of the opposition. ‘The members may Wear their except when aking or voting. When making an ad- , members talk directly to their op- ponents, instead of at them through the speaker. When a member leaves the cham- ber he stops at the exit, faces the speaker and bows. He also salutes the chair wien returning. The house gaileries are generally filled when they are thrown open io sons having tickets of adm! ceedings in the except. when th peculiar priviles: When a sensational suit iment persons is on, however. galleries are always crowded. dy wi er- The pro- Ny cull, the senate It is con- sidered quite the thing for so-lety women te attend these divorce trials, and the rush for admission is gre: The Canadian senators do not yore the “aye” and “nay” method. When the clerk calls the roll each sznato: gravely responds “Content,” or “Not Content,” as the case may be. Official life in Ottawa differs in many ways from that at Washington. The climate is far different from that of the District of Columbia. The M. P.’s do not walk to parliament house, as a rule, and tkere is nothing similar to the forenoon parade down Pennsylvania avenue. Th=y come in sleighs, mufiled to the eyes in furs. It is not an uncommon thing during a severe winter storm for the legislators to be snowbound in parliament house for a day or two at a time. The Gay Social Whirl In Ottawa. But in spite of the severity of the weath- er, Ottawa Is fully as lively in winter as Washington. When parliament opens and the political pot begins to boil, the social world begins to whirl. And rather a giddy whirl it is, too. Everything of a social na- ture centers around Rideau Hall, which is ve mansion or White House of Canada. The governor general may be a sort of figurehead, as far as things political go, but in social affairs he and his wife are real rule He gets an annual salary of 0), with a good-sized palace, rent and free, while his duties of state are very light, but he is expected to set the social pice. Rideau Hall is a low, rambling, pictur- esque old mansion, built of gray limestone, It is set in the heart of a grove of fir, spruce and pine. A short distance away is the Rideau river, in summer a_ noisy eam, but which at this season of the year glides quietly by under a thick blan- ket of snow and Ice. The social ball always opens on the first Saturday night after parliament comes in. This is known as the governor general's drasving room. It is not held at Rideau Hall, but in the big senate chamber, It is a public affair, and everybody is welcome— that is, every one in full dress. It is a brilliant affair, but not a very comfortable one. Their excellencies stand on a dats at the end of chamber, She in a magnifi- cent gown and diamond tiara; he in full court dress, with white knee breeches, and shoes with diamond buckles. Around them cluster the members of their suite ail a-glitter with gaudy uniforms, swords, jew- els and emblems of various orders. The senators, cabinet ministers and mem- bers of parliament, with their wives, are first presented, and take up the places al- lotted to them according to rank. They all stand. In fact, no one sits throughout the evening. Next come the minor officials, and lastly the general public. Each individual ad- vances to the dais as his or her name ts announced, makes a bow and passes on. There is no handshaking, such as our Pres- ident undergoes at the public reception in the White House. The line advances slowly from the outer dcors step by step, keeping time to the rubadub of the drums of the governor gen- eral's foot guards. When the last one has stepped onto the scarlet carpet and made obeisance the show is over. Exclusive Functions at Rideau Hall. The officia! functions at Rideau Hall are more exclusive. They begin with a big reception, at which society is somewhat “weeded out." “No one in trade” is the motto. Officials, no matter of how small caliber, are sure to get big square cards of invitation. The entertainment usually takes the form of skating and tobogganing parties. The dark trees within the lodge gates are Nght- ed up by thovsands of Chinese lanterns, and the long, steep slopes of the toboggan slides glisten under the electric lights and flare of torches. Huge bonfires on which are dumped half a dozen cords of wood at once rear on the shores of the skating ponds, and bands of music mingle their strains with the shouts of merrymakers. Refreshments are served during the even- ing, and along about midnight the affair closes with a banquet and burst of fire- works. No wonder the Ottawa people strairy every nerve and pull every wire to set Invitations to these jolly receptions. The mast exclusive df the gubernatorial entertainments are the private theatricals. These are given in the great dining room at Rideau Hall. The actors are all ama-_ teurs, but the audiences are generally lenient and enthusiastic. The grand ball which is given at the ciose of Lent ig, however, the bright par- Ucular event of the Ottdwa season. Inyi- tations to this are generally confined the “official set,” and happy is the o1 jer who manages to get one. In spite of the. fact that titles count for ® great deal in Ottawa, the society there is, from an English standpoint, “terribly mixed.” The Canadians are perfectly will- ing that the governor gereral and his aids shall draw the lines which mark the social hcundaries, as long as their parliamentary representatives are not excluded. They do rot want a second court of St. James at Ottawa. A compromise is good enough for them. Thus it is that the whiskered farmer frem seme northwestern province hobnobs with the polished senater whose home is in the capital. The farmer's wife, too, and his red-cheeked daughters, dressed prob- in astounding style, sit side by side bh with the wives and daughters of the sena- tors when the governor general is home” in Rideau Hall. The Manitoba School Question. The coming session of parliament is like- ly to be a lively one. The Manitoba school question is to come up for settlement, and the outcome is being awaited with consid- erable anxiety throughout the federated provinces. The question is one of some years’ stand- ing. Previous to 1890 there were two kinds of public schools in the prairie province, one class for Catholic children and another for Protestant children. This system was dcne away with by an act of the Manitoba legislature. The Catholic minority there- upon petitioned the privy council to restore the separate school system. In a communi- ion from the governor general, sent a ir ago, the Manitoba legislature was or- ered to rescind Its action and restore the parochial schools. The Manitobians stout- ly refused to do any such thing. Premier Greenway and most of the executive coun- cil of Manitoba declared that they would resist the enforcement of the order to the bitter end. There has been wild talk of a revolution and secession. The Catholics, on the other hand, pressed their demand with renewed vigor. The disruption of the Canadian cabinet was threatened. J. C. Patterson, minister of the militia, at once resigned after the order had been issued. Sir Charles Tupper, minister of fustice, also sent in his resigna- tion. 5 A bfil has been prepared which will be presented to parliament soon after the session begins. It provides for the restora- tion of the parochial schools in Manitoba, with full permission for the holding of re- ligious exercises in the same, but the schools must be up to the required standard of efficiency before they can receive any money from the public funds. This compromise is certain to be rejected by Manitoba. The members of the cabinet re still at odds, and if the government in- sts on forcing the bill {t is predicted that defeat will foliow. Premier Bowell finds himself in hot water all around. It fs the general opinion that during the first few days of the session little business will be done, because the opening comes so soon after New Year day. Enough mem- hers ve within a day's journey of the cap- ital to enable a quorum to be formed. By the first of the following week, however, the fight will be in full swing. Reunited by a Photograph, Wichita Dispatch to the St. Louts Globe-Democrat. A scene in the German Methodist Church of this city last night will never be forgot- ten by th in the congregation. A photo- #raph of a man and two little girls fell out of Mrs. John Strantz's Bible, and it was picked up by Mrs. Eerman Glassen, who, upon seeing it, started with the exclama- tion, “I have one at home like that! ‘That she said, “is the picture of my- self, my father and sister.” ‘The two women fell, weeping from Joy, on each other's neck, greatly to the amazement of the minister and congregation. They were the originals of the two little girls in the photograph, and had not heard of one other since 1858, although they had been reight ors for three years and had often seen h other in church, Their mother died in Hamburg, Germany, In 1857, and in the spring of 1859 the father arted for America, after having the photo- graphs taken for the purpose of leaving one with his old mother. During the voyage he ted and was buried at sea. After the chil- dren arrived in America one of them was taken to ise by an aunt in Pennsylvania and the other by an uncle at Kankakee, IL A Vain Fellow. From the Fliegende Blaetter. Young lady (standing on the bank of a river with a gorgeously attired army offi- iid you see that fish jump out of “at y Officer—“I suppose he wanted to get a good look at me.”