The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01
SOCIETY.
A Jolly Week of Music and Dancing,


Our Christmas this year was very quiet, 1t is
necessarily a day to be at home, to enjoy the
comforts and luyuries and amueements OF ones
own Preside and family; but this year, being
accompanied with soft, wretched weather. and
falling on the last day of the week, it was, as we
said unusually quiet. In the morning, the usual
services were held at the Episcopal and Catholic
churches and were well attended. This Episco-
pal church was handsomely trimmed, and the
service unusually beautiful and impressive, the
singing being especially fine.
In the afternoon Willis gave matinee at his
dancing Academy, "for the little Ones" and, like
a good many others rot so little, We local attend
ed under that head, and spent delightful after
noon. The little ones proper showed of to very
good advantage indeed, nearly every one dane
ing very prettily and correctly. The only mis-
takes made by them were in sets where one or
two older couples danced, whose blunders at
times so bewilderej the little ones that II is not
strange they sometimes lost themselves All
the visitors were invited TO dance, and for two
hours big and little enjoyed themselves to their
hearts content and only regretted that 3 o'clock
came SO soon.
| In the evening Bowman with the aid OF his
sciopticon, delivered temperance lecture In the
Office of the Clifton Hotel which, If not largely
attended, WAS highly appreciated by the audience
nresept, and the effects were most remarkable
startling, in fact.
| And thus the Christmas OF 1919 passed out.
We hope all enjoyed themselves, but the ideal
Christmas in the north Is clear and cold, a day
of hot fires and fur wraps, day OF out door sports
for the harder ones only, and night OF games,
nuts and candies around the blazing hearth for
all; and when, on the contrary, the outside
world is warm enough for "duster," aud muddy
and wet enough for rubber overalls, one is apt
to lose all the natural warnings OF the day In be-
wilderment at the internal unftness of things,
as we imagine was the general feeling last Sat
urday.
THAT sOCIABLE.
The next event OF the week wa. the sociable
at the Clifton, on Tuesday evening, given by Mr.
and Ms. NJ. II. Swift, for the benefit of the
1 Episcopal church. Some - couples were pres
ent,incuding many strangers and visiting friends
in the city. The guests were received In the
hotel reception room, and then adjourned to the
dining room. where they spent the remainder o.
the evening in dancing. AT about eleven O'clock
a supper was served, and an hour or two later
the guests had gone, and night OF genuine
pleasure was over. This was the largest anc
certainly most enjoyable entertainment OF the
kind given at the hotel this winter Everything
II was possible TO do TO make the evening pleas
ant had been utilized, and any one who did moi
enjoy himself or herself must have but small
l,apacity in that way. Certainly Mr. and Mrs
l. hap aly an he
cess at their "sociable," for they have even in
. creased the already exalted opinion our people
had entertained Of their hospitality and gener'
osity
! AZ TuE OPERA HOUSE.
On Wednesday evening the Wallace Sisters
{ dramatic company gave an entertainment al IN
? Opera House, at which there was afull audience
The play was "Minnie's Luck, or the Ups ant
S Downs of Life in New York" and though some
what scattered" in its get up and awkward IL
plot, had many fine passages, and was admiraol.
n rendered, .le chief parts being borne,of course
}. by the three sisters. The company carry will
them fine orchestra, and gave sho" wei
}, worthy % patronage.
J. TIE CLIFTON BALL.
This, &c gFande affair Of the season, whic
! had been the cause OF many sleepless nights an
long drawn consultations between falT womei
> and anxious dressmakers came of at the HOte
Thursday night How many were there "
will not pretend 10 say. We know, howeve
that like an omnibus, there may have been roof
e for one more compile, but where they could hay
danced Is q conumdrum too deep for Us, for din
: ing hall ant paT'ors were filed completely. IN