St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-21
NEW YORK SOCIETY.
The Unfavorable Opinion of Society al
the Metropolis by Citizens of
Other Places.
a Dinner Party at Which Every Guest
Was Millionaire, but None
Had Brains.
Private Theatrica1s the Prevalent
Craze--Gossip From the liz
brary and Studio.
Correspondence of the Globe.

correspondence of the Globe.
NEW YORK. April 16.-Americans who
live outside of New York are often inclined,
l notice, to be jocular at the expense OF our
''society." The BOstOnian pretends that
society here is chiefly matter OF frippery
and frivolity; he asserts rather cruelty that
we give no thought OF time to the serious
business of life-to the arts to culture.
The Philadelphian-the downright Phila-
delphian-is disposed to regard us as an
assemblage of upstairs and successful par
venus. Bright Western people who visit
us, find us shallow and snowy. There IS
much to be said i'll favor of all OF these
opinions Most of the leading social sets
in New York have an intense admiration
for self-exhibition and money. L heard
well-known lady say last winter: 1--WE
gave a dinner yesterday to thirty persons,
and every man invited was worth mil
lion" | happened TO know that hardly a
man of the crowd possessed brains. But
there has been a somewhat vigorous move
ment against the ''aristocracy OF money
bags during the present season, although,
oddly enough. some OF those who helped TO
carry on the movement are notorious SnoDS.
1t would not be polite to print their names;
they NAV be left to their conSciences. But
cant Our weak point. even in relation to
the serious work of society, is this: We
are afraid to give encouragement to what
may not seem, at first sight, to be quite
fashionable Brilliant efforts have been
made, and have been ineffective simply be-
cause no one cared to support them. MI.
COurtandt Palmer was careful when he eS-
tabIished the Nineteenth Century club, to
back his work with social prestige. The
club was to be fashionable, not merely
serious, and the Nineteenth Century club
has, in consequence, been serions, fashion
able and successful. What is better, it has
given new drift to social pleasure. 1T
has brought into existence Il score of organ
iZations, each Of which is devoted to some
form of self-culture-music, literature, Ian
guage or the fine arts. The Drawing Room
club, which was established at the begin
ming Of Lent, was the most conspicuous of
these during Lent The Drawing Room
club was created by Mrs. William Neftel
and several other prominent ladies. Meet
1 ingS were held at Mrs. Neftel'S home, where
\ the members amused themselves by talking,
listening to good music or reading or short
lectures, in fact by combining the usual re-
ception or tea with something better. At
the last meeting of the club one of the
ladieS-a charming and clever woman OF
the world-said to me: Mrs NefteTs idea
in this club is essentially European. She
has been anxious to bring very bright peO-
pie together, and to make them talk. Her
ideal is the salon, the conversations. But"
and the speaker hesitated a little, Il fear
she will not succeed altogether. We New
Workers don't know how to talk to another
In a genial way. We are shy and reserved.
bs1I tn a aly IA ba al
fashioned receDtiOn.'
1t must be admitted that amateur theat-
ricals, in one form or other, have taken
possession Of our best people. The ''Kir-
ness monopolized public attention on
Tuesday night and finished its work last
night The sum raised was considerable,
though final estimates have not yet been
made The arrangements We're fairly arts
tic The booths, however, deserved the
popularity they aroused; that is, if beauti-
full women chamingly coStumed and flow
erS and wares Of rare value command pop
ularitN The ''KismeSS' is a thing of the
past. So.'aPe the light performances by
amateurs at the Metropolitan opera house
and the University Club theater. The first
was given by few society fellows for the
benefit of the NewSboyS' Home; the last by
Company of the Seventh regiment. for
the Bartholdi fund. The University club
will he in Il state of unrest for the next
/ fortnight. The footlghtS are hardly eX-
{ tingushed before another charitable enter
I prise reights them. -Four representations
| of THE Romance of Poor Young Man
! will occur there during this month, in which
Mrs. Potter Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Coward will
appear. Many other theatrcals are sug-
/ gested and may find themselves squeezed in
at the end of the season. Though perhaps.
like the pamphlet in private circulation, is
sued by the sons of Charles c. Durant, they
would be better hOnored in the breach
than i'm the observance"
Engagements and weddings have sur
prised even The best informed of our Cos
sips. Mrs MinuIn'S betrothal to Mr.
Marshall is the chief of these. The lady
Is a wealthy widow, who gave the finest
ball of the season at Delmonicos to intro
duce her daughter. The daughter of Mr..
Brandreth, the pill autOcrat, was married
Monday evening to the son of Orlando b.
Potter. On Wednesday evening special
trains from until . carried the guests Of
Mr.. and Mrs. James ii. Rutter to Irving
ton. where their daughter, Miss Bessie
Rutter was married to Alfred Il. Manning.
The literary circles of the city We're very
generally informed of the nuptials of Miss
Mitchell and Mr.. Lawrence Hutton at the
Hotel Brunswick last Tuesday. Mr.. Hut
ton is a brilliant and genial man. Miss
Rose CoghlauS transformation into Mrs.
Edgerly. while Il surprise, was by no means
unexpected
The Union League club exhibits in its ar
tistic department serenity and ''eclat" not
noticeable in the business department last
Thursday night. when fierce debate shook
its conservative walls and nearly melted Il
revolution. This months art exhibition is
the finest presented in the city to-day. The
next and last will be purely devoted
to aquarele The opinion is common
that the Academy show is only
mediocre. No matter whose fault it is. we
have too many fine painters to make this
fact palaiahle. and the critics are in an iu-
terrogatory and analyziug mood. Where
do the good pictures 20? and does such a
faint trial prove that our best artists have
no public spirit. no thought of national pro-
greSs9 The American Art association is
preparing to win the race. and will open
its doors next week OF 600 pictures sent
i'm for the prize fund, $50 alone have been
accepted up To the present hour. Finally,
IN mentioning art matters. | must express
animation for the zeal which is projecting
q vast musical entertainments with Nine.
Materna, Mile Nevada, Miss kellogg, Nine.
Scalchi. Theodore Thomas and his orcheS-
IA. and many singers of MapleSon'S opera
troupe on May :, ut the Academy of Music.
The list of patrons and the noble object
the establishment of free classes in the dec
oratjye art School-will insure its success.
No institution is great without its charities,
and art should DC free to ALL without dis
tinctiou.
~
Mr. Charles Barnard. very popular
writer of short stories and one of the lead
I'M n.ritnr,s nf I'm fn,N dictionary which Is