Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-29
NEW YORK's GAY SEASON.

NEW YORK's GAY SEASON.
The Cry Now In the Metropolis Is con
with the Dance"
CHRISTMAS LIKE DAY IN NAVAL SORTS OF
COMING BALLS IN PREPARATIoN-THH INAUaU-
RATION BALL, THE CHARITY BvLL, THE FRENCH
BALL, AND M'aLoRY's SCARLET BALL"
Correspondence Of TEE EVENING STAR
New YORK, Dec. %.
This town has recovered its normal state
after the excitement and hustle of Christmas.
Weatherly speaking, it was the most peculiar
Christmas we have had here in a good many
years. According to all the story-books. Christ
mas in this latitude should be accompanied by
big snow-banks, jingling sleigh-bells, merry
skaters, and mufled-up folks stamping their
feet to keep their toes from freezing. And We
generally follow out the story-book idea with
more or less accuracy. This Christmas how
ever, New Workers sat on the benches in the
parks, rowed about in skiffs ON the Harlem
river, or stayed at home in the front parlor
with the windows wide open, and acted gener-
ally as il it we're May-day, instead Of Christ
mas. And a real MAJ -day it was in all except the
poisoning trees and the green of spring
foliage.
The fine weather recently has caused the
Sunday promenades on 5th avenue to be re-
sumed. 1t is amusing to study the people who
walk up and down this swell thoroughfare Sum-
day afternoons. They are all members Of New
York's ''middle Glass;" respectable tradesmen
and their wives, young clerks and their sweet
hearts, often successful merchants and well-tO-
do professional men with their families. The
swell residents of 9Th avenue, the members
OF the 400, never on any account promenade
that street on Sunday although on other days
they can be seen out in force for hours of every
afternoon. But if they go out on Sunday they
ride or drive, and leave the broad fagstones
to the invaders from Sd avenue and 8th avenue
and the lower cross-streets. And these good
people hold their heads high, their silver top
ped sticks rAngIaise, and strut along with a
desperate attempt at a nonchalance, which is
intended to make every other stroller believe
that his fellow is resident of Murray Hill or
Lenox Hill out for Sunday airing. To an at
tentlve observer, however, the nOuUedu richie
cannot disguise his station. There is an air
| about him Cor herr which indicates the fact at
once that the stroller knows that he is out on
dress parade, and thinks that he is pointed out
by every other stroller as one of 1.-THE elect" of
the social and wealthy world. If by some
unusual chance an individual to the 5th-avenue
manner-born happens to walk along the pave
ment on Sunday he goes at a business-like
gait, looking neither to the right nor the left,
and ten chances to one his attire is not half so
imitator Of swelldom, who is confident he is
cutting great dash.
80
Does every man who gets out Of govern
ment job cast his eyes upon New York city as
post-official Mecca2 1t would seem SO from the
reported advent here Of many men now in high
government places after next March. The
President will practice law here, the
gossips say. Secretary Dan Lamont
will go into the insurance business in New
York when Elijah Halford takes his job, and it
Is declared as certainty that Messrs. Dickinson
and Villas have in contemplation the opening of
law offices in New York before april fools day.
-
The New York dancing season is at hand.
There are balls and balls, from the charity
affair which will open the season to Billy Nc
Glory's scarlet ball." which opens more whis-
ky and beer bottles than anything else. New
York is to have an Inauguration ball as well as
Washington next spring. The occasion will be
the centennial celebration of George Washing
toni Inauguration in 1889, and are
already under way. 1t will be given in the
panied by grand banquet, of which 800 peo-
pie will partake. Mr.. Ward McAllister has
been made the manager and nobody not guar
anteed by Mr.. Ward McAllister can get so
much as the toes of his pumps into
the banquet or ball room. Fifty-nine
boxes in the opera house have already
been sold to people known personally to Mr..
McAllister at $50 each, and the remaining
boxes have been reserved for invited guests,
first of whom are the President and Vice-Presi-
ont nf fho tnd tot fha - L
House, the Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court, commanding officers of the army and
navy, Rutherford d. Hayes, Grover Cleveland,
the governor of this state, mayor of this city,
and John Adams" The opera house will be
made to contain 1000 people, and every lady
present will receive a souvenir which will be
handed down in New York families henceforth
as sort Of patent Of nobility.
OF course this ball cannot be restricted to the
immaculate four hundred, but at the charity
ball. to be given January g. it is likely that the
chosen of society will have an affair ali to them
selves. The charity ball is the annual swell
affair of New York, after the Patriarchs, and
this year it will probably take precedence of
even that event. The list of the patronesses
includes most of the fashionable people in town,
and they are now especially active in arran ge-
ments to make it a success. The president is
Mrs. William Astor; Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt
and Mrs. EDWARD Cooper are the vice-presi-
ucutot 1uIs. hlcAduucI d. hcltu duu TOD
dard are the secretaries, and Mrs. Chester
Griswold is the treasurer.
After the Patriarchs' and the two ladies' as
semblies' perhaps the most distinguished pub
lie ball is that of the Old Guard, which this
year will be held January a This is dis
tinctly q military affair, and not only
the members of the Old Guard them
selves, but officers of all New York
regiments and several out-of-town regi-
ments, appear in full uniform. There is often,
too, delegation of U. s. army officers from
Governors Island, and occasionally a U, s.
navy uniform lends contrast to the military
blue and gold This is favorite ball with the
ladies, whose traditional Partially for any,
thing wearing a uniform is manifested at the
Old Guard ball year after year.
The "high-rollers" about town are awaiting
with impotence their favorite ball of the sea.
son, which is the fancy-dress reception given
annually by the Cercle Franchise de Thar
monte, and which has become widely and more
popularity known as the French ball. can
remember instances of fun-loving New
Workers cutting short tour of Eu-
rope to be here in time for the French ball,
and knew some mighty men in Washington
government circles who would willingly stop
the wheels of government rather than
miss this festive and reckless occasion.
The Cercle Franchise de rHarmodie is
society of eminently respectable and
highly patriotic Frenchman in New York,
society whose business during 1854 DAYS of the
year is the quiet noble, and praiseworthy per-
Torrance of deeds Of charity and benevolence
for unfortunate New Workers of French nativity