, 1888-12-27
FROM CLARA BELLE.
Fashion as Displayed ut a
Very Swell Ball.
Cute Ways Of Girls Who are
New to Festivity.
Toilets that Represent the Winter styles
for Dancss---New Crazes and
Fancies---Other NOtes.

Fashion has been indoors this week
says Clara Belle in her letter from New
York this week. The Delmonico ball'
have begun. t.tle H.J ,
All sorts Of festivities of dancing. eat
ing and drinking are held in the estab
lishment, but what refer TO are the gath
erinRs Of the McAllister Four Hundred
We had the Patriarch's for instance
What was 1t likeY Let me try to tell you
There is unwonted animation in what is
always the most brilliant quarters of the
town after nightfail, Madison Square, and
carriage after carriage draws up in front
of the awning in West T wenty sixth street,
an awning that impartially protects all
sorts and conditions OF men. from the most
elegant butterfly in the roseate atmosphere
OF the Four Hundred to the most prdctical
sister of Sorosis, from the most
unbendin0,. Of patriarcta to tbe
pool, Semitic relation at Jewish
case what Rirlish debutantes in low tule
and high hopes, what beautiful women
elittering with diamonds, what blue
blooded Knickerbocker matrons, rich in
a rent roll, make their way to the halls Of
dazzling light prosaically known as Del
monico's ballroom! This season there are
something like 100 debutantes. OF this
number only about fifteen were 80 FORUM
ate as to be hidden to the Patriarch's ball,
and scarcely half dozen of the buds at
tracted more than passing glance. The
general verdict was that they we're, with
five or six exceptions, "a scrubby lot" and
not we'll dressed. ''AIl in white, poor
thing, and no sanchez said spirited
belle who is not inclined to abdicate.
One hundred little maidens launched upon
kkf. ne
little hearts beating faster as the first
waltz summons them to try the floor; if.
teen pairs OF eyes looking for the Prince
charming who is to be their partner in the
cotillon. Even the
CYNICs ARE INTERESTED.
There are two questions nov to be an
s~ered," says Guy Racquet to Mrs. Whyte
Hyacinth; zone is who will dance with
all these little girls, the other is who will
marry them?"
''Love land bank account) will find a
way" replies the experienced woman of
the world.
1t does not in the least follow that be-.
cause the rosebud is making her debut on
the well-waxed boards of the ballroom ut
Delmonico's that she is q stranger to such
scenes. Society has provided for girls not
yet out such terpsichorean compl o.
mise between dancing school and ball as
the dancing.class, and there the rosebud
practices with young gentlemen of her
own aRe-little boys--and she may even
have had a preliminary canter in New
port in August with perhaps a
coming out ball OF her own. The
Dslmonico function is. however, the
formal introduc uction OF many girls to So
ciety, and thereafter being "out," the
rosebud dares 20 raise her eyes to older
men, and, even after month or 80, to
hirt with bachelors whom she has been &C.
customed to regard as the legitimate prey
of her older sisters. Very knowing, in
deed, are these youngsters. An example:
The dancing floor at Delmonico's was as
smooth as glass with waxen polish. and it
reflected like mirror. The inverted forms
of those who stood ON it appeared dimly
below.
See that old maid, Miss smithkins,"
said an old beau to q young bud. ''She
has been standing on that rug for an hour.
wonder it she doesn't dare step of for
fear of slipping ?"
'Oh, don't think it's that" said the
debutante, roauishly.
Then you think she isn't afraid OF the
CLASSY surface?"
"On the contrary she is. 1t is the hold
ing OF mirror up to nature-so to speak
that she breads. She isn't plump, you
know" and
THE DEAR, UNsOPHIsTICATED GIRL
Pointed her satin.clad toes beyond ner
skirts to show how it was reflected in the
glare OF the waxed floor. Then she aIchly
added: when you are performing feats
Of the waltz on the inverted soles of q hu-
man 6gure-like the baancers in a circus
and that other figure il duplicate of
J our own, you feel personal interest in
the show"
Thoroughly prepared are these debutan-
tes. The Iosebud's mother or sister knows
that verytbing depends upon first i'm.
preston. The costume Ia therefore ques.
ton OF much thought. AS u rule, sweet
simplicity Is apt to be overdone, and in
girl. Tne thing to be aimed at is to pre-
serve girlish simplicity and yet convey an
idea ofyoung ladyhood At the Patriarchs,
Tor example, Miss Hargous was exquisite.
y dressed in white tulle. with sneaf of
silver wheat to relieve the corsaqe.. The
costume was girlish, and yet chic. II is true
that dress depends largely upon the wear.
sr. A Delmonico bali unites too many
elements not to be interesting. There
are, perhaps, broadly considered, four
,lasses of womankind: The chaperones,
'nre and simple, who content themselves
With making brave display of Diamonds.
Ind SIT on the dais or pose as wall flowers
until their charge has had enough of the
otillion and the gray dawn ia breaking
ver the town; secondly, the matrons who
till dance, hostesses who give too many
linners not to be asked out to their hearts
ontent during the cotillion; thirdly, the
,elles who have been 'out" one. two,
hree. four, five seasons, and who have no |
dea OF making room for the newcomers
While they can avoid it; last of all,
he little futterin0, excited rose.
'uds, rarely self.possessed but |
ometimes conveying that impression.
'foperly introduced and chaperoned