, 1888-12-27
FROM CLARA BELLE.
Fashion. as Displayed at a
Very Swell Ball.
Cute Ways Of Girls Who are
New to Festivity.
Toilets that Represent tho winter styles
for Dsnces---New Crazes aud -
Fsnclss- --Other Notes. .,

Fashion has been indoors this week,
says Clara Belle in her letter from New
York this week. The Delmonico balls
All sorts of festivities Of dancing. eat.
ing and drinking are held in tho estab'
lishment but what refer 10 are the gath
eripRs of the McAllister, Four Hundred
We had the Patriarch's for instance.
What was 1t like? Let me try to tell you.
There 10 unwonted animation In what Is
always the most brilliant quarters OF the
town after niRhtfall, Madison Square, and
carriage after carriage draws up IN front
of the awning in West I Twenty- y-sixth street,
an awning that impartially protects all
sorts and conditions OF men. frou, the most
elegant butterfly in the roseate atmosphere
Of the Four Hundred to the most prdctical
sister of Sorosis, from the most
unbending Of patriarchs Ia. the
poor Semitic relation at a Jewish
wedding. Up this heavily carpeted stair
case what Rirlish debutantes in low tulle
and high hopes, what beautiful women
elittering with diamonds, what blue
blooded Knickerbocker matrons. rich in
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 so FORUM
ate as TO be hidden to the Patriarch g ball,
and scarcely half dozen of the buds at
tracted more than passing glance. The
general verdict was that they were, with
five or six exceptions, "a scrubby lot" and
not well dressed ''Ail in white. poor
thing, and NO sauche!" said u spirited
belle who is not inclined to sbdicate.
One hundred little maidens launched upon
the waters of New York society; fifteen
little hearts beating faster as the first
waltz summons them to try the ioor; tf'
teen pairs OF eyes looking for the Prince
charming who is 10 be their partner in the
cotillon. Even the
CYNIcs ARE INTERESTED.
"Tbere are two ouestions now to be an
| ~ered :" saws Guv Racouet to Mrs. WHITE
Hvac;ntb: zone is who will dance with
| ali these little girls, the other is who will
marry themp"
Love (and bank account) will find
way." replies the experienced woman of
the world.
IL does not in the least follow that be.
cause the rosebud IL making her debut on
the vell-waxed boards of the ballroom at
Delmonico's that sbe ia a strap Ger to sucb
scenes. Society has provided for girls not
vet .'out" such terpsichorean compIo-
mise between dancing school and a bail as
the dancing.class, and there the rosebud
practices with young Renuemen OF her
own aRe-iittle ooys-and she may even
have had a preliminary canter IN New
port In August win perhaps ~,
coming out oai OF ner own. Inc
Deimonico junction Is. however, the
Iormai introuuction OF many e,ris 70 so.
clety, a1a tneIea,!es oelnH out tne
rosebud dares 20 false her eyes TO older
men, and' even atter nioatp or so' 10
nirt WIN oacneiors whoui sue nas ueen ac'
customed 10 regard as Tue ieRltlmate prey
OF her oiuef sisters. very fhowlns, IN
Geed, are THESE youngsters An example,:
Inc oancing hoor at pelmonlcos was as
smooth as glass with waxen poush; ana II
rehec0eo IKE q mirror NE ihverted forms
OF those VINO STOOD on IL appeared dimiy
peiow. :, 49,. :,
see that ola maid' MISS SmithKins,
said an oia beau 70 young qua. one
mas oeen stanuipg on tnat rug TOT an nouT'
WONDER III she aoesn uare step OH TOT
year OF shppine
On, ! don tnink its that' saiu the
deontante, foRuishV;
linen you tnink sne isn't AFRAID OF the
CLASSY surface %. :,
"On the contrary she is. 1t is the hold
ing OF mirror up 70 nature-so 70 SPEAK
Ltnat sne 9reads' one isn pump you
Know anu
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 n hu-
man fioure-like the balancers in a circus
and that other figure is a dnplicate of
your own. YOU feel a personal interest in
the show
Thoroughly prepared are these debutap.
tes. The rosebud's mother or sister knows
that everything depends upon a first i'm.
preston. The costume ia therefore qpes-