Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-24
EVERYBODY TAKES AN INTEREST IN

EVERYBODY TAKES AN INTEREST IN
- ''the season." Men Of family have daugh-
tiers or sons to whom it means . great deal
Their own pleasures may not vary year in and
year out, or may not be different in summer
from what they are In winter. They may be
'set in their ways" and may lead such quiet
lives that pleasures" do not seem TO be part
of their existence, but, as q matter Of fact. it
may be great pleasure to them to lead this
quiet life. People who don't go OUT find
pleasure in staying at home, and are not more
unselfish than their gay neighbors, to whom
the world Of gayety and money making is a ne
cessity. Ali this is q mere prelude to the few
facts about the coming season which the writer
for HE STAR has gathered in several CONVEX
sations with those gay butterflies OF fashion
who congregate SO conspicuously in Washing
ton.
whats new?' was asked Of one of these
butterflies. This butterfly is not bad observer,
ana he answered the question as though he
knew what he was talking about and had
thought about the subject somewhat.
why" said he, there is nothing absolutely
new. The changes in enter tanning in society
are never very sudden. You can trace them to
an origin generally, but you can't say abso-
lutely that any fashion in parties is new
well, then, what will be the distinctive feat
ure OF the coming season.
well, Ishould say dinners" was the reply.
There seems to be no doubt a. out the cor
rectness OF this response. Dinner parties have
been becoming more and more popular in
washington OF late years, but they promise to
be the chief form of entertaining this coming
winter. Ofcourse, for older people they have al
ways been the favorlte means of bringing friends
ana congenial people together. but the young
peoples DINNERS are comparatively q recent
growth. They have come to stay, it appears,
but 1t Is question whether young girls do not
generally prefer some livelier form of amuse-
ment. A dinner party involves sitting still for
long time and talking to or listening to one
man for long time, and may not be as much
sport as dancing party.
THE PROGRESSIVE DINNER.
There is, however, one way of obviating
these difficulties that has been suggested sew
erai times and put in practice once or twice.
1t is nothing more nor less than the progressive
dinner party. This invention is not a bad one.
Anybody who has played the game OF pro-
gressive euchre will understand what it i'm
plies. 1t is managed simply in this wise: Miss
Smith is taken in to dinner by Mr.. Jones. They
converse upon the subj ect of the last party they
went to while the oysters and soup are being
disposed OF, but not after that. for Just before
the fish is about to appear the hostess gives the
| signal, when Miss Smith and Mr. Jones both
get up, as do all the rest of the company. and
they move around and find their dinner cards
all changed about. Then Mr.. Jones finds him
sell seated next to Miss Thompson and Miss
Smith discovers that she has Mr. Black for a
partner. While the fish and an entree are
being discussed Mr.. Black talks about
the next party they going to, and
then again there is change and everybody
gets another neighbor until the roast appears,
and so the game goes on till the dinner is over.
This Is pleasant and gives the guests chance
TO see each other, while it also taxes their con-
versalonal versatility. for in the course of q
long dinner party girl may find herself called
upon TO be sympathetic about race horses
man may be obliged to listen to prattle about
engagements. say word or two in defense of
Rudyard kipling, show knowledge of riding
habits and listen to q rhapsody on Robert
quent change of places causes confusion, but
there is no reason why this should not be SO
systematized as to be simple and easy.
THE DINNER DANCE.
But until the progressive dinner party be-
comes thoroughly established there is the din
ner dance, which is becoming an established
society amusement and which promises to be
frequent form Of entertainment in Washington
this coming winter. 1t is singular thing and
deserves few words OF explanation. In the
first place it must be borne in mind that din
ner and a dance and a dinner dance are two
totally different things In the former the
host and hostess merely give a dinner party
and after it is over other invited guests come in
and there is a dancing party. But in the din
ner dance several people by prearrangement
give dinner parties and the guests Of all din
ners afterward meet at some one house. where
they have a dance.
There are no other guests than the ones who
have been to these several dinners All this is
pleasant enough, subject to but one reasonable
OBJECTION. e.. that person who has dined
Oft OF eight courses aud five different kinds of
wine is not always disposed afterward to 60
skipping about ball room in d lively waltz or
quickste2 polka. Still it is charming to sit at
dinner and know that simultaneously three or
four other dinners are being given and that
you Wall meet all the guests afteIward.
THE AFTERNOON TEAS.
A question which is agitating society at pres
ent is the probable fate of the afternoon tea.
''Teas, teas, beautiful teas, mans but fool that
goes to teas" sang the young fellow who is
fond OF grazing the drawing rooms of Washing
ton with his presence whenever the act is
likely to lead to his own amusement. He has
given up going to afternoon teas as indeed
most men who are not very new to society have
done In many cities the tea never was any,
thing but a feminine affair, but in WASHINGTON
the men used to go. But they have struck, SO
to speak, and there is a general rebellion
against this simplest form of entertainment.
1t is true that many women like them-es-
pecially DO they like to give them, as they do
not cost much and arc an easy way of paying
social debts.
They are pleasant to so to, too, if they are
not elaborate and formal. but the rebellion is
against teas as entertainments in the proper
sense OF the word--as payments for social ad-
Vancements, in short. There is probability
that the afternoon tea viii not be such notable
feature in the entertaining of the coming
winter os it has been for the past five years.
THE GERMAN.
On the other hand, while the dinner and the
dinner dance will flourish more than ever. the
german will hold its own and SO will the dane
ing party. Perhaps one reason why the dinner
party has become so universal is due to the sell
tishness OF men. There is nothing IN the
world more colossal than this trait OF the male
race. A man will sit still at a dancing party
when he knows there are a dozen girls who
want to dance and who haven't partner. He
will go to german and stag it''-that is, not
have partner-when he knows there are a
score OF young girls who are sitting miserably
at home who would have given anything to
have had q partner and have been able to 60.
He viii permit sweet, pleasant woman to Or
nament the wall when he really wishes to talk
to her, because he is afraid if he goes up to her
he will not be able to get away from her when
he chooses. Now, that is one reason
why the dinner party is popular. 1t ap-