The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-06
Festive Events Oh The Eve Of the Lenten
Season.
Receptions ct the White House-Return Of
the Congressional Excursienists to
Chicago Visiting Celebrities.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

mehts Ihat they could not retreat from,
remained behind and will not yield until
the midnight of Shroye Tuesday. The sea-
son goes OF in rush of small entertain
ments, and no great ball or official function
MARKS its closing. Every one is tired to
death alter the two months steady round,
Dut instead OF settling to sleep and oblivion
al nome, the half of these restless ones are
on Tor Southern winter resorts, and some
were hurried away in time TO take in the
New Orleans Mardi Gras.
With the Lenten rest there is time TO
straghten out the threads aud tales so con-
fused during the season; hurried enter
talners will take time to find out who and
what they invited to their homes. and guests
to learn more about their hosts and host
esses of the past weeks. Gossip thrives
amazingly in Lent and the riding clubs.
bowling clubs. sewing classes and such are
as great hotbeds for its growth as a certain
great club Of the city to which all the men
OF the four hundred belong. The after
church promenade on quiet afternoons. the
after-church gathering Of inlimates around
certain tea-tabies, and the coming together
oil heads IN the rooms of the ladies' club all
mean piquant and picturesque tales of the
DAY s doings-and there is much doing in
these days. The little riyalries. the great
sltions and tie misunderstanding of society
are endless, and malice and wit can make
more OF them by little embroidery in the
narration.
NOTABLE SOCIETY EVENT.
One OF the great entertainments of last
week was dinner-dance given by Mr.. de
Lamar OF Montana 10 MIR. and Mrs. Russell
Harrison, who have shown him many atten-
lions here, and made his social pathway a
pleasant one. The host is a bachelor OF
great wealth, who came here a few weeks
ago solely TO enjoy himself. Society quickly
scented such prize, and Mr.. Harrison'S
proiege yadlted to popularity in a day.
Matrons Deamed Oh him, girls smiled, aud
WIDOWS grappled and drew him with wileS
and That experienced grasp as invincible as
an octopus. He diaed and danced. and he
drank more bad tea ana worse weak punch
at woman's behest than any nfan in town.
lie gave box parties aud he sent roses. and
ne ala everything on great scale, but his
dnner-dance eclipsed them all. His table
was oyerhung with canopy Of smilax and
palm branches, gliteriDg with scores of
tiny electric lights in colored bulbs, and the
palm trees OF this faryland grew from bed
OF orchids. OF white roses and white lilacs,
which covered the table. The ladies had
bouquets OF huge, long stemmed roses.
caugh. with jeweed pins. After the chef
had sent in delicacies and marvels of IN
Senious construction. Mrs. Harrison was
asked TO touch a button beside her plate
and TWO huge balls of roses, hanging in the
green canopy over the table. fell apart and
sh0wered hundreds OF rose leaves. dance
and midnight supper finished the evening,
and all voted the Montana millionaire the
institution of the season.
Mrs. Frances Edgerton of California, who
is the guest Of her uncle, Senator Lapham,
has had great success during her short STAY
and has been the guest of honor at many en-
tertainments, where her Rotations were the
feature Of the affair. Mrs. Edgerton cap
tured one Of her first audiences after a lun-
cbeon at Mrs. Curtiss Hillyer's and that
large company of ladies going forth charmed
and enthusiastic spread the fame OF the Cal
ifornian up and down the town. Then the
Washington Club, that noted social organi-
cation OF women, gave tea for her aud
after that her cards we're crowded and Mrs
Edgerton IS IN the greatest demand, her
manner and appearance going as far as her
dramatic gifts to captivate her listeners.
THE WORLDS FAIR VISITORS.
Tie Congressional excursionists returned
from Chicago delighted with the city. en-
thusiastic over the hospitality of its citizens
and all most aggressively in favor of
everything the Worlds Fair asks for.
No one dare bubble or question any,
thing connected with that vast enter
prise in tile presence of these recent visitors
to the fair grounds. Chicago has added to the
city directory lists of its own inhabitants Just
so many more active champions of its cause
upon the benighted Congressional minds
who would not 60 to see the buildings In
Jackson Park. When the projected FIVE
million bill comes up Mr.. Holman may ex-
poet TO be strangled III his chair if lie at
tempts TO rise and object and expose the
narrow hair line of mind he boasts; and
the ladies. who have returned from Chicago,
will certainly make demonstration in the
galleries and throw their muffs at the public
miser at the least. With lenten weeks the
iaAa of nal ot,, RI
TO the galleries, and the daily debates aud
the progress-no. never the progress in this
Congress, but the retafdation Of public busi-
ness become OF absorbing interest. Then il
is that ambitious women essay to talk silver
and tariff TO the dismay of more peaceably
conducted females. and weak decoctions of
House debates and their special ileges' frame
OF mind are offered TO unfortunate callers.
RECEPTIONS AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
The Daughters Of the American Revolu-
ton had great meeting this week, relieved
by many entertainments by resident Daugh-
tiers. and the distinguished descendants
combined business and pleasure in An
agreeable manner. Mrs. Harrison was
again elected leader of the organization and
her reception to the Daughters on Wednes-
day evening was one of the most agreeable
gaslight affairs in the mansion this season.
Only the Cabinet families and the actual
families OF the Daughters were invited, and
the great suite OF state apartments and the
conservatory afforded free promenade for a
company of less than two hundred. The
supper was served in the state dining-room.
and the guests left most enthusiastic
The preceding night there was an even
ing reception to the general public, and the
President shook hands with some 5000
friends and fellow-citizens in less than two
hours The arrangements were the same as
for card reception, but the general public
behaved itself very differe lily from the
elect mob Of invited officials and the
upmanageable lot Of uninviteds who flock
with them on every possible occasion.
Ihere was no crowding, pushing. tearing
OF gowns and wrenchng of of epaulettes
among the well-behayed nobodies. Their
conduct was decorouS, dignlfied and re-
spectiul while Ia the home Of the President
They formed in single line at the gates
and advanced In that order to the room
where the PRESIDENT stood to receive them.
and alter round OF the rooms and waiting
to see the President lead the receiving party
upstairs they dispersed peaceably to their
homes. The whole 5000 did not try to get
behind the line in the blue parlor. beat and
bluII thelr way past the vieilant usher who
stands gdard at this gateway of social
heaven. The Cabinet families and the
administration friends who gathered there
had room and air aud made pleasant little
company by themselves, and all remarked
upon the different behavior. the perfect
order aud good manners of the general
public as COMPARED with that shown by in
vited officialdom. us polite society po-
lite r has been too often asked and an
swered In the negative to need any more
arguments.
RECEPTION OF THE GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.
The National Geographic Society distin-
guisbed itself this week by holding a recep-
ton solely for its own social enjoyment.
There were no addresses, no speeches, no
papers, and some two hundred scientists
and their families came together In Worm
ley's ballroom TO talk, dance. and eat an
society's members were asked, but among
such guests the Boring Sea Commits sioners,
Sir George Baden-Poweil and DR.. Dawson,