Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24

and has no real intention of making her
self resemble dust man.
There is a story around that a high
! flyer" in Philadelphia did several years ago
give party in Lent. where all the guests
wore genuine sackcloth and had their
heads powdered with something that a
vigorous imagination might construe into
ashes. But the effect was quite stunning,
for the ugly, coarse sackcloth, when ar
tistically treated, made charmingly unique
dresses, and powdered hair is usually be-
coming to woman, especially if she puts
on one or two beauty spots and a little
rouge, if nature requires it. The men at
this party were tough-looking citizens. They
had simply taken common oat sacks, split
them, cut holes for their arms, and they
wore them without further elaboration
from the tailor.
The Letter and the Spirit.
This was way Of observing the letter
of religious instruction without following
Its spirit too carefully, but the real sack
cloth intended for Lent was supposed to
be the most disagreeable material a per-
son could wear. and it was moreover, worn
next to the skin and rubbed against 1t. The
ashes were to be sat among or sprinkled
over the person; put, in short, wherever it
is most annoying to have them, which is
almost anywhere. But it is safe to say that
the fashionable woman in Philadelphia
with her sackcloth party was the first
American who ever really celebrated Lent
according to the eastern style.
There is another instance cited of Len
ten observer, who triumphantly informed
her husband that she would have no meat
for forty days,and in that way would econo-
mize vastly; but she laid in stock of terra
rrfn fncr MI L1,-
plored her to return to the extravaganza
of beef and mutton. Economy at the price
of couple of diamond-back terrapin q
day was rather an expensive luxury.
If person is ingenious she need not
suffer so very much from the denials of
Lent. Maybe she will give up eating candy
but she knows she will be more than re-
paid for doing so by the exquisite pleasure
OF tasting II which she will have when the
fast is over. Again, she may carefully re-
train from going to parties or giving them
out this arrangement affords her an op-
portunity OF seeing her friends in a tete-a-
tete every evening. She may thus find out
whether the love-making between dances
which went on during the season, meant
anything or not.
Getting to Know a Man.
There is huge amount of difference
you perceive. between a man in a ball room
and the same man in a parlor. In the
former place he must be vivacious and must
dance. Nobody cares about the substance
OF his remarks. He must flirt but the mere
fact that he is flirting is enough; how ne
does it makes little difference. The truth is
they all do ii the same way. There Is no
time for anything serious. But when Won
get that same man by himself in a parlor
seated In chair, where, in common de-
cency, he must stay for an hour or more
rxyfth
self, with no fddles, crowds or inter-
rupters to help him out, when You get him
In short, as 1t is hard to get him at any
other time than in Lent, You find ont SOME
thing about him and you are apt to experi
ence surprise, whether disagreed BILE or
the reverse. The truth is that society men
on the floor of the ball room or in the
parlor on reception day are as much alike
as peas in a pod. They dress alike. have
| much the same topics of conversation. the
same jokes, the same methods When thev
put on the society uniform they dress their
manners and minds as well as their bodies
what, then, Is your establishment when
Lent comes to find them all SO dissirnilar
one young German leader who talked the
rankest nonsense whenever YOU met him
during the season, turns out to be ouite a
deep and plodding mathematician Another
mildly-disposed frequenter of all the parties
OF the younger set, is shown in the brighter
Ignt or Lent to be student of sociology
and the author of horribly heavy treatises
On the other hand, the serious young man
who, You thought talked rather intellectu-
ally when you sat next to him at a dinner
party, You find is a frivolous youth who
does not know anything. The CAV swell
who had the reputation of being in search
of rich wife now confesses that he Is en-
gagged to girl who hasn't a penny. The
highly Independent young man who once
told you, while YOU were dancing with him
that he had contempt for men who marry
rich girls now walks off and proposes 10
the richest one he knows. Such is Lent
IT reveals men pretty much as they are
They are not in society uniform, and a girl
has chance to take an account of stock
as 1t were, and see what results have ac-
crued from the season.
The Two Parts of the Year
If this is the real sackcloth of society g.
Is not bad idea. One cannot keep IN
the strain Of the season. and a relaxation
is necessary. 1t would appear that the Two
parts Of the year in the city are divided
into the season and Lent. The former be-
gins here and in other large cities early IN
January. OF course, there are manv nartIas