The sun., 1895-02-10
WHAT rs eoISe ON IN sooIrTI

retirement from the gay world Of NJ. s,as,,.
and her daughters, but the MetropolItan on.,.
House held large and enthusiastic sudienc..
when Shakespeare and Verdi shared the honor.
with NJ. Maurcl in "Fnlstaff"
On Tuesday evening Mr. and Mr.. William @.
Schermorhorn gave charming entertainments.
| partly musical and partly dramatic to one-half
of their large circle Of friends. Mrs. Schermer.
horn having divided her visiting list alpha
| betically for her two musicales, the second of
| which will take place on Tuesday Of this week.
Miss Sibyl Sanderson disappointed herself and
Mrs. Schermerhorn by being unable to keep her
engagement but Campanari sang. and Mr..
Stavcnhagen gave some good piano recitals
The great success of the evening. however was
q dialogue play OF Guy de Maupassant's, acted
| by Monsieur and Madame Febvre of the Com6die
| Francaisc. IL was an unexpected enjoyment TO
| those who are not musical enthusiasts, and
| pleasant break for all In what Is sometimes the
monotony OF " private concert. Among the
| guests, those who looked tho handsomest
were the daughters OF the hostess. especially
| Mrs. Brigham. who has all her mothers air Of
| breeding and distinction. and who wore a very
lovely gown Of pale green brocade; Mrs. Town
| send Burden in red velvet. with profusion Of
| diamonds: Mrs. Henry Clews in white brocado
| Mrs. John j. Asior In blue, and Mrs. Harry
! Cannon In white satin, with a band OF dia-
monds across her head and a colarette OF pearls.
Old Calvary Church, which is somewhat dark
and depressing for daytime wedding. bios
somed out into color and brillancy on Wednes-
day evening for the marriage of Miss Gallatn
and Mr.. Ireland. The parti- -colored group Of
bridesmaids, all handsome and striking Girls.
gave a Kaleidoscope effect to the chancel,
and set of the chasteness of the brides att
tire, which was a simmer of white satin and
Brussels lace. The church had been made
warm as churches can be made, and no
body carried a thermometer so that, probably,
the large congregation assembled were hardly
aware that the mercury was touching zero, and
II their minds were not diverted by the gay
scene before them they would be suffering cruelty
from the icy draughts. There was gay supper
afterward at Mrs. Gallatin's. and tho return to
the customs of fifty years ago. when a wedding
celebration was always by gas candle light,
was very generally approved and commended.
Its not English, you know" but on this occa-
sion 1t proved TO be very pretty and becoming,
with opportunities for dancing and merrymak-
ing which the formal morning function is quite
powerless to supply.
The wedding of Miss Edith Morgan and Mr..
Butler Williamson, at Ascension Church, was .
small and quiet affair without bridesmaids, and
with breakfast at Mrs. August Belmont's after
the ceremony, for the immediate family only.
The bride looked pretty and happy, and the
good wishes of a large number Of relatives and
friends went with the young couple as they
started on the fret stnge of their life's journey.
Tea table talk on Friday afternoon concerned
principally the recently announced engagement
of Count Castellane and MISS Anna Gould, di.
versified with eXClamatons OF fear and anxiety
for the missing steamships. The snow was kept
flying in Central Park under the hoofs of spirit
ed steeds. and men and women enveloped in
furs were hardly recognizable in their handsome
sleghs. Mr.. Harry Cannon's Russian sleigh,
which, although 1t has been several years in use,
looks as if it were just out of the builders
hands. is always the first to appear, and
1t was spesiing along, with its owner and his
wife looking thoroughly comfortable in their
robes and wraps. alInost before the storm was
over. Mrs. Bradley Martin is evidently very
fond of the sport. for her handsome sleigh, with
Its heavy black tassels and men in drab liveries
with bands of black cloth, has been conspicuous
on the avenue, even when there was hardly
enough snow to allow of runners. The winter
has been so severe in England that Mrs. Martin,
who sails next week, may yet have op-
portunity of showing her smart eouipnge In
Hyde Park. where sleighs are rarely seen.
A littlemore than two weeks are now left Of
the pre-Lenten season, which, although It has
been long, could certainly not be called fast
Not largo ball has been given in a private
house. and the dances at Mrs. Sloane's, Mrs.
Gerry's. Mrs. Ogden Mils's. Mrs. Starr Miller's,
Mrs. Seward Webbs, Mrs. Havemeyer's and
Mr.. Perry Belmonts have been only cotillons
after the OPERA which. although very enjoyable,
could not be dignifed with the name of balls.
Dinners there have been, and very sumptuous
ones. but not more numerous or more luxurious
than are given every summer at Newport and
every winter in town. D6butantes have eolaced
at subscription dances in Sherry's
and Dslmonicos rooms, and their verdict would
probably he that the season had been very gay
and altogether charming. But debutantes are
not society, they only delightful additions
to it, and those who really constitute society
have done but little this winter to make IL
bright or pleasant. 1t is true there have been
several checks to the eayety. as in tho sudden
withdrawal of the Vanderbilt family and Mr.
and Mrs Bradley Martins bereavement But
the spirit has been wanting, and Washington
and Albany have gone far ahead of US in the
number of entertainments and the prevailing
atmosphere OF gaycty.
Strangers and foreigners who have spent two
or three weeks in Washington pronounce It .
far pleasanter place than New York. They are
enthusiastic over the informality of the diplo.
matio dinners and dances. the charm of Lady
receptions, the elegance of Mrs.
Brices ball. the grace and beauty of Mrs Cleve-
and. and the agreeabilty OF handsome Miss
Letter. Albany. under the new Gubernatorial
iynasty, has become quite a place to talk about
Mrs. Morton and her daughters carry pleasant
less of course, wherever they go. Mrs. Hamil-
on Fish gives dinners that arc reminders,
lot Of old Dutch ma9nates. whose hospitality
vas lavish and heavy, but of the banquets
hat were spread in the well-known Second
'venue house by the first bearers of the name,
IS well as OF their liberal entertainments in
Washington. All the smart set in Albany So
'iety, including the Cornings. Pruyns and
rownsends, have awakened to sense of their
ocial responsibility under the new regime. and
he city on the hill has been lively with music
md dancing ever since the new year.
This week, however, after people arc fairly
hawed out, and Thermometers have ceased to
orment their owners, there will be a reaction
n the gay world here, beginning with Mrs.
Richard Mortimers dinner dance at the Metro
olitan Club on Tuesday evening. and a small