Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-23
FORTY DAYS OF SELF.DENIAL
Society Enters Upon Long Season of
Fasting.
QUIET RElGNS IN SOCIAL CIRCLES
Pleasures of the Early Days OF
the Past Week Had to Sue
cun,b 90 the Coming
of Lent.

methods OF carrying It out In the full sig
nlficance OF the word. They wish to make
the chain OF forty days time of real self
denial, from which they will emerge
strengthened and refreshed for the regular
routine Of their lives.
One woman I know detests darning, and
even refuses to wear mended hose. Conse-
qucntly she has quite stock of partly worn
stockings stuffed away among her odds and
ends Having asked all her near friends to
swell this number with contributions OF a
similar kind she will have many dozens
OF pairs ready for a unique Lenten task.
She will devote two hours Of every week
day during this six weeks to darnlng the
accumulated stock of hosiery. At the end
of the allotted period they will be handed
over, all neatly mended and useful articles,
to some charitable institution.
Another clever woman, with decided
taste for millinery, will bring to light all
her old bonnets stored away for several
years past. She, also, has called upon her
wealthy acquaintances to contribute to this
list Of out-of-date articles. Realizing that
the love OF an Easter bonnet is Unborn in
the feminine heart. and knowing what de-
light her own dainty headgear imparts upon
that festal day. she proposes to be-
stow the same pleasure upon others
less blessed with resource. After
investing some Oh her ailoWahce upou
simple straw frames the trimmings from her
large stock of flowers and feathers
will be used to fashion numbers OF
pretty Easter hats, which she intends shall
gladden. the hearts OF as many poor girls.
young mother Of four bright children
whose heavy social obligations allow very
limited amount Of leisure to bestow upon
her little ones, intends to devote herself to
them exclusively during the forty days of fast
ing. She will be in the nursery as much
ill l,,ri rinsy a
their walks, and see that the "children's
hour" from till in the evening. is never
infringed upon. This hour will be spent in
entertaining reading or in story telling, and
she moreover insists that no company shall
break In upon this arrangement. l doubt
not that her happy children will wish Lent
might continue the year around.
Another woman with different idea, but
one calculated to give equally as much pleas
ure, will observe certain special Lenten
duties. Every week she will invite twelve
working girls to luncheon at her house be-
tween the hours Of 12 and / o'clock on Sat
urday afternoons. She proposes acting as
their escort to some of the art galleries,
stimulating their interest in and striving to
cultivate love for the beautiful, which
must eventually lift them somewhat from the
hopeless and gray monotony Of their lives
These are only few of many novel ways
that the women Of today will employ in keep
ing their days Of penance. They have
season and the sweetness thus extracted
will be shared by many who personally know
nothing of the true Lenten sacrifice of time
and sel:.
Here is story about young lady we'll
known in Omaha, now visiting in Lincoln,
that has gotten as far as the public press of
that city:
There was so much to Justify little extra
language that those who heard 1t were
ready with their forgiveness before 1t was
asked. At big party on Thursday evening
a visiting lady had the misfortune of receiv-
ing the contents of an overturned coffee cup
on her gown, swell affair, that had put
recently attracted much attention at big
wedding in Omaha. The gentleman re-
sponsible for the accident was profuse In his
apologies. After running over the whole
gamut of regret and self-abnegation, he
asked: "Was the coffee hot?'
The response of the lady came suddenly
and emphatically: "Well, not so d-n hot
An event out of the common run of social
happenings in Chicago opens up for young
male swells a field OF rich and varied pos
sibllities. IL properly worked. doncherknow.
The looming out" of young ladies is recog-
nized social event, only a few rounds behind
marriage as an epoch in life. Chicago swells
have evidently grown weary Of combining the
"social debut" to the maidens. and have ruth
lessiy broken in on the exclusive privilege
of the fair pex The affair which signalized
the new departure was young mems tea,'
given by Mr. George A. Hutchison, Wa
bash avenue bud
The young men and the tables were done
in colors to match. Four tables were pro-
vided, one for each corner of the dining
room The cclors used were heiotrope, yell
low. pink. and red. Those who poured were
daintiiy attired in the regulation afternoon
garb with ties to match their re-
spective tables. The bon bons, cakes and
Ices were all heart-shaped. and each OF the
young men who assisted was given heart OF
creme paper stuffed with cotton. 1t matched
his tie and his table in color. This heart
was his valentine long ribbon was at
tached to the heart, which was about the
size Of tea plate.
Blinds were drawn and palms and rare
flowers filed the air with perfume. man
dolin orchestra dscoursed music. No detail
Of fin de steele young mans coming out
was omitted
Every suggestion calculated to Danish
periods Of silence and languor which oc-
casIonally settle on social parties should
be welcomed and heeied by entertainers
But where the duty OF entertaining devolves
. on q committee, such as manage seect
dancing parties, 1t is difficult to avoid an
occasional wall flower Now wall howers
may be useful and even hieh'y Ornamental but
you cannot convince the flower that the posi-
tion has any desirable advantages. The best
thing to do Is to avoid 1t. How? remedy
10 offered by the Sphinx. a paper published
at Cairo almost In the shadow OF the
pyramids Describing ball at one OF the
local hotels the Sphinx says: 81 asked one
of my lady friends why she was not dancing
when SO many gentlemen were looking for
partnerc She replied she had one or two
dances with people whom she knew, but
as they like her, were only visitors, they did
not know others to whom to introduce her,
and for the same couple to dance right
through the program was hardly proper.
This IN a matter which can easily be set
right, and II her suggestions were acted upon
It would. adj to the pleasure and enjoyment
of all. It 10 this; each lay and gentleman
who wish to dance should be handed small
rosette to wear on entering the ball room,
30 that when a would-be dancer saw pretty
damsel locking demurely oil while the others
We're enjoying themselves, he might boldly
advance and ask the honor OF dance. ant
then-wci such romances could be written
afterward."
Parties contributing to this page will bear
In mind that they must write on but one
side OF their paper. Communications written
upon both Hldes OF the sheet will be con-
signed to the waste basket,
Entertained by sisters.
Mr. and Mrs Doud, who were married at
Elk Point, were entertained last Tuesday