Evening star., 1896-01-04

The week has been very busy as regards
dancing events. The Brice ball Tuesday
night and the Barney bali Thursday night
were all that experienced hospitality could
possibly offer. The quantity of the Amer
lean beauty roses throughout the drawing
rooms and the dining room at Corcoran
house was the best evidence of the princely
ideas which dominated in every detail of
the entertainment. The faNors were nu-
merous and well selected and the souvenirs
all that could be desired. The early part
of the evening was rather crowded, but
after midnight the throng lessened and
dancing became joy. The cotiIlion lasted
till about 4, and those who participated in
1t had very little sleep before they were
obliged to take part in New Year func-
tions. The New York men and the extras
who are always here at the holiday sea-
son made the sterner sex for once in ex-
cess CT the other, SO that there was no
lack of partners.
The first of the Bachelors cotillions is
fixed for next Wednesday night. From all
reports, 1t promises to be a very great sue
cess; and a NEST auspicious opening for
the big balls of the winter.
New Year day echoes are heard wherever
the gossipers are gathered. If the honest
opinion of those official hostesses who kept
them would be greatly shortened in the fu-
/ ture. The custom has been so abused in
the houses of public men that it is easy to
see why 1t is not as popular as it once
was. Long lines Of women and small
children surrounding refreshm table
not a spectacle worthy of continuance
as New Year day feature. Gen
| tlenen with old-fashioned ideas of what
is due the ladies of their acquaintance
think that this one day in the year ought
to be left to the male sex, or else the fine
feeling of courtesy and gallantry which
underiies the custC m has no meaning
whatever. 1t is not pleasant thing to
start in the new year with fault-fnding.
but 1T IS hard not to do it when remarks
such as were overheard at enc official door
Wednesday can be quoted. One young girl
in "a group of well-dressed young women
accompanied by several callow youths
was debating whether or not they would
go in Her remarks decided them. i''Oh,
come In; that's what they are paid for"
and with this elegant reflection on the hos
pitality they were about to taste, in they
went.
This kind of thing would have taken
the popularzing of official entertainments
| the families who for the moment have it's
burden, must lay in a good stock of pa
tieEce and forhearance to stand the con-
Stant annoying experiences of public days
| like New Year. Small boys and women
| have nc place as visitors on New Year.
| and in all probability next year will not
be admitted to any house in the official
| round. A step in this direction was start
| ed this time. for while they were the most
| literal pstroI izers of the refreshment ta-
| bles and in one house were SO numerous
as to completely hide the table from the
| view CT gentlemen approaching it, there
| is no instance recorded where any attempt
| ed to carry away food. When the women
| started to attend New Year receptions
| three years ago this was quite common, SO
| such small mercy as it's discontinuance
| ought not to go unnoticed.
There is resolution which it would be
useful Tor persons moving in another set
| to take to heart at this juncture Don't
| ask for invitations for yourself, and dom
| ask them for your friends those who are
| guests in your house. Those who are
| known to give large and handsome enter
| tainme1ts are the ones who suffer most
| from this imposition. One of the most
| generous hostesses in Washington gave an
! entertainment not many moons ago. She
| labored under the delusion that Just for
| once she could have company of her own
selection, so about hundred and fifty
intimates were asked. few days before
| the date the requests "Can 1 bring the
| Misses So and So,who are my guests, began
] to come in. There were nearer five hun
| dred than the original number at the party.
| So, instead of including a hundred more of
her own acquaintances, the lady enter
| tanned Just that number Of other peoples
guests, absolute strangers to her. This is
| not singular case. Those who entertain
|
| trial which they constantly endure from
| the party-going fraternity at the capital.
| 1t is wrong, and should not be counten-
| apced.
! Here's another good resolution. Intro
! duce your guests at any gathering The
| idea that people have right to speak to
each other when they happen to meet In
| the same drawing room Is purely a theory.
Everybody knows that 1t is not carried out
| to any extent. Some young girls who have
| just entered society this winter, and hav-
| ing been away at college for several years
| are practically strangers to the younger
| set. They are invited everywhere, and al
| though their family prominence and i'm
| pcrta1 ce are unassalable, they find them
| selves at a disadvantage at such gather
| ingS where introductions are not prevalent
| It may be English but as we are not living
| in England, it is hard to see what possible
| bearing it can have here for amiably in
| clined people who would great deal rather
| receive an introduction to the guests than
| any other courtesy which could possibly
be shown them. The Anglomaniacs who
have had a ten-years' start of the newer
| people who give such charm to Washing
| ton society, may object to 1t, but even this
| dreadful condition of affairs might be over
| looked, if the pleasure of all the rest OF
| the world was looked after. Some of the
most successful hostesses Washington has
| ever known make it rule to introduce
| their guests generally, and make 1t point
| to have their sons or daughters, or who
| ever else is assisting in their hospitality,
1 give 1t their unulV1Oeu attention. IutTe IL
| never any criticism heard about the sue,
cess of their entertainments.
| Mrs Hichborn gave an elegant luncheon
| to day in honor of Mrs. John w. Foster. The
| table was daintiy set and the centerpiece
/ of Farayense ferns was sprayed with
| orchids When the ices were served they
| were in orchid shapes. There were pretty
| little historic souvenirs. The guests were
| Mrs. Quay, Mrs. A. A. Wilson, Mrs Daniel
| Lathrop of Boston. Mrs. Beriah Wilkins
| Mrs. A. c. Gear, Mrs. James F. Barbour and
| Mrs. Gallaudet.
| Secretary and Mrs. Lamont gave hand
| some dinner last night in honor of Associate
| Justice and Mrs. Peckham, at which the
| guests were Chief Justice and Mrs. Fuller
| Attorney General and Mrs. Harmon, Sena-
| tor Hill, Mrs. Hearst, Senator and Mrs
| Brice and Col. and Mrs. J. NJ Wilson. The
| table was decked with American beauty
| roses, which are favorite flower with the
hostess. They mingled with asparagus
| vines and maidenhair fern in the center.
| piece Throughout the parlors the roses
| formed the principal decorative feature. Al
| 10 o'clock company of a hundred or sc
! joined the dinner guests, and the new jus
| tice and his wife had the pleasure of meeting
| under the hospitable roof all the cabine,
| and Supreme Court circle, the District ju
| dietary and many of the leading lights ir
| the legal armament, and a few New York
| friends of the host and hostess. The recep