The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
WIZ rs eo1xe on nv sooIErE.

for another year. Kind women have provided
dinners for the hungry and trees we'll laden
with Christmas bountios for tho wallis and wan.
derers through the city streets. Flowers have
bloomed and holly berries have rlowed through
dark leaves In and hospital wnrdas
church bells have pealod, and everywhere Iona
anthems OF rejoicing have assembled to tho skies.
Over two continents tho old. old story has been
told again, and for q time the music and the
lights, tho good cheer. and the general atmos-
phcre Of charity and good will have dominated
everything. but now Il IL over. Society will
fall back into it's customary groove. and after
this week will return from its Now Year outing
and settle comfortably down In winter homes
for winter pleasures and enioyments.
Mrs. Astor's first stnto dinner On Monday
evening wns a very gorgeous affair. Twenty
two guests sat down to a perfectly appointed
table, where tho purple orchids toned down tho
glitter Of gold and silver plate and the sparkle
O cut glass, and some OF the hnndsomost women
in society gave grace and beauty to the SUR
roundings. Lady Colebrooke, who vasr Pas-e
"a family that has produced several pretty
women during the last two Renerations-looked
extremely well. though much more delicate nnd
fragile thnn the majority Of Enrlish women.
Mrs. William c.. whitney was Hehe-like and
happy, as usual; Mrs. Cruner graceful and ant
mated; Mrs. Cass Garfield extremely handsome.
and Mrs. Burke Roche most charming. All did
honor to tho OCCASION by wearing a profusion OF
Jewels, which added not n little to the brilliancy
and picturesqueness Of the scene. Mrs. AstoR
has cards ont for another dinner on Jan. 3, and
Is credited with tho intention OF giving o ball 40
q later date. 4
On Tuesday evening Mrs. Livingston Ludlow
gave n largo dinner Mt her new house in Sew.
enty.sixth street, which Is one OF the most i'm.
| posing Of the many stately mansions uptown.
A wide doorway communicating with the
house of her daughter. Mrs. Henry Parish,
throws two large drawing rooms into one. Atty
feet In width. In which ~cotillons could DO danced
without overcrowding.
Miss Eva Barbey had a beautiful debut the
Same evening at Delmonico's new rooms. Her
sister. Mrs. Lanfenr Norrie. was the hostess.
and there was n gathering OF debutantes and
young matrons to the number Of two or three
hundred. A large cotillon was danced, led by
Miss Barley and Mr.. Worthington Whitehouse.
The freshness and beauty Of the new rooms
with their Louis Quatorze decorations Of mirrors
and gliding mnde the scone very pretty. and
being the first private ball Of the season. there
was no limit to the gRyety and enjoyment.
The first Cinderella dance. tho Second Fort.
nightly and the annual hall OF Columbia College
students combined with Christmas feasts and
duties and pleasures to make the latter part OF
the week very busy rs well rs very jolly. The
most original OF all country celebrations and
the most suggestive Of good old English cuss
toms was the great barn dance given on Friday
night by DR.. and Mrs. Seward Webb to tho en-
tire town Of Shelhurne. Vt. Every resident, ir.
respective Of sociNl or financial position, was
hidden. A most generous supper was presided
over by Col. and Mrs. Webb. Dancing followed,
led bv the host and hostess. 1t was n UNIQUE
iollihcntion, and should make Col. and Mrs.
Webb genuinely popular among their neighborS
at the North.
The first few weeks of the new year are fairly
well filled with entertainments. Mrs. Almerio
P'get hns cards out for dinners on Jan. 4
and 3. Commodore and Mrs. Gerry will give an
evening reception. with dancing. on Jan. Ill.
All Mrs. Gerrv's visiting list, both old and
Young, nre included in the invitations. Mrs.
Gerry's acouaintnnces are select enough TO re-
quire no wedding and her hose is large enough
to all her friends. without d"tri.
ment to the dancers or crowding OF tho eldorlies.
Dinner dances will be given during tho month
OF January by Mrs. Ogden Mills. Mrs. Henry
Sloane. Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney. Mrs. AL
merle Paget, and possibly Mr.. Perry Belmont.
The first Of the Tuesday evening dances will
take place IN Jan. II. The managers have been
true TO their old haunt at Sh"rrvs. whore SO
many lovely balls have been enjoyed. md FIVE
vacancies on the board will he filed by Mrs.
Harry Payne whitney, Mrs. Edward c. Post,
Mrs. Belmont Tiffany, Mrs. Henry ID. Living
ston. and Mrs. William E. Rogers.
On the other side OF the ocean Mr.. Astor secms
to be keeping Christmas by a succession OF
sumptuous hanQuets, Mt which. n CORRESPONDENT
says, "his pretty daughter does the honors with
her peculiar charm and grace" The same cors
respondent says that Mr.. Astor's rooms are
beautiful, and the red room especially is IN per-
foot harmony with the royal livorics Of white
and rod. which, las O citizen Of tho great re-
public, Mr.. Aston thinks himself at liberty to
use" This is n curious remark. as we wGuS
nndcr the impression that English custom for
bids the use of the ROYAL livcries by my but q
member of the royal family and under any
conditions 1t would hc in bad tastc for a pri-
vate individual TO assume them. 1t is very
clear. however. that Mr.. Aston cannot have boz
come n British subject, or his right to use the
Queens liveries would be disputed.
Mrs. Ladenburg. who seems to be in a large
decree associated with the English hunting set,
has been on n visit to Mr.. and the Misses Cassel
nj Daily Hall, and is also mentioned as one Of
the %prettiest women present, wearing soft white
and Rarderias.a Mt n dance given by Mr.. Gillett,
n rich bachelor, who recently entertained the
, Due d'Orleans at the Bachelors Club, when
I Col. Hay and Mrs. RonalGs were the only Ameri.
D cans invited.
!. Mr.. Bradley Martin has finished the shooting
= senson at Balmacaan by II five days shoot, when
5.4o0 head OF game were killed by ten guns
, This to the uninitiated seems to be enormous,
but 1t must be remembered that one-third OF
them were rabbits, which are neither toothsoms
:, nor salable. or the remainder oily thirty.fve
were woodcock. and the pheasants, which run UP
= among the hundreds, are not counted very
. Ramey or delicate, and. indeed. are pronounced
by many connoisseurs as no better than barn.
yard fowl. Thus, although the bags arc full and
the sport is exciting, the result 10 not all that n
Beems to be.
A gloom has been cast over Washington
society. not only by the Presidents bereavo
ment, but by the tragic death of Miss Leill
Herbert. the daughter of OK. secretary Herbert
who. during her fathers term of office. presided
most charminRly over his establishment, and
made many and fast friends. Still. the pros
poets for the season at the capital point to q
very gay one, as Mrs. Letters house Is open foI