The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-23
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

owing 10 The fact that Monday Will be
| celebrated as Christmas Day. the Wo-
J mans Club VIII be closed. mere VIII
| be neither tea. lecture. nor musicale. nor
| Will the reading rooms be opened. oh
! Wednesday the Current Events class
proved even more interesting than usual
and several thoughtful and able papers
! were read.
Mrs. Harris r. Donnan. Of Petersburg.
will spend the Christmas season with
| her mother. Mrs r. W Powers, west
| Franklin street. Miss Pauline Powers
] Will also return from Miss Carter
| school; Mr.. Edgar T. Powers from New
J York for the holidays.
Tho Saturday club. owing 10 the fact
! that its next meeting fails on Christmas
! Eve. VIII postpone that meeting until
| December Gst.
The Ladies Matinee Musicale will not
| hold its next meeting until after the holi-
days.
A meeting OF the various chairmen on
| the recent bazaar for the benefit OF the
Virginia Home for Incurables. Will be
held on Wednesday next, at 1 o'clock,
al the residence Of Mrs. Manson 3l3
east Franklin street At this meeting
fun reports of proceeds will be presented.
and it is hoped there may be large
attendance.
Miss Alfriond has returned TO the city
after charming visit 10 Baltimore. Mr..
and Mrs. H. ID. Lafferty. who are spending
the winter in Now York, will be Mrs.
Thomas Attends guests for the holt
days.
The Exchange for W0man's Work Is a
pleasant place 90 visit these days when
the true spirit Of Christmas is I'm the air
and friends are interested IN the annual
y absorbing question, what shall /
give?" 10 is "a question which the varied
and beautiful stock OF the Exchange
makes IL easy 20 answer. for It's shelves
and cases present tempting array 10
the visitor. There are homemade fruit
cakes and plum puddings, jellies, pre-
serves. candy emhrOideries. table linen
iamD shades. and much beside all repre-
scnting the thought and effort Of some
self-suppOrting wOman-in many in
stances. Of some woman whose need IS
great All having purchases to make
would do we'll TO call.
The committee representing the Asso-
ciated Hospitals is very enthusiastic over
the probable success Of the grand spec
tacular pantomime Ben Hur. and base
their hopes on its brilliant success IN
other cities. one Of the leading dailies
of the country. thus speaks Of its pre-
sentation. in Charleston, s. c..
ut was impossible 10 believe that an
entertainment Of such magnitude and eX-
cellence could be prepared In the snort
time which has elapsed since Ben Hur'
was first spoken of IN this city, and so
the great crowd was first surprised and
then delighted II was truly beautiful
conception admirably carried out, and
lacked nothing % make IT a complete
artistic and social success. The assem-
base was worthy the cause representing
as il did the best people Of Charleston,
and the admiration ana approval eN-
pressed on an sides showed plainly that
the evening had been both instructive
and entertaining Charleston has never
seen q greater variety Of magnificent
scenery.
THE pant0mime began with scene IN
s .ce the star in the o. follow it to-
wards Jerusalem. Passing through the
Damascus Gate they visit Herod and |
speak of the King that has come 10 the
Jews Incidental 10 these scenes Ia
hicau is shown of Joseph. Mary ana |
RABBI Samuel, M the Joppa Gate In a |
later scene. supposed 10 bc twenty-One !
years after the birth of Christ. Ben Hur |
and Messala are discovered In the inn |
perial garden each a youth Of about sew /
enteen years They converse and quar- |
rel parting with angry gestures and men, |
aces. The persecution Of Ben Hur and |
his final triumph over his enemy are |
then told I'm numerous tablcauX and |
scenes. introducing the love passages |
with Esther and The jealousy OF lras.
Each picture seemed more beautiful than |
the one preceding and the audience spar !
ed not its approval The story of The +!
chariot race was recited Dy Mr. Allison |
LlWt0n.
There were q dozen beautiful dances |
ard an were delightful. First came the |
butterflies and sprites. tiny maidens in !
gauze and tinse fitting hither and |
thither, posing now on one foot and then
on the other keeping time with the mer- 1
riest music and smiling through the
naughty curls which kept flying in their /,
eyes as they whirled around. The Esyp- !
tian Fandago. danced by four charming /
young ladies in brilliant costumes, was
much admired and the graceful evolu-
lions OF the NAlupIS ol h"Fli4'N WIN N''-
thusiastic applause The beautiful |
Priestesses of Apollo were much admir-
ed for the grace Of their movements. and
the petite soloist Thalia. executed her
part with charming skill. The Arabian
girls had an extremely pretty dance
and they also had soloist. Zennetta.
dainty and charming little artistic. l~e
Naiads gave a stately march. and an adj
mired feature Of the spectacle was the
drill of the Roman soldiers.
zone Of the loveliest Of the many love-
" tableaux was the closing allegory. en-
titled Irass Dream on the Nile.
The dates for the entertainment in
Richmond will be January 9Th and Eth.
Invitations are out To a card party 20
be given ~ Miss Rea Watkins during
Christmas week.
Dr. and Mrs. G. V Morton. OF Fort
Worth. Tex. are in the city stopping AT
Nurphvs. Mrs. Morton was Miss Mary
Field. is daughter Of prominent
Fort Worth. NJ d. and DR. Morton is a
iative Of Charlotte county. Va. and an
,ld Virginia Military Institute boy.
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Transfers Of Real Estate.
Richmond Mary and Joseph Heppert to
l. a.