The sun., 1898-01-09
wHAr rs eotxe ON nv soo1Er1o

week Of 1893 has been ono of tho gayest for
many Aenrs. BY those who understood the sub
ject IL has all along been held that tho season,
az q season. would not open until after the now
year, for so many people were still out of town.
That this theory was correct is now indlsputably
proven. and tho variety Of entertainments that
have taken place has only been cquallcd by their
brilliancy. The members of the smart sot,
which Is supposed TO correspond to tho leisure
class In other countries, have beon the principal
entertainers. The younger married women have
been exceedingly prominent, and seem to have
supplantod the former leaders. Certainly. the
young hostesses of the week have shown their
thorough training for the prominent position
they now occupy. Dinners and dances we're the
principal entertainments, and the latter had
many novel features.
The opening event Of tho week occurred on
Sunday evening. when society turned out in
full force at the Metropolitan Opera House for
the FIRST appearance this winter OF Mime. Nor.
6ica. She was In splendid voice and seemed to
thoroughly enjoy tho enthusiastic welcome she
received or course, being Sunday night there
was no display Of dress. but tho majority Of the
women wero very smartly gowned In silk and
velvet, and the house was really exceedingly
pretty. Monday afternoon there was another
musical entertainment. the first Of the re-
citals by Miss Lydia Eustis and the Ada
mowsh string quartet, which took place al
the residence Of Mrs. Hermann oelrichs. Tho
audience was an appreciative one. and Miss
Eustis was warmly received. There was. of
COURSE q capital musical programme. for society
women thoroughly understand music, and are
not contented with any but the best. The house,
with its draperies and tapestries, was most at
tractive, and the only drawback to the enter
tainment was the absence Of the hostess. duo to
the injury to her eye. from which she has not
of ,nA
hangings Of tho house are most wonderfully
beautiful. and with the rooms thrown open 40
they were on Monday afternoon the scene was
remarkable, even in these days Of modern PAL
aces.
Tuesday evening was far and away the smart
est meeting Of the Musical Arts Society. Sad as
It Is to confess It, the former meetings have been
somewhat dreary. neither the performances
themselves have been a success nor have the
audiences been in the least brilliant. Tuesday
evening. therefore, quite surprised every one.
Tho women were much more smartly gowned.
Mrs. Victor Sorchan and Mrs. Frederic Edey
being especially noticeable. Mrs sorchen's
gown OF black and white with touches Of ceriso
and o red rose In her elaborately arranged Golf
fure, made her look like picture of French
marquise. Mrs. Edey. in q long turquoise velvet
cloak over white satin gown. was exceedingly
handsome.
The first Of the small cotillons given in the
annex of the Metropolitan Club has received
nothing but praise from every one who was
present. Mrs. John Jacob Astor. Mrs. Ogden
Mills, Mrs. Almerio Paget. Mrs. Harry Payne
Whitney. Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, J-.. Mrs.
Lloyd Brice. and the other ladies who managed
the dance certainly understood just how such
an entertainment should be given. Elisha
Dyer, Jr., led an especially pretty CO.
tillon with Mrs. John Jacob Astor. many
of the figures being decidedly new. Tho
favors were very handsome but. as one
woman remarked, mot vugarly so." Tho
cotillon did not begin until after o'clock and
lasted until an ususally late, or early. hour.
There were many smart gowns worn. and the
women looked unusually well, one reason being
that the lighting Of the room was SO much more
becoming than is generally the case. A number
of dinners were given before the cotilon. and
this made the whole affair more elaborate, as it
always does when great number of the dancers
como into ballroom at the same time, each
and all on very good terms with the others.
Mrs. Astor's dinner on Monday evening was Q
superb affair and quite rivalled the one given
the week before. These dinners of Mrs. Astor
are not limited either to the younger set or to
the older married women. An invitation to one
Is always eagerly accepted. 1t is said that Mrs.
Almeric Paget is one of the best dinner givers of
New York among the younger women, and that
she models her entertainments on those of Mrs.
Astor.
The joliest of all the evenings Of the week was
that on which. in honor Of Mr.. Payne Whitney,
q dinner followed by n cotillon was given by Mr..
and Mrs. Almeric Pagct. The debutantes of
the season were out in full force. but there were
also great many of last years, and even of the
year before. There wcro more men than girls.
and the cotillon was exceptionally gay; It was
led nv Mira pa dam 1yit Mr. Ip1a
NJ. Hadden. The favors were exceedingly pretty
and uncommon. In several of the figures they
presented the Yale colors, Mr. Payne Whitney
being still a student OF Yale.
From this time on balls are to be given Just as
fast they possibly can be. and it Is said there
is not single night from now until Ash Wednes-
day left disengaged. or course all the affairs
are not very formal, and there are many dancing
classes among them. but there are to be many
private balls SO there will be no lack OF dancing
However. when Mr.. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor
start on their long yachting trip, about the
middle of February. 1t Is probable there will be
an exodus from the city to tho South or to tho
Mediterranean. Tho Nourmahal is magnif.
cent yacht as to size and equipment, and will
accommodates very large party.
The musical breakfast given at the Astoria on
Thursday was an instant success; the pro-
gramme was good. the breakfast was excellent,
set of people present was very representative
one. Breakfast was served in the myrtle room
and there were 800 people who remained for It.
Mrs. Fred Nelson and Mrs. George De Forest
looked unusually we'll at tho breakfast--Mrs.
Nelson in black and jet. Mrs de Forest in dark
blue velvet heavily embroidered. The patron
esses who were not condemned to sell tickets
attended the performance, which is quite un-
usual these days, and as on the list of patronesscs
were the names of the most prominent women
in the city. 1t can readily be seen that there was
nothing lacking from q social as well as Q
dramatic point OF view.
Everybody is not in town. however. and many
who went out for the Christmas holidays have
remained away. Golf playing on the snow has
received some attention, and the little red balls
have evidently quite as much fascination as tho
white ones used In the summer. The life of the
people who live out OF town grows more and
more English every year; distance is accounted