Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
Up TO HIS OLD.TlNE TRICKS
Father Time Making the Most Of His
Opportunity,
aURRYING The LENTEN SEASON ALONG
Old Veteran watches Ills chance and
slips In Some Functions to Help
While Away the Dull
Days.

The Importance OF being in earnest seems
10 be the all absorbing topic which is oC-
eupying lovely woman's mind during this
present iast-disappearing season of Lent,
when every kind Of empty fr%ivolity, trivial
gaicty and innocent fun Of any sort what
ever has been laid aside with those cap
~tivating gowns and languishing glanccs
which caused so many heart throbs during
the festive winter season.
Old Father Time is apparently striving
TO be in everybody's good books by doing
everything in his power to make the time
pass quickly and his efforts have Ger
talnly so far been crowned with success, for
In spite of the general absence of brilliant
events and social functions to mark each
day and make it a pleasant one in the So
ciety world, no one is heard to complain
that the hours drag, or that the weeks have
leaden feet. On the contrary the energetic
danes and debutantes find that they VIII
never have time in which to accomplish
one half Of the tasks that they had set
themselves to perform during the long days
of this season OF sackcloth and ashes.
Mercury would find 1t necessary to bor>
row the wings Of Pegasus to be able to
begin to keep pace with the rapid move
ments Of those favored beings who consti-
tute the gay world of Omaha, in the varied
and numbcrless pursuits upon which they
are one and all at present engaged, for
now that the field of opinion has widened.
and monotonous unanimity no longer holds
unchallenged sway, all are eagerly availing
themselves of their freedom and dipping
deep into those of the more sober studies
Cor which they have a penchant. Let us
agree to differ on the subject OF how Lent
should be kept" has been the unvoiced
motto unanimously chosen by the members
OF the gay world and who can question
the wisdom of their choice, for OF what use
Is 1t ever to endeaYor to force the round
man or woman into the square hole, or
vice versa? The multitudinous ways and
methods adopted by the fair sex for recu-
perating their spent forces after the vicissl-
tudes of the seasons dissipations would fill
a small volume and form food for inter.
esting and amusing study and reflection.
Their inventive genius has seemingly LETT
no stone unturned and the dear creatures
are displaying equally remarkable talent IN
the way in which they are d~evoting them
selves to their new and all-abs0rblng taus
to the distraction of those of their friends
who would have them unveil the light or
their once beaming countenances, instead
OF always appearing as If under a cloud.
WlIn ludl DltDNNuIlNu
the mark of the earnest student. Those
who. during the season, were busiest in de-
yIsinu novel forms of entertainment for
their friends and planning elaborate recep-
tions, luncheOns de luxe and the like are
now the energetic leaders in the deeper
walks of life and are displaying a WELL
nigh Unsuitable thirst for knowledge and
when lovely woman stoops to conquer, man
awaits the result with bated breath, ana
the minds OF the sterner sex are conse-
q~uently muchly bewildered and exercised as
to the results Of these sudden and total
changes of minds and vacations.
Few indeed have been the diversions offered
b the society world of Omaha to its numerous
deyotees during the last six days. Functions
Of every kind and affairs of varying magni-
tube and Importance have, one and all been
conspicuous by their absence, with the eX-
canton OF a few events which have been
much enjoyed and made the most OF by
those fortunate enough to receive invita-
lions thereto. Two or three card parties,
notably that given by Mrs. w. S. Rector, a
dance, a birthday party and a .kensington
have done their utmost to relieve the other
wise unbroken dizziness of the last week
Cupid and Hymen, those irrepressible and
popular gods, have clearly shown that they
at any rate, are not 10 DC OuSleu L llo"hcu
down by King Lent, and so far, during
each week of his short reign, have Struggled
in a couple OF weddings or more, which
have been j~oyfully welcomed by all con-
cerned and for which the marriage bells
have rung out just as %joyously as If there
were no such thing in this usually gay
world as a season Of mourning.
II almost seems as II the noble PROPOSE
lions OF the social calendar are fated to
dwindle away into nothingness and vanish
into thin air, so numerically has its poor
head been umbled in the dust, or perhaps
It would be more correct to say ashes.
Still, 1t gives some promise of life, and al
though it's feelings are undoubtedly hurt and
It naturally feels crestfallen, it manages to
linger on, buoyed up with the sure hope that
as soon as the uneventful reign of the pres
eut potentate has come to an end, 1t will
resume its growth, regain its wonted popu-
larity and, like the spreading chestnut tree,
upraise its lofty, for-reaching branches over
Ats newly found subjects, and paradise re-
gained.