Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-26
IN THE WHIRL OF SOCIETY
Many fashionable Functions Held During
the Last Week.
LENT CURTALs SOME OF THE PLEASURES
Many of the People Not Given to
Fasting for Forty Days and
Hence Not All IL Gloom
and Sadness.



Not so much as would at first sight appear,
proof positive of which is apparent in the fact
that although the cognomen Lent used to be
synonymous the wide world over with de-
pressing, deadly dullness and wearisome
tedium, the gloomy monarch OF the peni-
tents has trodden the march of progress
with such rapidity and success that now this
visionary potentate's appellation has ceased
TO be looked upon with such fearsome awe
and dislike.
Variety undoubtedly has its charms with
tho gay throng who worship at
Dame Society's shrine and bask
in the bright sunshine of her smile, and ar
though they never for one moment waver
In their allegiance to her fascinating charms,
still, the change from gay to grave and back
again from grave to gay, is in spite of all
that may be said to the contrary, a very well
come one to the majority of the favored
beings OF whom the bright world OF society
is composed. The indefatigable hosts and
hostesses and the ardent pleasure rowing
multitude Of young folks Of both sexes are
glad of the season of Lent and welcome
with open arms the opportunity 1t affords
them of meditating on conquests old and
making ready for conquests new.
Those who do entertain in Lent are rack
ing their brains in tGeir strenuous endeav-
ors to devise costumes which are bewitcn-
ing in their sad hues and a truly Lenten
repast OF extravagant frugality, which can
in nowise offend even the most rigidfy
aesthetic and shall yet prove palatable to
the most fastidious epcure. Very welcome
have been the few events of the last six
days, which have pierced like CLEANS or
sunshine through the encircling gloom.
Those who are responsible for them must
surely have been moved by feeling OF
sympathy for the lonely, unpopular monarch
and their efforts to lessen the universal dis
like in which he is held have been haileo
with Joy and thoroughly appreciated.
The stellar event of the last six days was
the elaborate banquet and ball given by the
George Washington club in the new Ex-
change building at South Omaha on
Wednesday evening The affair was a
large and magnificent scale Every appoint
ment OF this fashionable function was per-
feet neither time nor money having been
spared in its arrangement. The building
was beautifully decorated throughout and
the music and floor excellent.
Mr.. and Mrs. S. A. McWhorter's dinner,
Mrs Horace Burt's luncheon and the
ception held by Mr.. and Mrs. H. N. Wood
and Mr.. and Mrs. George A. Day were all
functions of great Importance in the world
of Omaha society.
The once pretty dimensions Of the social
calendar seem to be doomed to pitiful
shrinking, as during every week in the sea-
son of sackcoth and ashes it grows less in
spite OF tho ardent wish of all it's interested
adherents Some of the dear girls have
made unto themselves calendars Of tears
fastened together with sombre ribbons,
which. although they are daily and per-
petual eyesore to their fair originators and
possessors, are destined to disfgure the
walls of their dens for several more long
weeks.