New-York tribune., 1899-07-29
LONDON NOTES.
WANING OF A SNORT sEAsoN-cLos1Na
NIGHTS AT CovENT GARDEN-sALE
OF FAMOUS YORKSHIRE HOUSE.

,ss not at any time been either full OF exciting
'ehe Court functions have been largely attended
,u, the great balls at Grosvenor House. Devon
.hire House. Chesterfield House Stafford House
and other centres OF rank and fashion have not
be.n overcrowded. Mrs. Arthur Paget has had
two brilliant parties for royalty with a French
entertainment. Mrs. Harnsworth has had 4
Notable concert at the Grafton Gallery. and
there have been many dinner parties. afternoon
receptions and girl and boy dances since Whit
suntide: but the season has been short and not
exceptionally brilliant The pretty girls and the
smart married women whose names are con-
s,antly appearing in the society Journals will
no on exhibition another week at dances and
weddings. and that will be about the end OF IL
The Queens departure for Osborne will be
sign that August is near. and the county
houses in the south will fill up for the Good
wood races. The Prince OF Wales will start for
Narienbad. and the town houses will he closed
To the complaints Of the West End tradesmen
.hat the season is shortening and becoming
more Improbable every year is now added the
d,scontent OF the real estate dealers. Many
houses In fashionable quarters which are ordi-
narily at high rental for the gay season have
been unoccupied this year, owingsto an increas-
,ng tendency the part OF wealthy residents
IN the country to patronize the London hotels.
The season is now so short, and the breaks in II
caused by Parliamentary holidays and the races
NJ EPSON. Ascot Newmarket and Goodwood are
50 constant. that many families who formerly
considered II necessary to hire houses for either
three or six months are content to spend the
busiest weeks in hotels. coming to town late
and returning early. This is one OF the explana-
tons Of the overcrowded state Of the hotels
since June. although the pressure OF the swarms
Of American tourists has also been great The
tradesuden have found a compensation for the
short season IN the rafting tourist trade. but
house owners and real estate agents have been
be lower another year.
A conspicuous feature Of this season has been
the charitable work done by the leaders Of
fashion. The processes Of cadging and sub
scription card dinners are Of long standing. and
have never been conducted more industrously
than during the last six months. and to these
have been added bazaars and sales opened by
royalty and patronized by the smartest sets.
When printed appeal for struggling charity
Is sent out over the signature OF a distinguished
peer or a dinner is arranged with Prince or
Duke in the chair. fnancers, company pro-
bodies are drawn into the net and allowed TO
subscribe 20 the fund in return for the privilege
Of being associated with the great. In the same
way the presence OF rank and fashion at a
charity bazaar attracts generous and even
spendthrift crowd eager TO breathe the same
air with royalty. and 70 be served and waited
upon at a stall by Duchess or society
beauty. The most brilliant dress parades OF the
season have been at Albert Hall in the service
Of charity and the entertainment has been
much livelier than that offered by the charity
dinners. with the heavy speeches and the dull
monotone OF the Honorary Secretary's voice IN
reading the names and amounts on the subscrip-
tion cards. All these processes are excellent in
motive and sanctioned by the example of
royalty. but they offer a fair target for Marina
dukes shaft Of satire in his definition OF charity:
Helping others directly for the purpose Of in
directly helping yourself
London society hardly merits that cynical
rbilosopher's description as The Stock Ex-
change Of Mayfair" where the chief article OF
faith is TO believe that because you associate
with those who are your social superiors you
have social value yourself: and where good
works are playing at cards with royal person
ages; giving Stock Exchange information TO
those
known men and women: feeding the overfed
and visiting the half naked" 1t is exposed
however TO the constantly increasing pressure
OF the ambitious semi-smart class. who initiate
all the anectations and follies of the idlers and
neglect TO cultivate the simplicity and refine
ment Of its real leaders and brightest orna-
nents 1t needs protection from society jour
nalsm. whose occasional satire and heavy
moralzing are neagre offsets for the snobolsh-
ness and vulgarity which are promoted by the
publication Of columns OF ostentatious ana un-
discriminating social gossip. This publicity is
50 distasteful 10 men and women of sobriety or
Judgment and refinement Of taste that It is not
to be wondered at If they are content with
short season in London. and are eager to re-
turn TO their country houses. where they can
eniov the privileges Of privacy with their guests
and their shooting and riding companions 1ar
from the madding crowd Of paragraphers' snoos
and Introduction brokers.
The onera season is to close on Monday week
and the closing performances are as we'll patron
,zed as The earlier nights when there was lit
lie going on in the West End. 1t has been q
highly nrosperous season financially and while
the uncertainties OF the climate have been try
,ne FOR The voices of some Of the chief singers
there has been little cause for complaint from
music lovers The orchestra and chorus have
been under good discipline. and the staging mas
been better than in previous seasons MT Irau
has secured his best artistic results IN wagner
but he has satisfied his Fashionable patrons DS
constantly varying his programmes anu oS us
closing full resources for producing opera On
large scale. He does as well as the subscribers
vic n
in ar old house like Covent GARDEN "hicH 10
inferior 10 the best opera houses on 'he Ooii-
tinent
Among the novelties OF the season nave oeeh
TWO works which IN sordid manners ana ueeta
catlon Of subject have been excellent loi's io'
poetic and ennobling Wagnerian opera "o