The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-11

Il find, as rule, that men have very
little confidence in their opinion as re-
CARDS woman" remarked an older So
ciety girl recently to a debutante. .Thev
are exactly like sheep, and follow after
one another with stupid insistence with
out any apparent reason. The great
thing is to get them started; after that
your social triumph Isl assured
AT girls first ball, unless she has
some very decided distinction in the way
OF position or wealth. she is practically
dependent upon the forethought of her
parents ana relatives in seeing that she
Is provided with partners for the cotillon
and supper beforehand and introduced
generally as soon as she enters the room
After her first ball she must rely on
her own attractions to secure attention:
therefore the Importance of first dance
to 4 girl cannot be oVerestimated or too
carefully planned out, as her winters
pleasure is greatly dependent upon it. She
may be pretty, clever and well gowned,
and yet be a wallnower
Never shall 1 forget my own coming
out ball, for speak from experience. My
mother, who had been an invalid for Il
number OF years, and who in her day had
been a great social favorite, took it for
granted I had only to appear to be popu-
lar. She gave me tea, invited all of her
old friends, one of whom, as a matter of
course, sent me an invitation to the first
assembly, and considered that she had
done all that was necessary. Although 1
was pleasantly agitated over it, I myself
felt no apprehension, but thought like
my mother. that every nice girl belonging
to a good family would have at least 4
fairly agreeable time, and I felt quite
sure that I would be provided with the
necessary partners. My father, good
man, YVES delegated to take me. After
seeing me dressed mamma said I was
looking my prettiest and sent me off to
my fate with papa, while she went to bed.
We'll. we entered the room and I made
my courtesies, and then ono of papa's
cronies came up with a pale, shrinking
little creature whom he introduced as his
daughter, who had just returned from a
French convent, where she had been edu-
Gated. My DEAR said papa, in the inno-
cence of his heart. think we will leave
you two girls here together. as you will
not want such old fogies as Mr.. S. and
I in your way, and we will go and have
a rubber of whist together in the card
ROOM So off they went. Well, for years
afterward could never bear to speak of
that night, although now I can sea the
hu!nor of it! Would you believe me, We
never danced once! And then when the
both sat helpless, and if it had not been
for a kindly r,atron whom we neither Of
US knew we should not have stirred from
our seats. This good Samaritan called
her husband, and he in his turn procured
a friend, and between them we were es-
corted down. to supper.
.'I suppose you two want to stay for
the cotillon?' said papa as he and his
friend came UP to US with bshming coun-
tenanceS after we had been returned to
our seats by our kind rescuers. we
would rather go home. we both eNclasm-
ed simultaneously with voices very near
akin to tears. and home we went.
.'Oh. how I hated society that night,
and everything belonging to it! 1t took
me year to recover from my first ball,
and it was only after had learned the
ways of the world and how to manage
for myself that began to enjoy it"-New
Tr;1