Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23

PARIS, March 8, 1901.
The Comtesse and Comte Boni de Cas-
tellane the former supplied with an ample
wardrobe. expect to spend a short time in
America soon with her relatives. 1t is
open secret here that Mime. de Casteliane
is very much chagrinned over the position
which aristocratic society has taken in re-
gard to her husbands unpaid debts. After
her unpleasant encounter with the Duchess
de Morny at Mrs. CARROTS dinner the
comtesse is said to feel a decided disn-
clination to going out. 1t is thought that
NJ. Boni, too. has hopes of coaxing or
worrying his wife's mOneyed relatives into
making some sort of an arrangement fav
orable TO increasing his meager income.
For those who recall the condition of the
De Castellane pocket books before the
GOulds fat funds came to pad them out.
the present pretensions of Comte Boni are
very funny.
The interest in carnivals 1--WE have just
passed through that festive period) seems
to be waning. The famous bal masque at
the opera did not possess one 1.-THE of the
interest these affairs had in the olden
days. Then the fashionable woman, prop
erly escorted and chapercned. did not dis
dain to don n domino and HE her TO the
ball. bent upon what We call in English n
lark" No one of high social position at
tends the Mosques now. although some OF
the best people buy tickets. which they
distribute to their servants because these
famous entertainments are given for the
benefit of orphans. Stunning costumes are
still TO he seen at the masque because
many actresses of the gayer sort drop in
during the evening, and the artists of the
stage are, as every one knows, the best
dressed women in Paris.
Stunning Ball Costumes.
Among the occupants of the boxes at the
recent ball elegant costumes We're numer-
Gus, while some of the cloaks were sumptu-
Gus in the extreme. One of these mantles
of glistcning white silk was the cynosure of
all eyes. Its foundation was of white silk,
overlaid with white chiffon and rows of
chiffon Tuching that trimmed the front in
close laid lines. The high collar, edged
with lamb. underlaid with n deep
shoulder piece of alternate rows of black
jeJted lace and putings of chiffon. From
Just below the shoulders a full flOunce of
deep lace depended almost to the elbows
while draped from the rear fell a broad,
deep piece of lace covering the entire back
of the wrap and spreading out below into
a stimulation of a demi-train. To protect
the cloak where il trailed over the floor a
small friu of silk was set Just beneath the
border Of the garment.
Another cloak worn by an occupant of
box attracted much attention because of
IT'S sOfuneSs and originality. Built of
black lace mounted over white, the neck
and front We're a mass of plated chiffon
applied TO look like a long boa. The
sleeves OF lace and chiffon were large and
soft and finished at the wrist with masses
OF soft ruchings.
Handsome Evening Wraps.
Narvels Of elaborate elegance are the
cloaks Of the hour and l am told that the
great costUmers who are making the ward
robes of the Riviera contingent insist that
fashionable women shall make them fea-
lures of the spring outfit. There is reason
in their madness. for many a wOman's
descent TO the grave has been made
through her vanity. When a woman dons
a handsome evening gown. she hates to
hide its glories under wrap less dazzling;
SO. rather than suffer even a temporary
eclipse in a chilly opera box or on damp
balcony, women have ere this imperiled
their lives and comfort
Since elaborate evening cloaks became
the vogue all this has been changed; wO-
men seem even to seek every excuse for
retaining wraps on their shoulders, and
when the temperature is such that IL Is
impossible to keep them on the beautiful
garments are cast over the back of
chair, forming a background for the glOries
of the costume.
Leaving wraps aside and taking up a
subject which is. perhaps, of wider in
terest. let me say that in an hour of leisure
this week / stopped at one of the great
iewelry shops on the Rue de la Paix to
select a little birthday souvenir and OBJ
nine trifies Monsieur was pleased to be
especially kind and quite raCked his brain
TO inform me of desirable novelties and
emptied his showcases to give me illustra-
lions of them.
Wrist Ornaments.
One Of his most pertinent observations
was that bracelets have been practically a
drug on the market since the introduction
of the long sleeve. The only wrist orna-
mcnt that is CONNIE il faut with sleeVed
frocks is the chain twined around the arm
and held in place 10y n heart locket or other
pendant ornament. Some of the pendants
are incrusted with jewels small gems, to
be sure; but. taken in the aggregate their
cost is considerable. Pendants are often
inCruSted with several stones, so arranged
that the initial Of each will spell the name
of the wearcr. For instance, should |
choose charm pendant | should probably
order one set with coral, an amethyst
topaz, heliotropc tthe blOplstone), emerald
ruby. bit of ivory, a bit of nephrite and