The age-herald., 1902-02-16

and they can look out for themselves, their own friends. The debutantes are all taking up bridge whist but squash is also immensely popular; slightly different are these two amusements, but none the less absorbing.
 The opera is not to be in the least in- jured by Lent-that has been decided upon, and comes under the head of the same special dispensation that permits of so many card clubs during the season of fasting and prayer. Foi every opera evening people now make no other en- gagement, and the real music lovers are settling down to thoroughly enjoy them selves.
 The real true econversationalists are also settling in for their three evenings a
 week of conversation which the music seems not to interfere with. but to add to greatly. and the occupants of the boxes between have learned that it is foolish to complain but rather to take the two together, music and conversa- tion and to get the best of both so that now everybody Is satisfied. It is quite the thing also to go to the matinee, and it
 is quite like an afternoon reception with so many people of the same set together; these magic words-the same set-which apparently convey comfort unspeakable.
 A lot of people will go out of town within the next fortnight. Mir. and Mrs. Norman Whitehouse and MT. and Mrs. Edward La Montague are among those
 who have gone to New Orleans and who
 will go to Florida before they return. They will also take in a few days at Aiken, where the outdoor life with all the amusement that the young people of the present day with plenty of money and | fondness for outdoor sports can manage | to extract from life, is now at it's height. | There are always dinners given which are extremely formal, that Is to say. as | regards the appointments. The guests | are all well acquainted with one another, | and to an outsider there Is a certain lack of formality. but so far the serving | and appointments of the dinner are con | cerned everything is as 1t is at the height of the season in New York. Palm | Beach is becoming gayer every day and 1t will soon be impossible. so 1t is said, to supply the demand for rooms. The life there is totally different from that at Aiker. and is more on the lines of the old fashioned summer watering places
 with a few of the newer and more ex-
 pensive fashions thrown in.
 The finishing touch to the dancing sea- son was given by the Gerry ball. The huge Gerry house. which shares with the
 Metropolitan Club the Fifth avenue block
 between Sxteth and Sixty-first streets.
 is, of course, admirably adapted for large entertainments. It was built for that
 purpose and is put to that purpose as of- ten as possible by the amiable Commodore and his hospitable wife. The ball on Thursday evening was superb in every detail, the fine suite of apartments. heau-, tifully decorated with flowers. everybody who is anybody there and a delicious supper served-tgo of them. in fact, one before and one after the cotillon. If any one supposes that the tail end of the season must see the tail end of my lady's wardrobe a greater mistake was never made. All the women, matrons and
 debutantes alike. seemed to have kept
 just one gown for the last occasion, and
 the display of fresh ball dresses was
 brilliant in the extreme. Those poor, overworked gentlemen,
 Messrs. J. D. R. Baldwin and Craig
 Wadsworth led one of their clinking good
 cotilons as if the season was just be-
 ginning. and they were as fresh as two-
 year-olds.
 The ladies were so very successful with their recent bench show in the Madison Square Garden that the management of the Westminster Kennel Club which holds it's annual show this month is