The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-14

Tt was this one circumstance more than any other, think. which led to a division of society into two or more sets. Persons who continued 10 dine in a quiet. dignifed, almost plain fashion, with neither coon songs nor thousand dollar singers as an after piece, were not popular with inc gayer, younger and very much richer c0ntin- gent, who built new houses with big dining rooms or remodelled old houses So as to give plenty of dining space.
 And it happened that when this set gave dinners, as a matter of course it invited those who responded in kind. The singularity of modern fashiona- bic dinner is this: One will never find at it a guest who is not wealthy or else, lacking a fortune, who is not at the very top of the social ladder Old 1 friendships count for nothing at such times,
 ''The most elegant of this class of l dinners are now cooked and served at ! home by the private servants of the hostess, but there are dozens more which take place in the private dining rooms of restaurants, including de5u- tante dinners, anniversary dinners, ! and so on, which are too large to take place in a private house.
 From eighteen to twenty guests is l the most favored number at the small- l est affairs, and the most scrupulous 1 care is taken to sort guests so that 1 they will match. Personally I think l the arrangement very stupid, for in l consequence, the same persons, or the same sort of persons, are everlastingly 1 dining together, but I have to follow suit. "A woman may be ever so interest ing, and brilliant and good looking, but unless she is financially in the same class as her hostess there is small chance that she will ever be seen at a ! dinner given by one of the smart set. l Women with social aspirations larger than their bank accounts know this.
 "They know that unless, in appear ance, at least, they can match some of the entertainments of their richer neighbors there is no open sesame to admit them into the smart set; and the more substantial set they don crave. Therefore they begin to do their level best to fill the bill.
 Even among the very rich in these days the emulation to outdo one an other in the splendor of their enter tainments is amazing; but it is not nearly so serious, so pathetic, so sur prtsing, as the endeavors of people of moderate means to keep up with the 1sxy %ha YA15 fS Af New York. a.
 For instance, not long ago I accept ed an Invitation 10, a luncheon given by woman whose husband is con- Tected with one of the big financial \ concerns of this city and, so far as knew, has only moderate means. Tho pair live in a seventeen foot house, and when I accepted the invitation expected to be treated to a luncheon simpler than is usually served by do- men of fashion.
 Well, I had the biggest surprise of my life when I got there. If that wo' man had millions she could not have given us 8. finer luncheon. The menu was one of the most elaborate ever came across on a like occasion.
 Tt included the rarest, costliest most out of season viands which car be got together. The cooking was ev. idently done by an expert, and there was a waiter behind almost every one of the sixteen chairs The dining room was almost lined with plants and cut flowers, and at each guests place, in stead of a small bunch of violets or { ] rose or two which was quite all ont would expect, there lay twelve or chids.
 Orchids I knew were selling jus then at one dollar each, for I had pur chased few the day previous. Be sides all this a string orchestra of fivt ieces played during the luncheon.
 T confess I felt sorry, although enjoyed the occasion immensely, for knew exactly what it meant, that my hostess was making bid for entrance into the millionaire set, and I know from what my husband tells me, tha her husband cannot afford it. Since then I have heard of several dinner! this same woman has given, and
 have no doubt they were on 8, par witt the luncheon I attended.
 There used to be an affectation or the part of some of the blue bloods O New York to patronize and disparag' the newly rich. the multi millionaires the people whose family tree was kep carefully in the dark. These womer even pretended in some instances tt refuse to accept invitations from o1 give invitations to the newcomers But that was some years ago.
 ''The blue bloods and the newly ricf have intermarried, and it is the latte who now really shine brighter thai any other in the Armament of Nev York society. Their dinners, 1t ha' come to pass, lead all the rest, not onl, in splendor of appointments but in fu1 and gayety.
 Big or little, the fashionable dinners of the present are far more numerous more costly and far more frivolous than they have ever been before, ,"- New York Sun.
 MRS. CORNELIA COB.