New-York tribune., 1906-07-09
THE LONDON SEAS07
Comments on Fashionable Ps..,
scith "reminiscences of TRaeEs-.. =
LOnHo- y

The ,vaarv 7,,., ,.,.,.,.. London. June %
wealth and fashion Is discouraged r-,,-.-'- -l-'-
kIns, who cOnsidsrs the weekend 81,
institution. and advises exhausted rsvsu..-
stay in London over Sunday and IN h~.e.7'' q
rational rest cure before another - '-. q
ners for Overfed middle age and M :, @.
and minated youth comes on. Tb,- s--los3
servttor complains IN a society Jon
weekend parties. with fatiguing NOS *
nave steadily become more elaborate .-h
restful, and that while there is a cbs,. -
there Is no alteration in thought. recrs.., =
HE, since there is a continuance in ~
houses Of Gayety and gossip. DRESSING ana -
political talk and bridge play The sar,.
people who have been found so borinq :, - -
turn up at weekend, and they disno-.
selves In the same way: and what VA, -. -
boon and a blessing involves an ".v,. y
addition to the ceaseless wear and tes-..
ciety. A protest like this long befor.
day Is sign Of staleness after a few v-o..
sumptuous ente>1ining; but it Is no+ :,
taken as anything more serious than a co.'
reminder OF the exhaustng rush Of the 80.
season. II Is the maddening whrl OF confirr-
gayety that delights and intOxicates both T.-s,-
and the people for whom he writes IN, i
spOndent homily. and neither he nor tb.y -
OF the week The time will come soor o-.
when the shutters will be put up in the -
houses. and there will be a prolonged rs-4 -
for worn out jewellers.
The truth about the London season Is th... Il
begins later and ends earlier than for,.-,'
and there is more OF rush while IL lasts -
ing the last two or three weeks the great ho,,,,
have been rivalling one another in Decorate,
and perfection Of appointments: and IL has -
a common comment among smart peopla ,b..
entertaining has never been more Iuxurfou. =
costly. The chief events for which the seaso,
likely to be remembered are crowded into
fortnight, when a score OF the great hoste...,
entertain their acquaintance with unwouis,
splendor- This year these revels have been ~
almost unexampled brfIIancy, with mora eIah
orate schemes Of house decoration. longer Hsy
Of guests. better music. costlier dinners ana
suppers and larger groups Of servants than an
ordinarily seen. A change OF government Ia,
not involved retrenchment OF expenses in soesl
life There has been no lack OF Liberal hostess,
and official entertaining has been as well don,
as IN the palmieSt days OF the Unionist admins.
tratiOn- Yet the season has already passed n,
highest point as is indicated by the Kings rse.
Ing and country house engagements. Durnr
the next three weeks he will be at Newmarkst
and at private houses. and will be seldom seen
in London The dinners. dances and garden
parties will go on. but nearly all the social f1nc.
tions will be OF secondary interest The "rusbp
is soon over. and the season as whole is shorter
and less fatisuing than IT was formerly. when
there was continuous round Of gayety from
May to the middle Of August. Motor cars bring
many country houses within easy reach OF Lon
don. so that weekend parties are one Of the
features OF the season;sbut even with the marked
NJ nd 1vYyrfr a.
the physical strain Of the annual season Of pleas
ure is greater than II was. The rich leisuEel
class In England knows how 20 protect Itself
against the wear and tear Of social life, and
needs little sympathy from Jenkins or any other
faded mOralist on the score Of overstrain.
The decline In stately courtesy and simplicity
of manners is generally conceded by old fash.
iOned critics, but they find an offset for this de-
fault In the increased beauty OF all the arrangss
ments Of social life. The drawing rooms. picture
galleries and bathrooms. where the most brilliant
functions are now held are more artistic in-
teriors than those in which the eighteenth cen
tury worthless exchanged compliments over their
snunbOxes or the early Victorian bellies danced
the measures OF their day. The crimson flock
wallpapers. the grained woodwork and the
hOrsehair furniture have disappeared. and the
interiors have been simplifed as well as en-
Seize furniture worthy of the portraits and
heirlOOms on the walls have been provided. To
these gains in material beauty in decoration and
furnishing are added artistic methods OF electric
lighting by which the marble stairways and the
masterpieces on the panelled walls are fully re-
vealed, and all the way from the lower court to
the tiers Of drawing rooms and picture galleries
there are roses. lilies and orchids arranged with
refinement OF decorative method. Last night
gloomy DevOnshire House was frightened with
red and pink roses and carnations in continuous
masses Of color. and Grosvenor House was bor-
dered with pale hydrangeas and tail lilies and
decorated with Dorothy Perkins roses. the
choicest novelty Of the florists gardens; and at
the other great houses where the parties and
dances have been staged there have been equally
ingenious and beautiful combinations Of color.
With these screens of flowers and mists Of
tempered light Mayfairs spectacIes must be
more brilliant than the oIdtime scenes in bare.
dimly lighted drawing rooms. with green rep
curtains and hideOus wallpapers and carpets
could ever have been BY the resources OF
wealth and the diffusion Of taste Vanity Fair
has been transfgured into House Beautiful
If entertaining iE the English metropolis at the
height OF the season were merely more lavish
and prOdigal in expense. il might be accepted as
a proof OF OstentatiOus display; but ii is also
conducted on more artistic lines than ever be-
fore. and this is a sign of growth in refinement
The social millennium desired by Mr. ThaCkeray-
in the Book of SnObs" when such words as
fashionable exclusive" and .arisJoCTatic'
should be dropped from honest vOCabularieS. has
not yet come. Smart is the equivalent for al
these offensive epithets jocOseIy condemned BY
him as wicked and UnChrjstian"; and il is ac-
cePted as the hallmark - social distinction and
offers conformation for a good deal OF licensed
Yet when homilies are directed
~ enviOus mOralists against the rage for smart
ness" as The baSe4tiuer sin Of N1avfaIr and sar~