The Washington times., 1906-03-25

changed, ii viii be quite possible for
| those Witnessing the spectacle offered
with all the guests garbed in the fash
ions of the third, fourth. and fifth
decades of the nineteenth century, 10
imagine themselves at one of the old
| time Assembly balls The married won.
en- VIII don for the occasion the bro
cades which were in vogue in those
days; the young girls Will come in frocks
OF tarlatan, and the men. in ruffied
shirts. With stocks, tight-fitting trousers
faced at the ankle. white cocks. and
pumps, will look as If they stepped out
OF Thackeray's or Charles Dickens
novels
The ball will be opened by- member
Of the Washington Irving = nsIIy. dane
ing with Miss Gladys Endicott, daugh-
ter of Mrs. Robert Endicott, in one OF
! these contra dances which were the rage
in the days of our grandparents. There
will be an Cld-fashioned quadrille OF six
teen young people. led by Alexander NJ.
Hadden. In fact. all the dancing. the
music, and even the refreshments will
be in keeping with the period.
The only problem not yet decided is al
to how the women are going TO reach
The hotel, for modern carriages are not
roomy enough for the filters" as the
old-fashioned crinoline skirts We're can.
ed II is on record that the bellies of
olden days used to have to stand bolt
upright in their carriages when on their
way 10 parties rather than crush thell
big gowns. the crinoline making It next
TO impossible TO do otherwise, and IL has
rather unkindly been suggested that the
best way for the women to go TO the
Astor House ball next month will be
in moving vans
1t is to be regretted that both Mrs.
Astor, sr.. and Mrs. Maturin Livingston.
the mother of Mrs Ogden Mills. will
neither of them be in this country when
the ball takes place Each OF them
made her debut in society more than
half a century ago al one OF these Astor
House Assembly balls. and their pres
ence would have added much additional
interest TO the entertainment Mrs.
Astor. will, however. be Dy that time es-
tablished at her residence in Paris-she
Is now in London with her daughter.
Mrs. George Ogilvy Haig-and Ars
Maturin Livingston is booked u san
this week for Europe with her dap~hter.
Mrs Ogden Mills, and the latte' win
daughters, Gladys and Beatrice Ills
They go TO Rome, where they will
spend Easter with the Whitelaw Reids.
and will then proceed from Italy via
Paris TO London. where they have taken
house for the season, and where they
viii be present at The wedding of Mrs
Livingston's English granddaugh6ers
Mary and Ruth Cavendish Bentinck, to
John Ford. one of the secretaries of the
British embassy at Paris. and to Arthur
HIN. son of Lord and Lady Arthur Hill
Their mother. Mrs. Cavendish Bentinck.
is the twin sister Of Mrs Ogden Mills.
and both girls are well known in New
York society, having been over here on
several occasions to visit their gri, nd
mother and aunt.
Mrs Maturin Livingston is a wonder
full old lady. venerable dame OF i'm
losing presence, and if she. as we'll as
Mrs. Astor, the Carrie Scnermerhorn
Of sixty years ago. could have been ~
duced to honor the Astor House ball
with their presence, and would have al
lowed Miss Serena Rhinelander 20 drive
them downtown OF that night in her
lofty and ancient chariot behind her
long tailed jog-trotting, antiquated pair
of horses. the illusion of an old As
scmbly ball would have been complete.
1 may add that there is no truth in
the story that between the dances the
guests will stroll about old ST. PauTs
churchyard, just across the street. The
suggestion of crinolines among the
tombstones IL weird and uncomfortable.
and the spectacle would certainly serve
TO attract a large cOncourse of typical
New York night owls, whose boots
might be the reverse of complimentary.