Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-02-15
CAPITAL SOCIETY IS
TIRED AND PERTURBED
AS lent APPROACHES
Departure Of the Shonts Family
Gives Concern to Members
OF Gay Circle.
WASHES BEING MISSED
Many Debutartes and Bridge Whist
Have Combined to Make Things
Go at a Swift
Rate.

Washington, Feb. 12.-Washing-|
ron society is perturbed over a number
OF things as the season for Lent ap-i
proaches. For one thing 1t is tired.
This has been a busy winter at the cap
ital, with innumerable dances. dinner
parties, receptions and various func-I
tons. The host of debutantes a
caused life to move on at a swffter
pace than usual Bridge a also taken
up much time n energy. more than
heretofore, so the gossips say, n has
also drawn more heavily on the ex-,
chequer. Such heavy functions as the
White House receptions and momen-
tous dinner parties given by hosts and
hostesses who own big and fashionable
residences have added to- the exactions
on the social devotees. Altogether It
has been a hard winter and an ex-
tremely busy one.
The departure Of the Shonts family
IS giving society some concern. This
winter Mr.. and Mrs. Shonts and their
daughters " had a prominent place
In social Washington. 1t will be re-
called that the Misses Shonts. Mar
guerite and Theodore, were presented
at King Edwards court about a year
ago, months before they made their
debut here. At court In London they
acquired readily some of the quaint and
charming fashions that prevail there,
among others the fashion of curtsey-l
Ing. How to curtsey In the old way OF
our grandmothers had become a lost
art in Washington. The Shonts daugh-
ters introduced il anew and 1t made a
tremendous hit. They have exhibited
such charming tendencies toward ev-
erything that is pleasant. kindly and
captivating that they have mad num-
berless lends on their own account.
Besides, there ave been various pleas
ant entertainments at the Shonts home,
despite the fact Mrs. Shonts has sur;
fered from nervous prostration. Alto
gether the society OF the capital lis oath
to part with the Shonts family and re-
grets exceedingly the intended Depart
ure to New York, where Mr.. Shonts
will look after the vast rapid transit
interests Of the Ryan-Belmont combi-
nation.
Washes Are Missed.
Then the Washes have gone. The
Washes are always interesting. Mr..
and Mrs. Walsh and their daughter,
Evelyn, sailed for Europe for the pur-
pose OF purchasing abroad costly and
beautiful fittings for the estate they
ave lately bought near Colorado
Springs, which they a W named Wolf
hurst. The Washes have entertained
here this winter In a most lavish and
remarkable way, expanding money
WlNilOul Stlit VII DdliS, OiUflcT parties
and a wonderful round OF interesting
and creditable functions. The Washes
are always sorely missed when they
depart from Washington and never
more so than this time. IT is the general
understanding that there is politics OF
a shrewd sort mingled with the lavish
hospitality of the family and that
Thomas F. Walsh Is anxious to come
TO the n to succeed Teller, whose
term n d March 3. 1909. Guggenheim
and Walsh as the senator's from Colo
rudo would be a picturesque pair Of
representatives of the great silver pro-
ducing state I'm the upper body Of con-
gress.
The absence of Mrs. Fairbanks. wife
OF the vice president. has had a ten
dency TO interfere with the festivities
OF recent weeks. Mrs. Fairbanks is a
remarkable woman, with wonderful ca
pacity as a hostess. She Is suffering
from nervous prostration, due to grippe
and she has gone to Atlatic City. The
vice president and Mrs. Fairbanks are
judiciously combining politics pertain
Ing to 1908 and society n when their
home is open here they invariably en-
tertain In the most pleasant and demo-
cratic fashion.
The absence or approaching absence.
however, OF such factors I'm social mat
ters as those mentioned does not sufi-
GENTLY upset things to prevent the
whirl Of fashionable functions becom-
ing more and more strenuous as Lent
draws near Numerous important
scheduled for the coming
week might be mentioned to IL
ustrate this fact. One of the events
that is scheduled for an early date is
an evening musical at the home OF
Mrs. Richard III. Townsend in honor
Of her Gus guest, the Hon. Maude
Pauncefote. Artists of prominence and
a great array of guests will attend.
Caruso, even, 1T is whispered, is likely
70 be present. In the diplomatic set.
,here are lively social happenings. Many
dinners OF note were given last week
and important functions OF a like sort
are scheduled for this week as well