The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17

children have been out Of the nursery.
Before that time society had very
little attraction for her, but now that
Linda II is reaching her middle teens
and the two boys are passing through
the printing press fever and the brass
button stage She is free to take her
old interest In things social and Is
really being more .or less forced into
the position of leader of the younger
set
There is a great deal of responsibility
involved in taking charge OF dances
and skating clubs, but Mrs. Bryan car
ries responsibility very easily, as was
proven fortnight ago when she chap
eroned a dozen girls to Del Monte, saw
that not moment OF the delightful
visit was dull for any one, and had a
glorious time herself into the bargain.
Mrs. Bryan's mother has beautiful
place at Mazatlan. where the small
Bryans, her grandchildren. spend sew
eral months a year. This is one reason
why they all speak Spanish quite as
readily as English.
The other picture is of Miss Mary
Switzerland, one of the two charming
daughters of Captain W. H. H. Souther-
land of the battleship New Jersey, who,
with Mrs. Switzerland, is at the Fair
mont hotel Miss Mary is the prettier
Of the two sisters, but Miss Harriet
the elder, has a certain straightfor-
wardness and sweetness Of manner that
one doesn't usually find this side of so
and that have proved quite irresistible
as far as San Francisco hearts are con-
cerned. So that it would be hard to
say just which of the two girls is the
more charming and which one gets the
larger half of the masses of blossoms
that keep their rooms fragrant from
Monday morning TO Sunday night Ger
tainly Miss Harriet Is the favorite with
one young man, a diplomat Of unusual
promise in Washington circles, TO whom
she will be married next winter. Be
fore that time, however, the girls and
their mother will spend a month at Del
Monte, waiting for the fleets return,
and then go to Japan.
Last year one or two Of the Bur-
lingame girls-Miss Jennie Crocker
was one OF them-tried riding at polo
in very trim little garments, known in
Thackeray's day as "smalls" Not
bloomers. in any sense, for there was
not an inch OF material to spare in
these clothes. whereas, as every one
knows the idea Of the late Mrs Bloom
er was to construct a garment that
into the idea that il Cor they1 was a
skirt But there was no such hope in
the breast Of whoever constructed the
polo clothes that stirred Burlingame so
deeply last summer. However the
fashion is really coming in. In q letter
from New York a correspondent writes
me:
You would honestly be amazed if
you could see the number of girls
nice girls-who ride astride in the
parks here in knee breeches. They are
no more embarrassed about ii than you
would be in a bathing suit. It doesn't
look at all ugly on top of a horse, and
the girls always dismount at home or
at the riding club. OF course it isn't
universal here yet, for the idea is COM
paratively new, but l have not seen a
single arl riding in skirts in the sub
urbs since / came. The two - girls,
who are in the very innermost circle
of the society girls, ride in white coats,
white caps and white knee breeches
every forenoon with a groom, and
was surprised the other day to find
myself thinking that the regular riding
dress looked clumsy and cumbersome
No visitors here for long time have