The sun., 1909-05-09
SOCIETY MORE CARELESS
LITTLE . ATTENTION PAID IN
ACCEPTED INVITATIONS.

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Nor Is the Line SO Closely Drawn m n.
Character OF Fellow Guests No,s'
lous Show Girl Widely Receive.
Duty Calls Now Rarely Pa,a
There Is never a season in New York
that does not bring some notable chan,.
in the manners OF society in the broaas,
sense Of the word. Nothing has been mn,.
characteristic OF the present social sea.os
In New York than selfish disregard of a.
cepted invitations.
It has come to be impossible for Ns,
York hostess for anything but dinn.,
TO know how many persons she ia n
have at a formal entertainment To
dinners the guests have to com. ono.
they have accepted, but New Yorksr,
no longer pay the least attention TO VIII,
they have promised to do about LARGE, ,
gatherings. 'R. 8. v. p has lost nh
signihcapce. Everything is accepted =,
a matter OF course. The guest who h,,
given notice Of the acceptance of Won,
invitation in reality means that il il /,
convenient to him he may came hi,
the acceptance lays not the least respond.
bility on his conscience. He would in,.
as soon 60 somewhere else that promised
to be more entertaining
This is in q measure the result of IN.
greater number OF entertainments that
are given now every night IL New Yort
when the season is at its height. Peop.
got into the habit of accepting for two
intending to divide the evening between
them It then became evident that
failing to keep an acceptance was mt
after all so serious as it had been regarded
Once that was established the facility
that society possesses FOR following Tia
line Of least resistance took all Significance
out OF the old r. S. v. p. formula.
This indifference shows itself most
disagreeably in the case Of hostesses who
are not quite sure just what their parties
will be like. When they invite their
friends who from social as we'll as other
points OF view are most decorative they
want to be sure that they will come.
Yet 1t Ia not in the least unusual now 70,
them all to accept and then not two Of
them appear.
-You will usually fnd,' said the All.
thority that gave these views to
SUN reporter. that the party which
promises to be unconventional and rsy
has the largest number Of guests, even
when it is got up very informally
and at short notice. On that night the
hostess Of the most exclusive and bril-
liant social party will fnd the number
Of deserters large, even though the in
vitations were sent out long In advance
and the acoeptances came In promptly
with the mental reservation that they
would be accepted in case nothing ess
came up
Another change which this season
has reached proportions hitherto un.
known here had its climax at a large
reception given in a hotel at which
well known New Yorker was supposed
to unite society and the stage. His CHIEF
entertainer was a young woman who
figured as show girl in several produc.
tons and once or twice some seasons
ago had speaking part. She was SUP
posed to represent the stage. She could
not have represented il more brilliantly
from q sartorial point Of view II she had
were as overwhelming as Lima Cav!
alieris. All this was very remarkable
in the case OF an actress who had not
appeared anywhere for four or five yean
and had probably never drawn salary
Of more than $50 week.
Another social favorite of the winter
was a man who last season took psrt
songs in his original language, which
was not the tongue they were created 10.
His first artistic efforts were in behalf
Of famous Spanish dancer, asd he used
to be the feeder for her aqe, ,tiancine
with her, posing when she wantod TO dance
around him and otherwise supporting
her performances. IT is difficult to be.
where else, but he has this year made a
triumphal progress through New York
rooms on the ground that he h
artistic. That is the glamour that now
adays covers everything.
went to an amusing party the other
night; said man coming into his club.
"and l thought 1t was going to be smart
Smiths wife. The party was given in the
Walplaz and her music teacher was the
host You know she's dotty about sing
ing and has a dandy voice, but she's
so strict about everything out OF the way
that couldn't help wondering II she knew
what the crowd was. Mixed up with some
Of the primmest people ever saw. there
camp stools and not knowing one another,
but as close as II they had been brought
up together. 1t was great party and the
best Of it came afterward. ] asked Jack
Il his wife had any idea who the rest Of
The gang were.
-'Of course. he answered. Everybody
knew who they were. That was the fun
."hoio uihAS " tIolIl, Dut IL Id
the fashion to look upon meeting such
people as one of the penalties Of being
artistic. Nothing is 80 Philistine nova
days as to ask anything about the morals
Of the acquaintance one makes in an
artistic set. That is hopelessly old fash
oned Then I think they all like to see
What they look like"
A third change which made itself felt
first during the present winter was the
indifference to visit paying after. all but
formal entertainments.
longer take it amiss. said woman
who entertains a great deal. If men do
not call on me except after a dinner.
don't expect them to take the trouble to
,all after a dance unless it is preceded by
Inner and as for the calls that used to be
,aid after musicales, teas or such informal
anairs. they are no longer the least bit
necessary. Yet 1 can recalEand it was
lot SO long ago7-when New Yorkers used
o make it a point to pay a dinner call
within the week and consider themselves
ather remiss IL they did not. Nova.
lays one call a winter, whatever hoep-
ality he may have received, seems all
hat In necessary