The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-23

the London season viii once again be In
iuil swing. There will be balls every
night and the London hostess will be
searching the land to find dancing men.
For the last few years dancing men
have been decreasing in number. until
now the question has become one OF the
most serious consideration to the Lon
don hostess. Formerly il 600 young men
were invited to q ball $50 might be safely
relied upon TO put in an appearance,
II emily for supper. Last season. the
average was much lower, To-day those
who are competent to speak on such
matters assert $50 acoeptances out Of
GOO invitations Ia the most that can DO
expected.
The fact is that the London young man
has had a surfeit Of dancing. and those
coming on take to other amusements.
In these circumstances it looks very
much as though in the near future Lon
don h~ostesses would get back to the old
days when they knew all their guests.
which, owing to the vastness Of English
society, is quite impossible now.
In the Victorian era a young woman
was in the fashion IL she attended half
a dozen balls in the season. BY degrees
her ambitions increased until now a
dance every night Is not considered too
much. Thus the number OF dance 8
during the season has vastly increased.
Through the death OF a kindly. eccentric
old man many of the children in the parish
OF Loxton have post Office bank accounts.
Erasmus Cation. their benefaotor. died
the other day at the advanced age Of %.
He was a benevolent old gentleman,
a cousin and great friend Of Charles OAR
win, the naturalist, whose sayings he
quoted and whose friendship he 'prired
all his life. At his death II was discovered
that he had provided that his remains
should be cremated and that no MOURN
ing or any sort should b. used at his
funeral or worn by his relatives. He left
many requests to ccttagerr on the Loxton
estate and five shillings to every child
belonging to Loxton parish who was
present at the last Government school
inspection for that parish.
1t is supposed that the old man wanted
the money to be the nucleus of a bank
account for each youngster to he added
to by the parents when possible. so that
ms the children grew up the struggle for
life might be q little easier.
Prov inoial England Is smiling in a
superior way at Americas belated dis
covery that the country ought to cele-
brate mothers day. In the villages OF
Cornwall, Devonshire and Lancashire
mothers day has been q recognized
institution for generations. 1t is cele-
brated on mid-Lent Sunday.
Mid Saturday married daughters
bake large cakes to be presented to their
mothers and sons-in-law and grand
children gather flowers with which they
deck the carts in which they 60 to visit
mothers. carrying the cakes with them.
The custom has never ~Iostxeeae in
many places and mothers day is igor-
ously and joyfully kept.
There are countless numbers OF women
from the provinces who are employed or
have married in London. : On mid-Lent
Sundays IL they can manage by hook
or crook to get the money and time they
make their way to their country homes
with the requisite cake and the bouquet.
Discussion still RACES around the sale OF
Holbein's portrait OF the Duchess Of
Milan by the Duke OF Norfolk to the art
dealers Colnaghi and their attempt to
sell IL to the nation by p,Iblic subacrin-