The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-01
BRILLIANT NEW YEAR
RECEPTION LAST NIGHT
AT THE COUNTRY CLUB
Phoenix Clubs Annual New Years Reception-Miss Orne
Perkins Gives Dance for Miss Margaret Neson-Other
Events of the Seasonal Dance for the School Set
Society Personals Coming Events.
BY MYRTLE MILES

TN Persian Garden was suggested in
the ballroom at the Country club last
night when just after the grand march
was completed the doors at the end of the
room opened to admit 20 of the younger
matrons and society girls wearing Ori-
entail attire. The costumes were beautiful,
some of them superb, and suiting as they
do the languishing grace of the tango
dancer of today as entirely as they do
the almond-eyed ladies of Persia and Tur-
key, each fair lady appeared at her best.
The New Year ball was a triumph; a
triumph of beauty and enjoyment due, one
may safely assert. to the consummate te
art of the one woman who originated
every plan, Mrs. William Henry I<ettig.
Mrs. Kettig was asked a very short time
ago to assume charge of the ball, the
decorative plans and entertainment to be
entirely subject to her will Without in
! tending it to be or admitting, that it was
an affair elaborate in its details she
evolved an entertainment which was one
sof the most brilliant and spectacular of
the year 1918.
Several hundred guests enjoyed the
clubs hospitality together and watched
the old year out The personnel of the
guest list included large number of club
members and a considerable representa-
tion of delightful visitors from other
cities The interior of the building which
recently underwent thorough transfor-
nation, and is the acme of beauty, was
left practically unchanged last night. Mrs.
I<ettig recognizing, as gifted decorator
should, the suggestion of painting the
lily" A vase of roses or carnations in
just the proper place made the cozy hooks
in sun parlor. and library especially al
ludipg beneath the glow of the many
lights, but beyond them there was small
'<ffort at ornamentation
Ballroom Decorations
It was in the ballroom that Mrs. I<et-
tig'S cleverness and ingenuity were chief
ly expended. The walls, it will be re-
membered, are done in a light shade
of yellow. From the rafters were smilaX
tendrils crossing above the beams and
trailed over the walls in airy festoons.
From above were suspended enormous
roses in the varying shades of burnt
orange, changing in tint they ap-
preached the center of the room. There
We're 20 of these giant roses whose curl
ing petals quite hid the electrics which
sent out much of the light of the room
through their soft leaves.
AT intervals around the ballroom close
to the walls were stationed orange trees
five feet in height and of harmonizing pro-
portions, each laden with yellow fruit,
each orange illuminated.
The orchestra platform was banked with
palms and bay trees. Piled about upon
the stage were long wands each topped
with a gorgeous flower. These were car
Turkish costume, and when they entered
the ballroom, and each chose her wand
from the mound of them on the stage, the
effect was that of giant flowers moving
about in sunlit garden.
The making of artificial flowers has
become consummate art within the last
few seasons. The flowers which Mrs.
kcttg obtained in New York at a fifth
avenue shop are indicative of the possi-
hilities in this branch of industry. They
are made with attention to smallest de-
tail of flower life, and are extraordinary
copies of the small originals. There were
tulips in their rich shades of red and
yellow, roses and ionquils, narcissi and
carnations each different from its fellow.
The 20 Persian dancing girls marched
past the platform and down the ball
room, choosing their wands and stopping
TO form an arch-with the blossom topped.
green-stemmed trifles, while in the other
Eano they balanced oblong trays sus-
pended with ribbons from the shoulders
an6 each filled with favors to be dis
tributed among the throng.
Oriental Dancers
Those who appeared in Oriental attire
were Mrs Marie McBee, Mrs. Henry
Badham, Mrs. Campbell Maben, Mrs.
John Miner Caldwell, Mrs. Felix Dren-
men, Mrs. Crawford Johnson Mrs. Frank
Crcckard, Mrs. William II. Kettig, Mrs.
Viola Roden-R Redin, Mrs. William Mudd
Jordan, Miss Belle Roberts, Miss Gustrine
Miner, Miss Lydia Eustis, Miss Edith
Bowron, Miss Fannie Dunn, Miss Serena
Kirkpatrick and Miss Florine Hodges.
A climax for the Persian procession
came in the entrance of TWO equipages, a
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