The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-09

residents in the hotel could be served,
 was quite pathetic. Several dancing teas
 were also scheduled for this week. one
 of which was to be given by Lady Fltz-
 William for her daughter, Lady MarJorle
 FitzWilliam, who is to make her deput
 in the spring. This party was to pe
 Lady Marjorie's farewell to her school
 girl acquaintances, but it has had to
 be postponed because no walters can De
 secured to serve the tea, and none or the
 usual attendants necessary for running
 an affair of the kind at smart hotel'
 will give their services.
 It was really quite interesting to
 walk along the Haymarket, Piccadilly
 and Regent street at the noon hour to-
 day and note large groups of discon-
 solate looking people standing outside
 the bolted doors of their fayorite reeo-
 ing places. Nothing doing1 anywhere
 and even many of the fascinating cheap
 little restaurants which some of us af-
 feet are closed to the clamorfng public.
 My lucky star, however. was, l am glad
 to say, in the ascendant But perhaps
 that is because I am rather willy per-
 son and know my London like dear familiar book. At any rate hted me to a certain funny tumble-down old English "chophouse" that dates back to generations ago, and which is situated right at the back of Regent streets , busiest quarter, This quaint old place with it's dark rafters. it's low ceiling and it's sloping, uneven floors, is called "The Sceptre," and was once upon time in the days of the regency famous as coaching inn.
 I am thankful to say that as yet 1t has not been discovered" by tourists and sightseers. It is frequented mann ly by comfortable people of the com mercial classes. who prefer simple Eng fish food to foreign "kickshaws." Even in these times, when life's ordinary bur dens are added to by the curse Of the coupon, the Sceptre still manages to serve chops and steaks and various oth- CT of those staple, if ponderous, ar ticles of diet, in which your true ana tried Briton invariably delights. At any rate, on this day, when hoards or | foreign walters have upset and made miserable the lives of thousands of in offensive people, found the good fare provided in this simple old-world place l highly refreshing.
 | I suppose if things settle down, and l life assumes it's usual round in London l the coming spring will be season ol I unexampled and unaccustomed bril- l liancy. The King and Queen are show 1 ing their usual unselfish commonsense I in not allowing the pathetic death of ! their little son Prince John to inter- I fere with social arrangements. and 1 therefore it Is to be expected that the | coming courts will be a record one. botf l in regard to attendance and wonderful l clothes There have been no debutantes | for four years, therefore added to the ! growing army of girls, whose right il | is to come out this season must be | added those who ought to have come I out four long sad years ago. Each day ! in fact, sees the arrival in toYn of girls who are eagerly anticipating their en trance into the world of society. Fol I these debutantes in the near future many preliminary joys are being ar l ranged and afternoon dances for young | people are exceedingly popular.
 {. The Earl and Countess of Cairns, for 1 instance, have taken a charming house in I.owndes square, where I am told the. l will entertain great deal for their young daughter. Another important debutante this season will be Lady Hermione Her. | bert She is the only daughter of Lord I and Lady Fowls, who have a beautiful ] house in Berkeley square. l hear that Lady Powis is giving a series of afternoon 1 dances which are very largely attended especially by young American officers, ! who are exceedingly popular in London
 It amuses me frequently to hear people | who are dancing mad" (and nearly ev' | el ybody is in London now) make surprised comment upon the delightfully."- easy and
 simple style of dancing that is to be ob-
 served in all American men and girls