The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-18
OFFICIAL SOCIETY
WEARS SACKCLOTH
AND ASHES LTGHTLY
Pace Not So Fast,
Though, With Time
For Meditation

us, but fashions in sackcloth
seem to have changed bit and
society may be said to be wear
ing it's ashes jauntily.
There was even a dance on
Ash Wednesday evening" din.
ner dance given by Mrs. George
D. Hope for that extremely
pretty red-haired guest OF hers,
Miss Virginia Perry, OF Kansas
City, who shared honors with
Miss Helen Hustled and Mrs.
Thomas Bowles-and at least one
dinner, which could be described
as official" and brilliant" This
was given by the Eugene Meyers
for the Vice President and Mrs.
Coolidge and was followed by a
delightful musicale, for which
a notable company assembled.
The musicale, however, always
has been rated an eHninently
suitable Lenten diversion, and
not even those who keep Lent"
most conscientiously frown upon
the dinner party. However, :he
Vice President and Mrs. Coolidge
are of the Baptist persuasion
II don't know to what faith
the Meyers subscribe-and they
regard the observing of Lent as
concession to ritualism and re-
gard Ash Wednesday much az
other days.
There was a Junior League
dance last week, with the usual
grist Of dinners beforehand. And
looking back over the calendar
one notes but a scant falling off
in the number of dinners given
by or for diplomats and Off.
Gals. However, there were no
big balls after Shrove Tuesday
there are none, I believe, in
the. immediate offing-and the
two most imposing festivities OF
the week, Mrs. Moran's party.
which combined a musicale and
dance with the more formal re-
ception, and the Congressional
Club breakfast, took place before
Ash Wednesday ushered in the
forty days Of Lent.
IN the whole. then, it would
seem that society folk, with
out taking their Lenten duties
too seriously, win curtail their
activities somewhat for the next
six weeks and will make time for
the lectures and the musicales.
the philanthropic activities and
the religious observances which
have been from time immemorial
a feature OF the Lenten season IN
Washington.
The Lenten services at St.
Johns, st. Margaret's, st. Thomas
and other Episcopal churches
are always well attended, the con-
gregations thick starred with men
and women-women more numer-
ously, it must be confessed
whom one has been meeting all
winter at dinners and dances.
And the Roman Catholic element,
which in Washington is extremely
fashionable, foregathers with the
diplomats at early mass.
Mrs. Selden p. Spencer's Bible
class will be severely missed
she's not well this winter and
her physician has forbidden her
to undertake anything so strenu-
GUS as addressing from 600 to 500
women each week, with, of course,
the necessary study and prepare
ton. But DR.. Langdon Mitchelrs
popular series Of lectures on lit
erature. another hardy annual"
will enjoy unprecedented popu-
larity this year judging from the
number of persons who are sign
ing up.
TT was at the Congressional Club
party that Mrs. Coolidge made
her first appearance following her
return from Burlington. VT, where
she had been called by the i'll.
ness Of her father. She had
slipped into town some time Sat.
urday, but too late to keep her
engagements for that day and
she had left Sunday free because
Vice President Coolidge was to
be out of town. He had gone off
to Tuskegee, Ala. to take part in
the dedication of a Government
hospital for negroes, which was
one Of the events of Lincoln's
irthday-marked here by the
banquet of the trustees of Lin
coin Memorial University, at
which President Harding was the
bright particular star.
Mr.. Coolidge returned to Wash
ington just too late for Senator
and Mrs. Calder's dinner, which
Mrs. Coolidge attended, dinner
for eighty, with the members of
the New York delegation in Con-
gres and their womenfolk In
cluded among the guests-and
from which many of the com.
pany went on to Mrs. Moran's