The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-25
+ 1
TO
S o w N
Holy Week is Upon us
and Society win.
FOregOl Formal FeS
tiYiticS The Little
Sisters Dinner.
~ u N ELIOT.

year which d really
sacred to religious observance,
Or, at any rate, 70 what "a !.
irate cIsre yrnan calls spiritual
manicure and massage.
Even those who baked sc
keeping Len" through al tie
penitentiaI season, are willing
enough to fOrego formal festivl
ties Tor six days; and, 81 courss,
to those who observe the
church's mandates, Holy Week
Is the climax Of their forty days
Of prayer and fasting
The last week was gay enough.
In al conscience, society dancine
straight up to the eve 81 Pairl
sunday There was dance. III.
formal to Be sure but the eaySr
for that. pretty nearly every even.
ing and grist Of diplomatic din
ners. with foreign ENJOYS ether
e. hosts or as guests Of honor
which would have done credit TO
the hetghth Of the official sea
son.
0NE event of the week how
ever. stands out from the
rs1ck Of dinners ana dances.
luncheons ana tea. bridge ana
mah-jongg sessions and vea. cock
tail parties az something typical
0f the true Lenten spirit. Ana
that Ii the annual ST. Joseph's
Day dinner 81 the Little Sisters
of the Poor, ! picturesque 1unc.
!. ton At which some of the smart
. EFT women II society don aprons
ana wait upon the rs ola men
and women who are cared tor 1T
the home.
The Little Sisters 81 the Poor
are members Of French order,
and ever since they came to
Washington nearly thirty years
ago they have been under the
wing Of the French Embassy,
which probably has had something
to do with making this annual
dinner for the aged poor an event
Of social as well az philanthropic
Importance.
a Ii through the year the Little
Sisters obtain food for their
charges by begging, but on this
one day the dinner-and q -delic-
ious one it isis presented by
the ladies who are patronesses or
supporters OF the organization and
they turn out in force to see that
the old people are comfortably
served and made to have good
time. This has always been one
Of Nine. Jusserand's pet charities
and, although she was prevented
by Illness from being present this
time, the first time In q score Of
years that she has missed, she
was represented by members OF
the embassy staff. and the ladies'
OF their families.
Several of the chateIaines GG
Latin-American embassies and le.
cations were present, also the
Misses Patten and q large group
of the women of smart society
who are Catholics. The charity,
however. is non-sectarian in its
appeal and numbers among its
supporters a number Of women
like Mrs. Frederick Dent Grant
\and Mrs. Walter Schoellkopf,
who are happy to aid q deserving
charity even though 1t be sup.
ported by a church to which they
do not belong.
A few years ago it used to be
quite ''the thing for the bachelor
diplomats-particularly those from
Catholic countries-to attend the
dinner at the home Of the Little
Sisters on Capitol Hill, acting as
aides to the ladies' in charge. OF
late the young men have been
rather conspicuous by their abb
sence, but it was at this dinner
last year that Francis Riggs met
Alvina Bohlen, daughter Of Mr..
and Mrs. Robert Bohlen, wearing
a fetching cap and apron and
making herself as useful, as she
was ornamental, and the acquain-
lance thus formed soon rippened
into romance and eliminated In
their marriage last autumn.
THE merry little dance given BY
L Mrs. Joseph D. NOEL and Mrs.
Kenna Elkins was the opening gun
Of the weeks festivities, Both OF
the hostesses have apartments at
1902 Eighteenth street, and the
guests danced in one and supped in
the other.
There was a dance at Washing
ton Barracks. another at Fort
Myer for Col. and Mrs. William g.
Rivers-1the colonel has been de.
~