Evening star., 1925-11-01

- NEW YORK. October 81. - New
Sol&'s social season will be officially
.ushered in Monday night with the
premiere at the Metropolitan Opera
House. The "A weeks of opera opens
with La Gioconda," and it will mark
the eighteenth season under the di.
reCtorship of General Manager Gatti-
CasazZa. The opening night is always
the most brilliant of the entire season
and this year will be no exception, al
though two of the most notable boxes
in the house will be unoccupied, that [
of Mrs. Vanderbilt. No. 81, and the ].
P Morgan. No. SO. Mrs. Vanderbilt S
= box will he vacant on account of the
recent death of her son. Reginald G..
Vanderbilt. whose widow sailed for
Europe last Saturday. The Morgan
boH will not be occupied on the open
ing night on account of the death of
Mrs. Morgan.
Mrs. August Belmont will be an
other leader who will be absent
throughout the season, as she is in
s mourning for Mr. Belmont. Mr.. and
Mrs. Belmont for years never missed
an opening night and were among the
most devoted lovers of opera, but in
the last few years they We're seen less
frequently and seldom on opening
nights.
Brilliant Crowd Expected.
The other boxes will be filled with
prominent members of society from
: this city, Washington, Philadelphia
and Boston. Distinguished foreigners
now visiting in this country and mem
bcrs of the diplomatic corps will be
guests in the parterre, the grand tier,
stall boxes and the orchestra seats.
The Opera Club. as usual, will occupy
the omnibus boxes.
There is title cha in tho norSnr-
mel of the boxes in the parterre row.
1t is seldom a box is disposed of. al
though they frequently are leased for
a season.
- Members of the Goelet. Astor, War
fen, 1seltn. Mills, Reid, Cutting, Whit
1ey. Kountze, Sherman, Twombly,
Webb Barney, Bliss. Clews, Baker and
other prominent families will be found
in their usual places throughout the
Winter.
- There have been many brilliant af-
fairs held at Tuxedo Park, that center
of the ultra ia shionable set, but none
of greater interest than the annual
Autumn ball which took place at the
1Talsey Cottage tonight. The dance
came as a climax of the Fall season
and was preceded by a number of
festivities, which will continue
through tomorrow. Practically every
itan district was present-alSo many
of the girls who Will make their
debut here during the Winter. Tea
dances, dinners and luncheons were
included in the program for the week
end and over all was spread the jovia,
spirit of Halloween. This effect was
carried out in the decorations even
to the red ears of corn.
Invitations Highly Priced.
Special attention was given to the
settings of the dance, as this is the
first year it was held in the Halsey
Cottage. This so-called cottage is a
ma gnifiCant stone edifice, built on the
line of impressive Tudor architecture
which faces on Tuxedo Lake. While
the ballroom of the villa is not sc
large as that of the famous Tuxedo
Park Club House which recently was
raZed, it was quite sufficient to ac
commodate all the guests. There was
generous contribution of plants
from the greenhouses of noteC
estates nearby for decorations. Among
the doners We're Mrs. Charles B
Alexander, Mrs. Frank B. keech
George f. Baker and Stanley Graf
ton Mortimer.
AS all society knows one of the most
difficult tasks which confront the
committee in charge of the Autumn
ball is the selection of the guests list
And this year was no exception. The
girl who is introduced at this func-
tion is sure of a place among the elite
80 the struggle to obtain an invitation
can we'll be imagined. The general
air of happiness which prevailed in the
ballroom proved that the choosing had
been performed to the satisfaction of
those present, at least.
Those who spent many hours on the
planning of the event and also to give
it a unique and distinctive effect
were Mrs. Frank =. Keech, Mrs
Legrand b. Cannon, Mrs. Amory s
Carhart, Mrs. Samuel Sloan Colt, Mrs
George B. st. George and Mrs. Fred
erick rockingham.
The series of events, which were
really an Introduction to the ball, open
ed yesterday afternoon when Mrs
Joseph Earle Stevens, who has been
at the Winter club for the Fall sea
son, gave a large tea dance at her
home in the park.
Last night Mrs. Frank B. Keech
gave a dinner at her home for 60
guests. Later the young folk at