Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
PERIOD PUTS DAMPER ON SOCIETY
Lenten Curtain Falls
Wednesday on Social
Season for 1855
Winter Made Record for Brilliant and Gay
Parties Matching Those Before
the War.

And so another season becomes So
cial history Recorded as one of the
gayest since before the Great War put
a stop to frivoiity and money spending
for unnecessary gayety. Entertaining
by private citizens again this year was
elaborate, with no limitation to cost.
and the official schedule was uninter-
eupted save for the one reception post
bored because of the death OF King
George of England. Few of the recent
years can boast a completed official
schedule, so in addition to being one
Of the gayest it also has been one OF
the most complete.
Saturday evening has become a IA
vorite one for large balls, some one
host and hostess "pre-empting" the
date such as Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh D.
Auchincloss, who will give large ball
next Saturday evening at Norwood,
their country place across the Potomac
above Chain Bridge. That is, the
party will be given there, weather
permitting. which has become almost
a slogan for those in the suburbs and
country near Washington in the last
few weeks. Although Shrove Tues
day, day after tomorrow, will, accord
ing to the Church calendar, close the
season for entertaining, and society
is expected to don sack cloth and
ashes the following day, those who
wish to be technical" may consider
Saturday from noon to Sunday at mid
night a feast day, and thus lift the
ban on Lenten abstinence. Through
the six weeks of penitence this prob
ably will be weekly occurance.
Shrove Tuesday. the close of Mardi
Gras in New Orleans, is usually the
occasion for a brilliant ball here and
for some years was the date for the
annual ball to benefit the Episcopal
Home for Children, for which Mrs.
David Meade Lea has been such an
active worker for 20 years or more.
This home. originally the Bell Home,
now is member of the Community
Chest and has no separate benefit
each year. but Mrs. Lea has kept her
active interest and was elected last
week to her twentieth consecutive
term as president of the board. Mrs.
Lea is again taking her place in So
ciety after some years of retirement
during the long illness and since the
death of Mr.. Lea. Mrs Lea still drives
her electric brougham about Wash
ington, which gives the generation of
today a suggestion of the real ele-
gance Of day just past. The first
woman to drive an electric here was
Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, then "Prin-
cess" Alice, when her father, the late
Theodore Roosevelt, was President.
Hers was victoria and Mrs. Fred
erick Manning, then Miss Helen Taft.
a White House debutante, followed in
her footsteps. Those days the very
leisurelyness of the little cars gave an
atmosphere Of elegance, which in the
rush of today is lost and uncoveted.
The death of Baroness de Cartier,
wife of the Belgian Ambassador at the
Court of st. James, brought to an end
a colorful personality and one which
inquired prominently in Washington in
more than one season. She married
Baron Emil de Cartier de Marchienne,
then Belgian Minister at Washington,
July Is. 1919. the wedding taking place
in the Church of the Madeline in Paris
in the presence of distinguished COM
pany which included Mr.. Herbert
Hoover, then relief administrator for
Belgium. In May the following year
the legation was raised to an embassy
and Baron de Cartier became the first
Ambassador, serving to become dean
of the corps after the retirement of the
late Jules j. Jusserand, for more than
Is years French Ambassador at this
post. Baroness de Cartier was first
prominent in Washington as Mrs.
Elihu B. Frost. when she spent several
Winters at the Willard attracting
much attention with her striking snow
white hair, usually wearing black vel
vet and always pearls. Later having
divorced Mr. Frost and married Mr.