THE COURIER
The ionten quiet remains undisturbed,
i bings socially are about as they were
last week. Tbe approach of Easter is
manifest ii the briskness of trade in
tbe dry goods and millinery stores, ard
the fair ones may be depended upon
to be as dazzling as ever. The women's
clubs have not been interfered with by lent; the members of these
organizations have beeu and are particularly active. Some of them
who take delight in the waltz are now solemnly preparing and read
ing learned papers on tbe most unheard-of subjects.
At the Fourth Baptist church, Chicago, Kittredge Wheeler, de
livered a prelude on ' 1 he Four Hundred to a sermon on "The Three
Hundred.' In his prelude he said: "Ward McAllister ie dead. Dr.
A. J. Gordon, of Boston, is living; more alive than ever. Ward Mc
Allister is soon to be forgotten. Charles Haddon Spurgeon is
ascended up on high, a constant force in the world about us and in
the world above us. Mrs. Paran -Stevens says, so we read: 'We did
not need Mr. McAllister; he knew wines and dinners, but we could
get along without him.' Is thie the eulogy of the 400 over their
leader? If it be, a good text for the funeral would ho these words:
'Whose God is their belly.' Ward McAllister waB an authority on
wines, dinners, decollette and bank accounts. He was the leader of
a brilliant set; brilliant not necessarily becauses of their virtues or
intelligence, but because of diamonds. The money may have piled
up by selling gum, soap or rawhideB; it may have come by watering
stock, by cornering the market, by bribetaking, by tbe tall-chimneyed
brewery, by making merchandise of matrimony. The wealth
may have been amased by a combination heartless, cruel, which
ground the life out of thousands of the helpless poor; by robbing
the city, robbing the people or robbing the state. You may have
money and not be one of the 400, but money you must have to enter
the set. You may have honor and intelligence and many virtues
with money and be in the 400; you may be without honor and with
out intelligence and without many virtues, but if you have money
you may be counted in. But, as a jewel in a swine's snout, so it is
to see one who from being very poor has become rapidly very rich
but still ignorant and coarse sitting among the upholstered 400,
heavy and obese, exposing hie swinish corpoiosity. Among the to'cr
ed people of the sjuth the 400 flourish luxuriantly and the social
lines are no more sharply drawn by McAllister's gilded set in New
York than by the aristocratic negro. Indeed, 400 are too many for
him. He belongs to the upper ten, and with Bavace and barbaric
delight he 'cuts' and 'snubs' the low-down uiggah.' Society, the 400,
'does not know its early schoolmate? and old-time neighbors whose
farms joined, in-8weetan4. honest days, before one hand wore the
diamond of indolecie, the other hand the plainer band of -honest
toil. Of two girls one took her woman's heart to the alter of God
and married an honest man for Iova! The other girl took her heart
to the market place and married a dishonest man for money! One
woman has a home, a high-necked dress, children, a faithful hus
band whom she trusts. The other woman has a suite of rooms in a
fashionable hotel, a low-necked dress, no children and a faithless
husband whom she has found to be false. And the childless woman
in the suite of rooms, with a false husband, she is in society; she
'does not know' the mother with the merry children and the faithful
huBband in the Christian home, but the state and the church and
humanity and God know her. She wears the coronet of noble
womanhood; the jewels of motherhood, and she shall shine, as the
Btars, forever. The Christian wife, the faithful mother, she is not
one of the 400, but, thank heaven, under God, she belongs to a
selecter company to the 300 of Gideon's army, 'elect, precious, 'who
bring salvation to the people. '
as a popular member of society. The announcement of the marriage
of Miss Nanon Lillibridge, daughter of Mr. D. It. Lillihridge, pro
prietor of tbe Lincoln business college, to Edward C. Keating, of
( hicago, will be a surprise to the friends of the young couple iu this
city, as only a very few people knew of the contemplated step. Tbe
wedding occurred at tho residence of Mr. Heating's parents, 27
Thirty-third street, the guests being limited to Miss Gertrude Mar
quett of this city and relatives. The groom is well known in Lin
coin through his residence here last year. He was a member of
the Pleasant Hour club and when not traveling he took an active
interest in society. With his father and brother he is engaged in
tbe manufacture of leather goods in Chicago, and undoubtedly has
a prosperous career before him. The bride has a most attractive
personality and has always been much admired in Lincoln society,
while her singing gave her a place in tbe front rank of the musi
cians of the city. She has an exceptionally pleasing contralto voice,
and probably no vocalist has been so much in demand in the last
two years. Lately she was a member of the choir of the First
Presbyterian church, where her solos assisted materially in increas
ing the weekly attenoance. She will be greatly missed in both
musical and social circjes. Mr. and Mrs. Keating will make their
home in Chicago.
Mrs. T. W. Griffith, who was the beautiful Miss Aileen Oakley of
Lincoln, is now at San Antonio where her husband, Lieutenant
Griffith, is stationed, and we Bee by the San Antonio Express that
she has been helping out Mrs. Frank Wheaton in amateur theatri
cals. It will be remembered by Excelsior readers that when Gene
ral Wheaton was in command in Fort Omaha that Mrs. Wheaton
was very clever at that form of entertainment. The play given at
San Antonio the other evening was 'Tulu," which Mrs. Wheaton
once gave here, taking the part of the Duchess. The Express Bays:
"Her fine interpretation of this important role caused much mirth
among the spectators and added much to the interest of the play.
Mrs. Griffith was a picture throughout the whole perform
ance, and her beauty in the first act particularly was only equaled
by the spirit and grace with which she carried out her part. At
the close of the play the 'stars' all repaired to the home of Mrs.
Frank Wheaton, where a fine supper was served and they all made
merry over the evening's triumphs. The friends of Miss Grace
Oakley (Mrs. Griffith's sister) will be glad to know that she iB re
covering from her seriously sprained ankle, which prevented her
from taking the part of Tulu. If the performance is repeated she
will play that role as originally intended." Omaha Excelsior.
"The Open Gate" and "Chums" are the two short plays to be
given by the University of Nebraska dramatic club at the Funke
Monday evening, March 25th. "The Open Gate" is a little one-act
drama with a number of dramatic situations and is full of interest.
"Chums" is a ludicrous college play and is funny from beginning to
end. In fact it is a sort of "Charley's Aunt." There are five char
acters in the farce and they are all young men, Three of f-om
impersonate female characters. The club has been rehearsing and
working bard Bince the trip to Ashland and there is a surprise in
store for those who think that amateurs cannot act in a creditable
manner. The following ladies are the patronesses of the club on
this occasion: Mrs. Cantield, Mrs. Sherman, Mss. Bessey, Mrs.
Gere, Mrs. Morrill, Mrs. Reese, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Ingersoll, Mrs.
Wing, Mrs. Richards, Mrs. Buck-staff, Mrs. Sawyer, Mrs. Hall, Mrs.
Burnham, Mrs. Pound, Miss Elliott and Mrs. Manning.
A wedding consummated a few days ago in Chicago takes from
Lincoln one of the city's most gifted and delightful singers as well
Alpha Epsilson chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity gave a cotillion
last night in the hall, Thirteen and P streets, which was beautiful
ly decorated with the fraternity colors, blue and gold, and a profus
ion, of smilax and carnations. The cotillion ras led by Mr. Joe
Mallieu and Miss Marie Marshall. Those present were: Messrs.
Harry Frank, Ralph Saxton, Lawrence Packard, Harry Doubran,
Arthur Bishop, Burgett, E. A. Duff, Claire Hebard, Geo. Cullen,
Chas. Pulis, Joe Mallalieu, Bert Wheeler, Claire Young, Ralph
Andrews, Geo. Risser, Theo. Westermann. Sam Low, Joe Mason;
Misses Dora Hardy, Florence Far well, Hanson, May Whiting,
Mattie Burks, Joe Lottridge, Stella Curtice, Lucy Griffith, May
Moore, Marie Marshall, Richards, Sue Gustin of Kearney, Blossom
Williamson, Edna Polk, Lottie Whedon, EIo Winger, Joe Winger,
Bertha Hoddy; Messrs and Mesdames W. E. Hardy, Myron Wheeler,
Norman Peters, Richards and Ansley.
