THE COURIER SOCIETY NOTES LIFE'S MAZY WHIRL Dame Nature changes her garb with the seasons and It Is always beautiful and gratifying to look upon, but not all the trees are dressed alike. Some wear yellow, some brown, some red, some green robes at this time of year. Fashions for women change too, but when a certain style of coiffure, a cer tain cut of gown, or a certain color, meets with favor, It Is adopted almost unanimously by women who seem to have no individual taste. The fact that a thing is worn "in the east" is sufficient. When a box party at the Oliver filed in one night this week. It was noticed that three of the occu pants wore gowns of the same color and cut similarly, and' all wore black hats. Some one asked if a uniform had been adopted. Even those who consid er the subject of dress as too trivial for personal consideration, admire a characteristic costume. & Fan tan. a game new in Lincoln, but old in oriental countries, was the game plav Thursday afternoon and evening at the parties given by Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hellwlg and Misses Gertrude and Grace Altken. at the Hellwlg home. Not only the game, but the decorations, were oriental in character. Japanese lanterns were strung across the celling, umbrellas were grouped around th chandeliers, and fans were artistically arranged on the walls. Chrysanthemums fresh from the flowery kingdom, and many ferns, added to the effect. The lunch cloths and napkins were Japan ese and the score cards bore little Jap men done in water colors by Miss Ger trude Altken. the deep purples, blues and reds being used. Little Japanese hair ornaments were given to the lad dies as souvenirs and tlie prizes were Japanese figures painted by Miss Ait ken. A light luncheon was served to which an oriental touch was given by tiny umbrellas standing in the glasses of ice cream. In fan tan an individual score is kept, and the players who first throws ' uown his last card Is the winner and announces his victory by crying "fan tan." At these parties a first, second, and third prize were given besides a consolation, which all had a chance to win as a deck of cards was thrown around one at a time, to the players, and the one who got the last jack re ceived the consolation prize. The charm of novelty added to the pleas ure always experienced by the guests of Mrs. Hellwlg and her sisters. The M. M. card club Is composed of congenial people who always have good times at their meetings, but the acme of jollity was was reached by them Saturday evening, when they were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Van Brunt, and Mr. and Mrs. Lee at the Van Brunt home. The house was very pretty. Indeed, with red carnations and ferns for decorations. The score cards were hand painted autumn leaves. Six handed euchre Is played this season by the club, but no prizes are given. After the games a gong was sounded and a perfectly appointed railway lunch room, which bore no resemblance to Mrs. Van Brunt's kitchen, but such it really was was thrown open, and the guests were served doughnuts, hot tamale sandwiches, cheese, pickles, and coffee, from a lunch counter. The hosts and hostesses, In white raiment, graciously waited upon their guests. The members of the club are Mes sieurs and Mesdames Clinton R. Lee, R. T. Van Brunt, D. A. RIsser. C. H. Rudge. R. M. Le Gore, C. H. Warner, C. D. Traphagen. E. E. Spencer, M. W. Folsom, H. T. Folsom. I. G. Chapln, J. C. Seacrest, H. B. Ward, F. D. Cornell, Doctor and Mrs. S. E. Cook, Doctor and Mrs. R. H. Wolcott. A cheery new home, prettily fur nished and tastefully decorated with autumn leaves, was the setting for a housewarmlng given Thursday even ing by Mr. and Mrs. F. L. De Witt. Thirty-two friends shared in the Joys and festivities. High five was played for a time, and later there was lovely nsuslc by Mr. Haydn Myer, Mr. and Mrs. O'Shea, Mrs. Georgia Bell, and Miss Gertrude Ernst, and Mrs. J. A. Hayden entertained the company with recitations. A luncheon was served in two courses by Mrs. De Witt assisted by Mrs. Haydn Myer. Next Tuesday Mrs. De Witt's attractive home will be again opened to friends, this time for a kensington, when thirty-five ladles will be entertained. The average American has a very vague Idea of the annoyances that He In wait for the man "who would a wooing go" in old England, of the day on account of the king's grand parade from Buckingham palace to the city. We had to abandon St. George's church In Hanover square for the same reason and because the boundary lines of that parish had been .changed un known to my flnncee. Had It not been so, then In order to have been married there my financee would have been obliged to take out the license Instead of myself- When we discovered that she resided In the Westminster parish we had to abandon this on account of the king's parade. So we selected the Holy Trinity church. In Sloanes square, which was our second choice, our first choice being St. George's In Hanover square, where my financee frequently attended service, but was not a com municant. We encountered consider able difficulty In adjusting arrange ments for the Holy Trinity, but with the aid of a curate and a clerk of a vestry It was settled by my being ob liged to take up a place of abode for fifteen days by renting a small room and depositing therein a small port manteau, but am not obliged to even sleep there one night, nor do I Intend to, but It requires all of this under the singular circumstances Involved in this Instance to comply with the London HHBSLCWHHHK Sf - JBHR'HiHHHB CECILIA BLAIR WARD, Five years. Daughters of Mr. and Mrs. CHARLOTTE BALDWIN WARD. Three years. H. B. Ward, 1520 D street. thorns which concealed themselves under the otherwise uncrumpled rose leaves In the path of Mr. C. E. Hoch stetler when he went In quest of his marriage lines and the church In which the happy event Is to take place next Saturday, as the following personal letter will give interesting proof, says the Kansas City Star: "We have set the date of our mar riage for Saturday, 9:30 a. m., October 25, at one of the most fashionahla churches In London for weddings. Holy Trinity. Sloanes square. The Rev. Mr. Win Haley will officiate. We shall leave Victoria station for Paris by the 11 o'clock a. m. train, same day, where we shall spend our honeymoon. The Holy Trinity Is about the smallest parish, but wealthy and most fashionable, so much so that ladies and gentlemen are permitted and do attend Sunday nighty services in evening dress. We have had a hard time to select a church, as you cannot be married in a church nor obtain a license unless your place of abode has preceded the date of the li cense by fifteen days, affidavit on oath must be made by either one of the con tracting parties to that effect, then upon payment of $10.62 a license will be granted. I found that I was in St. Paul parish. We could not use any church in that parish for the reason all thoroughfares would be blocked on that marriage law. Plain service by license, which fee Includes all church charges, is 1 pound Us Od, or about JS.50 (organ or choral service not included), but In addition to the church charges you are expected to give each of the clergymen a fee of 2 pounds or more. I first visited an American embassy, when I received the Initial marriage license Information from Mr. John RIdgely Carter, second secretary, then visited the vicar gen eral's office, after which I met the vice American consul, who gave me the in formation as to how British subjects who visit America for a short time are dealt with by an American custom house. My fiancee was born and has always resided in England." Mr. Hochstetler adds the following facts concerning the fees for London marriages: Poor people and communi cants pay Is 6d (thirty-two cents) to the church. No license required, but the bans are read in church for three successive Sundays to qualify. Easter Monday is free marriage day, and at but one place In London Little Red church in Bethnal Green road they marry them off in wholsesale lots. It Is a happy day for the "costers." So you will observe that London weddings are to wit: When bans are read, thirty-two cents; free, no charge. Red church; regular license, $10.62; special license $1 5. The latter can onlv be Cm n ted as a special dispensation from the archblahoa of Canterbury and In cases of Illness, requiring affidavits from doctors, clergymen, etc., and Is rarely done. Tact and ready wit are difficult to acquire and many well-meaning, but awkward persons will sympathise with the blunderers of whom the New York Tribune tells: A "break." In the ever changing ver nacular of social parlance, signifies some unfortunate chance remark that either refersto or suggests some sub ject best to be avoided. Every one knows how often such "breaks." as they are called, occur, and how there seems to be some perverse fate that makes one go out of one's way to talk of topics that must necessarily sug gest the one forbidden. If there Is any one at the table, for instances, who has some personal defect, the imp of perversity will probably cause the most tender hearted person present to drag that particular misfortune Into the conversation by alluding to some one who Is similarly afflicted. Or If there is some family skeleton which must not be spoken of,' it will always be brought forward by proxy. "I am the most unfortunate Individ ual in the world about such things," complained a young man recently. "It is simply Impossible for me to steer clear of an unpleasant topic. It Is like a lodestone to me. and I am drawn in its direction whether I will or not. The other day I" went with a house party to the M 's, who are all abnormally fat. 'Now. Bill,' I said to myself, 're member, not one word nbout corpul ency!' But In spite of all my efforts I managed to drag in the subject several times. To my horror, I heard myself mention Barnum's fat woman to Mrs. M , speak of someone's death from fatty degeneration of the heart when conversing with Mr. M , talk ad miringly of Miss Slender' figure to Miss M and allude to the disad vantage of carrying weight to young M , who nearly broke his heart at college because he grew too heavy'to 'compete In the games. There wnrf a perfect fatality about It, and I am sure they must have thought I did it all on purpose." "It was worse with me." laughed the young woman to whom he was speak ing. "I went to stay with some people whose prominent family trait was a remarkably large nose. Like you. I resolved before-hand never to mention the defect, but the prohibitive word so preyed on my mind that, on one dread ful, never-to-be-forgotten day, I said to my host at the table. 'Please give me some nose!' I intended to ask for salt, but the awful word got ahead of it and slipped out of my mouth quite clear and distinct. I was too much hor rified to pass It off, and grew red as a peony, feeling ready to cry. but Mr. A burst out laughing. I know ex actly how it happened, dear child.' he said, 'and you mustn't mind It a bit.' " -v. -'i Even persons whose tastes are edu cated to enjoy the best there is in music sometimes enjoy the more frivolous style. Just as literary peop'e sometimes enjoy that written In a lighter vein. The persons who were so fortunate as to be quests of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Curtice at their musi cale Thursday evening, were thorough ly delighted with the masterly per formance of the two colored musicians. Mr. Carder of Lincoln, and a p'anist from Chicago, who gave a program of rag time music and coon songs. This rollicking music was preceded by sev eral serious selections. Mrs. Curtfce played a violin solo. "A Simple Con fession," by Thome. Mr. Will O'Shea contributed a cornet solo, "Till Then Dear Heart," by Louis Tocaben. Mr. George Johnstone, whose songs are a welcome addition to any program, sang "A Rose Fable," and Mrs. Will O'Shea played "Plerette." by Chamlnade. Mr?. O'Shea has recently returned to Lin coln after an absence of several years, and few people have had an opport nity to hear her play, those who have been so privileged, pronounce her a valuable addition to the list of local pianists. Mr. O'Shea exhibited his exceeding