NEW CINDERELLA PARTIES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XVIII, 6 May 1899, Page 590

NEW CINDERELLA PARTIES.

London society has been amusing itself with Cinderella parties, The Cinderella party is not the usually accept ed variety by that name where the guests are bound to say ‘Good-night’ just at the stroke of midnight. That sort of entertainment has proved itself almost impossible except among the youngest set, for where guests do not arrive until the unholy hour of eleven or thereabout it is hard to have a cast iron rule concerning their departure.

This Cinderella party owes its name to the chief source of amusement—namely, the wooden shoe, which in its primitive condition is used by the Eastern woman in going to her bath. The shoe is sometimes highly ornamented with painting, gilding, etc., and the trick is to find a foot that will exactly fit its rather unusual proportions.

The masculine sex is not debarred from this form of entertainment, as the Committee of Arbitration and Final Court of Appeal are formed of the male members of the entertainment, and on them devolves the tremendous task of deciding when fair ones disagree. The wooden shoe is narrow and quite long, and the foot on which it is tried must not protrude an infinitesimal portion of an inch over the edge. Opportunities for dainty foot-gear, for limitless discussions and coquettish attitudes are innumerable, and are usually made the most of. On the hostess devolves the plea-

sure of providing a suitable gift for the fortunate possessor of the prize foot and the fortunate Cinderella gives the shoe as a souvenir to some member of the committee.

There has always been a charm about the story of Cinderella which no amount of matured intellect is able to destroy. The prince and the slipper have formed the basis of many a girlish dream, and society, always amiable to pretty foibles,' has taken this fact into consideration, apparently. in providing the latest form of entertainment for its votaries.