Agnes laments "mudsills and unwed mothers" going to the ball. A mudsills is the lowest ranked laborer, who works dirty and physically demanding jobs.
As guests arrive at Mrs. Russell's ball, Church announces them. Two of the off-camera arrivals are "Clement Moore" and "Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Porter." Moore is likely Clement Clarke Moore, whose grandfather of the same name wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and whose Chelsea estate he inherited. Benjamin Porter was an artist, known for his portraits of New York society figures. Both Moore and Porter were included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred," his list of New York's best families.
In 1885, there were 3 notable hospitals in NYC: Bellevue, The Metropolitan, and The Knickerbocker. There was no reason Russell couldn't have been taken to one of these hospitals instead of home.
Russell didn't want the news of his shooting to be released.
