The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-21 00:00:00

A BALL AT MONTREAL.

The Montreal correspondent of the .New York World sends
the following description of the b til given to the Marquis
of Lorne and the Princess Louise by the St. Andrew's Society
at Montreal on the 29th of Nov( mber

The ball of the St. Andrew's Society was held in the
great dining-room of the " Windsor" Hotel, in
which the ball to Lord and Lady Dufferin last winter
was given. The viceregal party were a little late, and
during the time of waiting there was an animated
scene in the hotel. In the really vast area of the
office below there was a crush of people equal to that
which terrified the correspondents at the Marshal's
fête in Versailles the other day, with only the alluring
prospect before them of seeing the cloaked beauties
pass up the broad staircase to the dressing-rooms.
In the fine promenade corridor above were two rows
of red coats, and behind them a row of ladies
in evening dress, who had evidently come with only a
little better prospect of seeing the ball than the
surging multitude on the floor below. In the dining-
room, which opens out of this grand corridor, two
silken ropes were stretched down the middle of the
room to keep a passage clear for the guests of the
evening when they should arrive. Nothing in the
hall was prettier than this scene of waiting, with
the animated panorama of well-dressed women and
brilliantly uniformed men. At last the wild pibrooch
of the maddening pipers was heard, and at once
three thousand people closed their ears instinctively
to the music of 'The Campbells are Coming ! "
and opened their eyes to the beauty of at least one of
the Campbells that came. As soon as the Marquis
of Lorne and the Princess had reached the dal, at the
end of the room, opposite the doorway, and Lady Sophia
Macnamara and the Hon. Mrs. Richard Moreton had
placed themselves to the right of the viceregal couple,
Colonel Russell Stephenson, of the St. Andrew Society,
splendid in kilt and plumed bannet, came forward and
delivered the address of the society. This was the first
time that Lord Lorne has spoken in Canada without a
manuscript, and it was a decided improvement on his
reading, though, thanks to the trying journey from
Halifax, he was not at all in good voice, as they say of
prime donne. Each of his allusions to the bonds
that united the different nationalities of Great Britain
was received with applause.

For the first quadrille "Bonnie Dundee" was
played. In fact, all the music was intensely Scotch
in character. In the first quadrille Lord Lorne
danced with Lady Macdonald, and the Princess with
the happy Highland chieftain Stephenson, whose very
plumes seeraed to recognise th-i honour. Lady So-
phia Macnamara danced with Captain Chater,
A.D.C., and the Hon. Mrs. Moreton with the Hon.
Mr. Harbord, A.D.C. These four couples had the
places of honour. The other couples in the quadrille
were Colonel McNeill and Mies Dow, the Hon. Mr.
Moreton and Miss Gordon, Mr. MacKenzie and
Mrs. Dalelieh, Mr. Hugh Mac Kay and Mrs. Rose.
After the quadrille came a Strathspey reel, only to be
described by a Blackmore or a Black.
The dress of the Princess, while it was sufficiently
gorgeou 4, was at the same time simple in effect, font was
of pure white. The dress itself was of a rich wnite satin,
the front being cut plain en prineesse, but the rich
laces which covered the rest of the skirt were arranged
with great skill and taste. Her Royal Highness's
necklace was of diamonds, and the plume in her
coiffure was fastened with an aigrette of diamonds.
Lady Sophia Macnamara wore a black silk dress
trimmed with white lace, and a coronet of diamonds.
The Hon. Mrs. Moreton wore a black satin, trimmed
with black lace, and black gloves. Her headress was
also a coronet of diamonds. Lady Macdonald's toilet
was beautiful, and was a foil to that of Sir John. It
was a blue satin and blue tulle adorneel with poppies
and corn. Her necklace was of pearl and rubies and
her headdress was a blue plume.

Lord Lorne was in plain evening dress, wearing only
his stars of the Thistle and St. Michael and St. George
on his breast, and the dark green ribbon of the thistle
over his waistcoat. Most of the distinguished people of
Montreal were present, and many from other parts of
the Dominion. The United States were represented
by Governor Prescott and his chief of staff, Colonel
Carlin, who wore the uniform of an infantry colonel of
the regular army, which was not very dazzling beside
the red coats and gold lace of the Britiibers. The
lancers, after the first quadrille, was led by the
Pgiucss ail Sir Hugh Allan. Sir Hugh proved that
he could do something more than manage a steamship
line. The dancing was not over until very late.

DECEMBER Is LONDON. The Registrar-General
reports that the registered duration of bright sun-
shme in London List week was a little more than three
hours and a half, or about six per cent, ot its possible
duration.