The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-01-10

The expire of politics and fashion j. paramount in
tbs city il impossible. to say which has the as
tendency During the session of Congress, however,
fashion seems rule, and politics only minges with
IT, The political cotees not quite SO attractive as
the fashionable circles where you the spendor Of
beauty and sometimes enjoy the scnhllations 81 wit,
though the latter are but rare.
My friend Wallace, and few of the middes who
board with me, were invited to a fancy ball, or mas
queradc, on Monday night last. Wallace gave me
curious description of it, which ! send you. men
toned, think, in my last that it was got up by
Major of Marines, md the boarders of certain fash
ionable boarding establishment of this city. Wallace
went in the dress of Diogenes, and he found himself
surrounded by all sorts of characters little like their
possible Ii was half fancy ball and half mas
qusrade-a mixture of beauty andugness of taste and
vulgarity. When the inmates of boarding house
get to giving masquerades, there 10 no telling where
the folly will stop Wallace says that this is the first
attempt al any thing like masquerade and of course
it will not be the last-fashionable extravaganza has
no limits
"The rooms" said Wallace, were brilliantly light
ed-the music tolerable, and the dresses gorgeous.
There were some Of the fair that particularly struck
me as reasonable for beauty-one especially, in the
costume of Sultana, was really quite a splendid
looking creature. There were two fair haired girls in
black who seemed very modest as they certainly
were very interesting; and two novices, who looked
pretty and were quite sprghdy and animated. An
odd looking little body, with long beard and two
eyes peepng out of his head, and rolling about very
strangely, approached me. ),
$50 it would seem from the number present. To
persons of your poetical temperament it must be ex
ceedingy delightful"
aMy poe.cal temperament! How do you know
have any thing poetca about meW
"fjudge from the roll of your eye-t is the poets
eye in fine phrenzy rolling which enables you to
see great deal more than exists"
"Ah forgot you are the cynic Diogenes, per-
ceiye. You have left your lantern behind you. on
might perhaps, have had occasion to use it had you
brought it with YOU"
"Not at all you could not have fallen under its
light. 1t requires stronger blaze than that Of Ian
tern to find out an honest man in these days."
Longo bardus now left me- and fair penitent re-
clning pensively sofa, and gazing lovingly on an
officer at her side, next claimed my attention. He
was dressed in the full costume of hero, which he
having been among the Creeks, without however
doing battle. The young pentent looked very wo-
BECOME, but she was interesting They were quite
mute and eonversed only in the language of the eyes
and
"sished and looked, and sighed again"
Pontiac or some other great Sachem, now stepped
up to her. and asked her to dance with him, and she
her eye upon her little hero, as if to ask If she
barefaced an exhibition Of love for my taste, and
turned away and came in contact with youth with
pocket full ofpotatoes to give him the character Of an
| lrishman.
"Your pocket seems to be well lined Pat" said 1.
"By the powers we may well say that, with your
own ugly mouth" replied the assumed Irishma'. "Pd
like to know what lining can be better than that o!
theRrats,s. s,,, .b...,a,, .u.,.. 80, ,.v. ;,s,
| now morein your pocket than in your head"
"And what of that, we spalpeen--a pound of pera-
tiers is worth more than all the brains We ever had.
But obsarve yre just from the tub of the Grake ph
losopher-he has business among the gay and beau
tful, at all, at all"
You don't pretend to say yon lady, dangling on tn
arm of that spruce little minstrel boy in Spanish
cloak, is among the beautiful y
"The youth is sprig Of the law, whose practice Il
be Is not equal to his pretensions buthe is prom
| ising 30 he is"
THAT is, he promises more than he performs yo'
aNo Imean that he promises to be great BIZ
sop"" ,., .,,,.,. 81, g, !. !. u,;,. =, ann,
for that He wears big cloak, which he throws
around him graceuly-but il Is only three quarters
a circle"
/ what character does she who looks so lovingly or
| him take tonight7'
"None, behave" replied Pat.
"Then she appears in a very appropriate one, TO
most women have no character at an
"Och, by the powers y're quite too sevsre, Mr.
Cynic but can ye tell me which Of these ladies i
the master Of ceremonies y
al am" said lady stepping up TO him with
smile.
young man, sustaining his character with great pro
priety al am Dennis DIARY from Cork, in the eoun
Nv OF Dublin in the south OF Ireland and have cou
sin in the Herald Office, in London" and taking he
arm they moved off,
A Neapolitan Srnce new approached No. He wa
most magnheently attrcd, and with no little taste
He ratified on in gay, good humored style and wit
sort of lisp, with all he encountered. Poor fellow
he is clerk in one OF the public Offices, with sma
salary and though he has run through two or thre
fortunes he continues to sing away life agreeabl
as possible, delighting in the Italian maxim, dole
far nj nte He is devoted to the fair and fond (
fashionable life.
While gazing on this splendid phantasmagoria, III
expensive and magnificent dresses the abundant sur
per- and all the other costly appendages Of this trar
sent but glitterng exhibition could not but refiet
on the condition Of the destitute poor-stretched o
the bed of sickness shvering in the cold and psrhap
pershing with hunger-whle this scene Of pleasure
which cost more than would have made hundred
comfortable, was passing before me
Ali little think the gay iceniious crowd
| Whom pleasure, power and sfnnsnce surouDd;
They WIN tseir tsousi.tess kouf- In eddy mth,
Mid wanton, often cruel not waste;
As s ,sSt ,h s, ys w s ,nsy a.:ss along
| How many drink the cup
| 0fbaleful grief or eat the bitter bread
SO ends my friends description of this demi-ma,
querade of Monday last, in Washington. Last nigl
1 attended Sec. Forsyth's sorfe. The jam was cor
siderable, but less il was said, than on former occs
sons. The ladies' appeared exceedingly beautiful
with some few exceptions which must always exs
The host was very attentive TO lovely creatur