The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-21
The Grand Fashionable. Foufieritc, Metro
politan, Free-and-Easy, Joint-Stotk Fancy
Ball at Miss Smugging.

FANCY SIX EFT o HI.
The highly fashionable boarding house, over
whose affairs the accomplished Mics Smuggins pre- |
sides with unequaled tact and dignity, was the
scene of the greatest confusion and excitement Tor
fortnight previous to yesterday. grand free
and-easy Fancy Ball. under the management OF
some half dozen old bloods and young bankers
clerks, was on the tapis and in eecting the neces-
sary arrangements the whole house was necessarl-
ly thrown into considerable disorder. 1t was, how
ever, submitted to with the greatest possible good
Lature by the "boarders,' amongst whom are some
OF the very sweetest ncest, most fashionable mos'
gcod-natured, and afectionate ladies' IN the Guy
and amongst the gentlemen, several who are prooa,
bly, unsurpassed any where for the luxuriance OF
their ,sowstaehe, and the fertility of their resources
for effecting that beautiful and very philosophical
process, denominated "raising the wind" Ihe
''boarders," then, without a murmur, ate IN the
basement and kitchen, slept three In bed IN the
garrett rooms, and srbmttedto thousand inconve-
Iences rather than hinder in the slightest degree
the progress of the magnificent, judicious, every
sort-of-sht preparations for the grand Stree and
easy" joint stock Fancy Ball.
The whole Of the second floor was thrown open,
consisting of the dining room, Mrs. Green's bed
room, Dr. EpsOm's apartment, and the two closets
occupied by Mr.. Seedy and Count Blowmynoseoff.
Nothing could have been more brilliant than the
tout ensemble Of this elegant suite OF rooms Just be-
fore the company began to arrive Five Astrai
lamps with only two broken shades amongst them,
had been borrowed for the occasion, and in addi-
ton to the three belonging to the house, halt
dozen of Judds best sperm candles on the mantel
pieces and six very neat tin ssconces" nailed up
between the folding doors, illuminated the apart
L~.It e. rOut that NJ the
MONDAY sun. The decorations were remarkably
unique and tasty Tissue paper of all the colors OF
the rainbow had been cut into fantastic shapes and
hung suspended from the ceiling in graceful fes-
ICONS. The carpets had been taken up, all the old
tacks carefully nailed down, and after tremen-
dous expenditure of soap and water, the floors had,
under the superintendence Of Miss Molly O'Flana-
gan, assumed a really clean appearance, and did
not indeed look at all like clearinghouse floors
A very liberal supply of lemonade and any quant-
~ Of delicious slough nuts and ginger bread were
placed on one of the large kitchen tables which
had been transferred to the lobby. In the hurry
and hustle before the ball commenced, number of
children, ostensiby belonging to some of the
boarders, made sWtie on the gingerbread, but
were fortunately repulsed by Count Blowmynose-
off, who was then on his way from the kitchen
with shirt collar and wristbands, which Sally, one
of the chambermaids had kindly washed for him
that afternoon.
The third and fourth floors were also thrown
open;' and the attic suite of apartments, three in
number, and usually tenanted by the goddesses of
the spit and broom, were fitted up as dressing
rooms. Altogether the arrangements" were in adj
mrable style, Miss Smuggins declared that every
thing looked charming. Mrs Green said the same,
and so did Mrs. Blown, and so did Mrs. Howl, and
SO did Mrs. Splutter, and so did Mrs. Everybody,
and all assured Miss Smuggins that she would posi-
lively "astonish the Browns" Miss Smuggins and
all the lady boarders were now dressed and waiting
up stairs in the attic, dreadful state of nervous
excitement They were all in perfect futer.
Mr. Twitcher, Count Blowmynoseof, Mr.. Greens,
and Mr.. Diddler the fashionable bank clerk, who
had been particularly interested in getting up the
ball. were also little fdgetty. Like generals on
the Of decisive battle, they were uneasy till
they saw how the thing went off,
At length the company began to arrive, and in
very short time, the rooms on the second floor were
all perfect jam. Such motley crowd and such
a various gathering has never been seen in
this city since the celebrated O'Dcgherty Fancy
Ball, in 1910. All New York there /; that is,
all the distinguished fashionables Of the present
refined, elegant, moral respectable regime. Ac-
complished dry goods clerks and druggists-genteel
BARRIERS and bakers-eegant bar-keepers and but
Notwithstanding warehousemen and watch
sufiers--refned tobacconists and tailors-,polite
greatest portion of the males consisted OF elegant
men about town, who follow the highly fashion
able profession OF living by their wits: The ladies
an equally agreeable and fashionable ihs
Bowery, Wavery Place, and Broadway were.
all represented Every caste and every style OF
beauty, from the saucy soubrette OF the east end,
10 the dignifed lady of a retired green-grocer up
town. were there. 1t was charming, republican,
interesting, amusing, philosophical admixture OF
youth and wrinkles, nature and art, verdancy and
cuteness, dcwn-townn and up,townIall seasoned
and spiced with preiuslon OF New York morality,
decency, virtue and refinement.
Such crowd! Turks, Spaniards, Greeks, In
dams, Chinese, Irish, Swiss girls and Jersey girls
queens, Processes, peasants, lOafers, brigands,
nuns, ballet. girls, gypses, all sorts Of characters
which the wardrobes OF the Chatham, Olympic and
Park, and the warehouses of Chatham street could
furnish. The rooms were SO small that the most
amusing scenes occurred in consequence Of the
pressure. One fat, red-haired woman of forty, who
appeared as Queen Victoria, was crushed almost to
death in a corner where she was driven by an In
dian chief, and fellow who appeared in the very
appropriate character of a jackass. Her majesty,
after vainly struggling to escape, at last went into
Mysteries, and was carried off in the arms of the
jackass who emphed tumbler of lemonade in her
face, efiectuaIly washing of the chalk and red
paint, and sending her majesty shrieking to one OF
the rooms up stairs, when she again fell into the
arms of Mr.. Dddler, who personated apickpocket,
and who was Just then embracing tall thin lady,
dressed as Queen Esther Mr.. Diddler immediate
ly disappeared, leaving the rival queens to arrange
their regal robes, ard recover their majestic digni-
ty as thew could
There was evidently no squeamsh--no affect
ed-no mock modesty amongst the ladies'. Most
of them made most liberal display of their person.
al charms-snowy necks-swelling busts-white
round arms-diviney chiselled ankes-and limbs
of fautess symmetry, were seen In all their naked
loneliness, or haconcealed by the fascinating dra-
perry Of the thinnest guaze: And the conduct was
equally liberal and bewitchngly free from prudery,
OF each it might have been said
"Favors TO ALTO all she smiles extends,
Not once rejects-so never once ofends"
They bore the crushing and the crowdlng with