Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-10-04
A Roman Ball.

The society of Rome is highly priced by those
who are fortunate enough to be admitted in its
circles. The graceful wit, poetic enthusiasm.
and warm.hearted frankness which character
ize the people, are set off to the best advantage
by their social freedom and their unconstrained
manners divested of their usual shackles of pru-
dish formality. Many grand balls ate also g-
ven during the fashionable season, and de.
sctipton Of one will answer for all. Your nv.
tation sent fortnight in advance. tells you that
1.-THE Prince and Princess-beg the S,gnore
- to do them the honor of coming to pass the
evening in their palace, at eight O'Clock" On
the appointed evening you enter your carriage
at ten o'clock, and half mile before reaching
the palace, you find file OF carriages extend
ing from it that distance. After a long trial Of
patience. you are driven into the palace court.
and set down at the foot of the grand marble
staircase, covered for the occasion with scarlet
cloth. The first nte-chamber is crowded with
servants Of the guests holding their masters
cloaks. Beyond these other rooms, through
| which Your name is echoed by the announcing
transformations and at last you enter the grand
saloon, where you are received by your host
and hostess. A numerous suite Of magnificent
rooms, is now open to you, some lined with
paintings, others devoted TO chess and cards,
and one even supplied with newspapers. (among
which susually Galgnanl's omnipresent "Mes-
| senger" for the benefit Of the English guests y
but the music will soon attract you TO the ball
room, which is the focus ofthe crowd Here n
full orchestra perform the finest airs from the
last opera, and you may either dance to their
inspiring strains or listen TO the notes "by dis
tarce made more sweet" in a corner ofthe spa
cioas and numerous apartments, in some Of
which you may find yourself almost entirely a.
lone, though q thousand guests are present.
( These grand reunions are too thickly sprink.
led with English TO be national, but nearly all
the Romans present are covered with the stars
and ribbons Of various orders of knight-hood, and
the ladies are dazzling in diamonds The noble
ladies' of Rome need not however any such de-
corations for they are tine most beautiful race of
women in the world Their complexions have
cloudess purity like the inner petal ofthe mag
nols ; their dreamy eyes reveal dzzying wells
of passion in the depths of their intense dark
ness; and their magnificent developed forms
unite the charms of Venus with the dignity of
Juno. fyou are stoical enough tor cool crti-
cism, you may fear that the progress of years
will convert their rounded outlines into uncrace.
ful obesity; but contenting yourself wth the
present moment, you must admit them TO be the
noble specimens of humanity and if you are
familiar enough with the delicious language ,c
: enjoy their spiritual and enthusiastic converse
ton, you will return home, in the small hours o
the morning delighted. beyond all your antic
patcns, with the Modern Romans-From
Gillespie's "Rome as seen by a N. Yorker"