The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-04
THE WATERING PLACES.
The Autumn Migration OF the Fashions lsies
from the Springs and the Sea shore to the
Cities, &c. &c. &c.
ATLANTIC HOUSE. Newport, ,
September l, l8fS. {

grand fancy ball at the Ocean House, on Wednes-
day night, the Both ultimo. II was an illustration
of history, embracing all the nations of the earth,
and all Its successive epochs, from the days ofthe
patrarchs to the occupation of the imperial city
OF the Aztecs. 1t was living pictorial represent
tation OF the present and bygone ages. 1t was the
midsummer Nights Dream" enlarged, 1t was
an eaperime'stnm c'rtcts, decisive thing. 1t did
seem as If the king of the magicians had flown
all over the earth, evokng the living and the dead
at his discretion, and summoning them through
delegated power OF one nights omnipotence, had
called them into this unve rsal convent on-this
captivating, fascinating, instructive, impressive,
and ludicrous bagatelle.
The Chinese Mandarin walked arm in arm
with John Hancock; Ma dame de Pompadour
was amused with the soft sawder' of Sam
Slick; Cinderella was quite at home with the
Earl of Rochester; the brilliant impersonatiOn of
Nourmahal, his harems PRIDE"
forgot the music of the Orient, under the amusing
calculations OF Jonathan Swap Benedck was
smiten by the bright eyes of nun from Baltimore;
Robin ROughhead was pis-a-v,s with the Maid Of
Athens.
"Maid of Athens, ere we part,
Give, OH give me back my heart
A member of the French National Assembly
and Diana, crowned with the new moon, stood
side by side The gay. Frenchman had on his left,
Tltanla OF the fairies.
Wh1e, on the other hand, meek Dian s crest,
Floats through the sultry air an image of the best
King Charles bowed submissively to Swiss
peasant girl, and Ophelia was taken from our
presence by Jack Tar. Bright, as in the days of
her short-lved glory, Mary Queen Of Scots was.
handed through the quadrIlle by Douglas.
"My name is Norval,
On the Grampian hills my father feeds his focks."
And beautiful as the spirit of dream, Aurora,
goddess OF the morning, guided, with her twlnkling
feet, IN the mazes OF the wreathlng dance, the
loa1I do nf ahuo nfpn oLor tnh
day costume, was "thee' and 4" thou = and the
friend alike OF kings, pirates, Indian chiefs, and
gondoliers. The Genius OF America was taken
captive by Cupid, and the Goddess of Liberty
was all but persuaded to fall IN love
with fine old English gentleman,
All Of the olden time.n
A new deity to the meek catalogue-Faustus,
the God of the Press, was there, clad IN news
electric telegraph. Kings and peasantry, patrcians
and plebelans, anclents and moderns, made way
at his approach. He was the hero of the night,
and all, with one accord, agreed with Hamlet,
who was absent on account of bad cold, caught
by exposure to the night air, that it was
"a hit-a papable hit"
Mr.. Bennett and lady were satisfied to represent
the fashion and the reflex of the times we live In
and the few OF the citizens costumes that were
present, threw into holder relief the complex of
the antique, and the pompous and grotesque OF the
histrlonics.
Whirng backward and forward the whole time,
passing and repasslng, throng OF halt a thousand,
blended and ever-changlng in the most inextrica--
bic confusion, monarchs and sailors, goddesses,
firemen, fairies and balloons, the nations and the
ages OF the earth, present and gone by, passed IN
review before u.s. Such was the scene in the ball
room,Io ion the night of Wednesday last, a, Newport.
Such was birds eye view OF the grand fancy ball
In full contamination to the strains of the Steyer
markische band.
But the pageant vanished by the next morning,
"And like the baseless fabric of vision.v
11Cst ,..sl al. Ill 4 NY
scarcely realize, after the interposlion OF days
reflection, whether the spectacle was ''mockery
OF the braln," or positive tact-whether the in
describable complexities of this world
we tasted with five hundred visitors from the four
quarters OF the globe, or mirage Fata Morgana,
an optical illusion, fiction of the imag nation,
the mockery OF lake from the suns reflections
peared to U.S. with Its fund of historical sugge sons
pleasing and painful, with Its imagery OF the past
and the present and If the real characters, the
personal traits, history and style OF conversation
and spoken as faithfully as given in the costumes,
the drama would have been enhanced IN value and
entertainment thousand, per centum.
The next morning, OF the day alter the carnival,
presented quite different programme. Groups
OF both sexes were gathered in the parlors and
halls of the hotels, discussing the strange assem-
bage and the ruling Municipalities of the night,
and wondering when the Nev York Herald, with
Its ful-length picture of the pageant and pageanry,
would come to town. The king Of the magicians
had waved his magic rod, and all the mysterious
deputies OF the festival had sunk into the earth
still 1t strikes us that we number of the late
queens, talries, and goddesses, transformed into
good looking, everyday people, INDUCING in the
vulgar necessity OF their morning coffee and not
and Higtanders at the bar of the Ocean House,
as merchants and mechanics, your everyday
customers, taking together little hook and soda
water.
fha dow Tho IL
transportation of trunks, and the costumers M
gathering up the old clo,' which the deities,
lordlings, and potentates OF the night had left
BEHIND IN Their nf unanimous tTsnsmogrlcaon
oscillations OF pendulation, the extremes of ex-
cltement and prostration follow each other From
the effect of this memorable law, number of the
participants IN the carnival, who would otherwise
have gone homeward with the first boat, have re-
NAMED day or two, to rccuperate from their en-
haustlon and, like the illustrous Dogberrv. we
should ask to be written down, if we had not
written enough herein to establish the applicable
lily OF his accusation.
The weather is fne-the bathing In the surf 10
fine; and we have taken full advantage of these
incltements 10 revel with the jewellers in the
breakers Bon Jour- TIE DocroR.
PAVILION, SHARON SPRINGS,
August 81, lSaS.
Almost the last visiter has now left this charm.
ing watering place, and when look around me
and see the long array of empty chairs at the
dining tables, and miss familiar faces
feel rs one who trcads alone
Some banquet hall deserted,
Whose lights are fed,
And garlands dead,
And all but me Departed
No, no-let me see-not all but me- either:
Tor there are some half dozen families who prefer
remaining to enjoy the quiet comfort and beauty
OF the place undsturbed, and free from the tram
mels Of the strict conventonalities of fashionable
etiquette; and yet, though, with all of the obser-
vances of refined society. there has been but little
absence during the season OF those pleasing soca-
bilities without which the supper ten would