The New York herald., 1851-12-04

ELIzABxrHrowN, N. J Nov. q, 1851.
Grand Famcy Dress Ball in Ehzabdifoor-7 The
Heroes, the Hsoiwes, the Costxnses, &c.
IT, in the general political events Of the present,
in the more stirring Circumstance Of broken banks
for which, alas New Jersey is now too famous
We can claim Ro notoriety, yet, In the fashionable
and gay sphere of life, We demand the pre- eminence
over all the rest of the Jerseys a. our just right
Our good people had scarce yet recovered from the
excitement consequent upon the production Of the
comedy of "The Rivals" by an amateur corps
dramatique- which, by the way, was most admira-
bly, cast and sustained some weeks, since, when
We were aroused frsm our state of quietude and
universal repose, by the appearance among us of
numerous suspicious looking billet doux, which
announced to us that fancy dress ball was in pre-.
gress.
A .fancyv ball. and in Elizabethtown The
sible. But sll their fsrebodings Of no avail.
Mrs. L., the young and beautiful wife Of one Of
your rich French importers, has declared that she
will give fancy party on the evening Of
to 60 All is now hurry. The shop
keepers are doing q thriving business in
red merine and yellow flannel. Tho conversa-
whist is Il to be- Ss your % costume ' p '''p' w
The evening at last arrives, and We are there.
beautiful sight at once meets the eye. From
every window of the large mansion beams q food
ear AS you enter you can scarce realize in what
scene you are placed You are received By q LADY
and gentleman in the court dress Of Louis XIV,
beside you sits inc Turk, and around you cluster
and flower girls dowagers and princes.
About an hundred guests are assembled. Those
who first attracted the most attention were agroup
efpigrims, eight in number. They were all dressed
floor, with slaves in their hands, each one masked.
They formed at once in quadrile, but presently
you observe they unfasten their coaks at the neck
and in instant the whole eight stand before you
in the varied costumes of various times and tastes
One great cause for the beautiful appearance Of
the ball wass the great variety of costumes. No
two were alike, and all were getten up with great
taste, and scrupulous regard to the character as
sumed.
Never have we seen so many handsome dresses
together. No one might be called even inferior.
To enumerate the various characters would be
impossible, such custom being honered more in
"the breach than the observance" l will make
mention Of bu. very few. GAS wisdom
Is is. better than b. r. riches" let me speak Of her
companion Folly. These characters were taken
by the Misses Lawrence. Miss L., as Wisdom,
with her dress covered with mystic signs, fascinating
every one with her brilliant conversation; and her
sister, as Fony, with her merry laugh, and her dress
covered with tiAkling bells, we're very much ad-
mired. 1t was supposed that q certain knight
drank deeply, that night, from the fountain of
Folly should have so many votaries, Miss L., of
New York, as Norma, was the sweetest Druidess
that ever touched the scimetar to cut the msletoe
from the noble oak. To her cousin there was no
hardship in using the more tender expressions of
''thee'' and 'thou." With Miss La c., as Ger
man Peasant, no humble walk of life could possess
one disadvantage Miss O., Of Elizabethtown,
with her merry and wicked eye, half concealed by
q hat and feather, caused even king to bow before
her. Her cousin, Miss o from Paterson, dressed
IN simple ball dress, not the less attractive by
the contrast. One Of the most amusing characters
in the room was Newsboy; his dress was made
OF play bills and, with q package of papers under
his arm, and whistling to a tune he played on
couple of sticks in his hand, caused much amuse.
ment. Mr.. L., from New York. in the dress of
Harry Absolute, in ''The Rivals" recalled to all
the very admirable manner in which he sustained
that character. One of the most complete dresses
was that Of Maltese Knight; it was worn by
Mr.. D., of Paterson, with the chain armor for legs
and arms, and the crimson cross on his breast
he Was noble-looking knight.
The supper was very sxcellent But 1t was
told around that that was not all; so no one
must leave even had they been so inclined. Dancing
was most incessantly kept up until about four
o'clock in the morning. Then dejexnr was pro-
vided and, as the grey dawn was bursting all
around us, We turned away from Of the most
delightful entertainments which New Jersey has
ever known. The town clock chimed six rs our
carrisge stopped at the door. We had passed six
hours of our Thanksgiving day, and With very
thankful hearts will we ever recall those delightful
hours passed at Chiffon during the night Of No
vember 26tb, 1851.