Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-03-19
For tie Southern Standard

TOf We OOuLHefH C[QnuOTQ.
Rarely has it been our fortune to witness, so
brilliant an assemblage, as that gathered beneath
the hospitable roof of our esteemed friend COL
4cLARAN, on Wednesday evening last.
A week before, cards issued for Fancy dress
and Masquerade Party" had so excited the youn-
ger portion of the town that until the eventful eve
ming little was thought or dreamed of but "cos-
tunes" and characters "masks'' and ''dsguis-
es,' save, ever and anon, the perplexing anticpa
tons of possible accidents which always haunt the
young devotee of pleasure and of fashion-sick-
ness, weather, the whims of a pious mamma, or
the Cody humor of money-loving Papa, or an
tedeluvian devotee. But the evening at last came
health and cheerfulness prevailed; the God of
nature and of all our hopes and joys-temporal as
we'll as eternal-seemed to exhibit parental pleas
ure, in the happiness of his children, the gay
young spirits who were now busy in preparation, J
and all things, save envy, and jealousy, and woun-
ded pride, omitted expectants-or the churlsh
fesh-mortifying discontents, who always seemed
to US, better suited to the abode of wretchedness
festive scene. AS the sotening shade. of twilight
disappeared in nightfall, far and near cleaned the
many colored beacon-light from the lofty dome Of
of our hosts illuminated palace" announcing
that festivity and JOY ruled the hour.
We find ourselves at the entrance of the grounds
-four carriage and attendants effectually shroud-
ed by the friendly darkness, and we are forced to
pause and admire the fairy-like scene before US
while our infante recollections of nurses stories
of enchanted castles and Genii, involuntarily rise
to our minds. On the Portico, like some benevo.
lent spirit of happy land, stood our noble host
welcoming us with hearty tone and genial smile.
But if the scene without was one of enchanted
splendor, to what shall we compare Ike maze o
light and loneliness, that burst upon our wildered
gaze within-Gallant Knights and ladies fair
the beauty and the chivalry, waving scarfs and
glittering robes, the hum of silvery voices-tht
fragrant breath of flowers and music that rose in
soft aerial tones and fingered near and 1oated off
until 1t was lost in the arabesques of fruits and
flowers which adorned the fretted walls Unreser
vedly we gave ourselves up to the enchantment O.
the scene for
'The heart could nothing feel, that felt not this
Passing directly to the cheerful CRATE glowing
with coal-ire in beautiful contrast with the darl
marble mantel around, the first object which ar
rested our especial notice, was petit figure ar
rayed in white, and so wreathed with fowery fet
tiers, that we fancied her captive in Flora train
or stray child from the blooming bowers Of Eden
with its rosy light still playing about her. / w
had scarcely fixed our unsatisfed eyes, for a mo
ment, on this Flower Of flowers, when like Arrest
less humming bird it seemed to be our visions DIES
tiny, to fit to another and another, of these swee
PERKS While gazing with all the admiration Of
devotee on these fancy creations from Nature
loveIiest domain, there suddenly alighted in thei
midst little s'Mountain Sylph" with wings aat
wand, whose dress appeared, as though itwer
voxen from the snow flakes, of hefeown natly
heights 50 pure and tasteful. was its tout easeha
ue. Indeed. we were 50 interested, By her suddei
spparitiOn. that we began to fear for her the fat
a the waxen wings Of the innocent lcarus, whel
ia as suddenly and silently vanished s''ss