Washington sentinel., 1854-03-08
O. 0 m M unitate6. /.
The Fancy Ball at the West End.


Capulets, in this city, on Monday last have
felt impelled by sense of justice to the many
lovely ladies so unjustly omitted and unno-
ticed, to send you an attempt (however made
quate) to, at least, record some of the charm
ing costumes, with the appropriate initials, Of
these sighted fair ones.
tits indeed true, las the writer referred to
mentions) that this anxiously anticipated .fete
had been postponed for some days, but he does
not do the fair entertainers the justice to state
that this had arisen from kind regard to the
comfort of their guests, in consequence of the
severe storm of snow which had rendered the
carriage-ways almost impossible. AT length,
however, the much-desired evening came, and
the. antique mansion of the Capulets was bril-
Iiantly illumined for the grand occasion; and
no imagination can well conceive q more en-
chanting coup dell than was presented to the
| admiring gaze of the spectator by the pictu-
rescue and dazzling groups of tastefully, and in
some cases, georgeously attired participators
| in that fairy scene. In vain, however, Il would
here remark, did gaze in expectation of the
| gallant Romeo who should excite the interest
Of the spectators by his anxious search for the
goddess of his idolatry.
1t has been my good fortune to attend, in
various parts of our country, many similar
| festivals, but never one SO truly beautiful,
interesting, and select as this. For, in place
Of the dense and motley throngs usually seen
at these, generally, overcrowded assemblies,
there were here ust sufficient number to
render the effect complete and perfect.
1 In nv ottapont IN furnish q ,,nnra f,r1l opd
complete list of the performers in this mimic
scene, can only promise to afford somewhat
| better one than that of the "Looker on" in
| Verona. And in doing SO, | will follow his
example in adopting an alphabetical arrange
ment; which plan introduces first the name
of Mrs. C--s At, who gracefully represented,
in an antique dress, Of rigid simplicity, the
wife of our great philosopher and statesman
| Franklin.
Mrs. C-i, hopersonated most charmingly
the Norma of Grisi, in q beautiful flowing robe
of white, with superb mantle of maroon, or
dark brown color, fastened with jewels, and her
head encircled with a most becoming wreath
of ivy.
Miss C--s, the rose of Washington, whose
appearance was, as usual, most lovely, in the
classic white dress and white turban of sybil,
not the gorgeous Cumean sybil of Domene-
chino, nor the Persian sybil of Guercino, but
the more chastely and simply dressed sybil Of
our own Huntington.
Miss D-n, Of Norfolk, moved gracefully as
a charming paysanne or contadina of the south
of Europe, with the appropriate insignia of the
wheaton sheaf and the rustic hay rake.
Mrs. E--ymost admirably and successfully
personated an English housekeeper ofthe older
time.
Mrs. Fywas most fascinating in her beau
tiful costume OF Pocahontas.
| Mrs. H--n, Of Virginia, was truly radiant in
her brilliant dress as night, enveloped in a
gorgeous veil of black lace, spangled Ger with
dazzling stars, and signs of the zodiac; and,
indeed,
She walked in beauty, like the night
| Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
| And all that's best of dark aud light,
Met in her aspect and her eyes"
There were two or three other ladies sweetly
representing the effigies of night, but none SO
strikingly as the beautiful Mrs. H-n.
Mrs. H-lwore, with greateleganceand Dig
nifty the very beautiful dress in which her rela-
tive, the lady of President Monroe, had been
presented at the court of st. James.
| Miss H--n was mostattractive nun, though
we could not say of what order, whose rules
should be so liberal as to dispense with the
usual interdiction of such worldly scenes
of festivity and mirth, into the spirit of which
she so fully entered.
| Miss b HI, as lovely gipsy, wore a
most picturesque and becoming dress of varia.
| gated colors.
Mrs K--e lookedeven more beautiful than
usual as the gorgeous !" Aurora" flair daugh-
ter of the DAWN in superb dress of rose-col-
lored and white, with splendid golden cres-
cent on her fair brow.
Miss c. M'K-n, the lily of Washington,
most sweetly and beautifully represented her
lovely sisterhood of flowers; enrobed in a grace
full dress of flowing white,
'She seemed spirit, gently calm and bright,
With something OF an angels light"
This fair lady was said to personate the
"White Lady of Avenel.".
Miss Ma M. K was a lovely and dash
ing. "maid of Athens; and her sister, Ny,
was most sweet and attractive Swiss peasant
girl.
Miss M---r was more than usually beau
tiful in her exquisite dress of a Greek girl.
Miss Mn, of Alexandria, also personated,
most sweetly, a Grecian- maiden; and well, to
these IoRian ladies, including Miss Ma
NIX and Miss VII, may we apply the
lines Of Byron
"Their sweet and classic features-their gor-
geous dresses;
Their full dark eyes, and soft seraphic cheeks
Crimson as cleft pomegranates-their long bright
tresses.
The figure that enchants-the eye that speaks
The sweet innocence that buoyant childhood
blesses,
Made charming picture of these lovely Greeks
The two Misses Ny, were amongst the
most charming and attractive ladies present.
The elder most gracefully and beautifully
draped as "Union," in the glorious flag of our
country; and the younger as bewitching Sit
tie Red Riding-hood."
The ladies Of the family Of our fair enter
tainers, were all most becomingly and tastefully
attired.
Miss T--e, admirably representing the eel
ebrated Madame Pompadour. Her sister, MRS
LIS, in splendid dress of rich brocade silk
Miss S-y T-e, as charming little
"Belle Ecossaise" in the character of Highland
Mary. Miss E---a T---e as a lovely pay.
same, of the south Of Europe. Miss E-----e
~ 4 and