Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-05-12
Mr.. Jones' Adventures at tn e
BAL Masque."

4" Bell Smith abroad" who writes
delightful letters from Paris u the
National Era, is responsible for the
appearance of so scandalous a story
as the following, in so straight laced
paper as the Era:
II is my duty to give you some in
formation of the gaielies of Paris
But YOU must look to some other
correspondence have neither health
nor inclination. Save a few visits
To the opera, and three dinner parties,
| know nothing. The bal masque,
once so famous that all strangers were
expected at least to sec one, have
degenerated into such vile things
that no one having the slightest self
respect ever wishes to witness the
second. The most famous was
tempted 10 write lnfamous-are at
the Italian Opera House, and com
mence at midnight, Saturday. This
makes Il a Sunday or lie; and it CON
iinues on Sabbath morning until day
light. Our little party, one and all,
declined witnessing such, until curl
osliy overcame their ,cruples, and
they went, DR.. Bob protesting that
ii was shocking afialr-any other
day would not be so bad. ID. ans
wering that Bob reminded him of the
old lady in Virginia, who begged the
gentlemen engaged in running the
boundary line so to arrange il as to
keep her house where it was, for
Carollny was SIGH sickly State"
d. thinking the evil to be in the
ball, and not IN the day.
| saw nothing of our friends until
after late breakfast, when they APP
peared, looking much ashamed of
themselves, and were loud in their
condemnation of the affair. They
amused me with little history of
an elderly gentlemen they were pleas
ed to call "Ancient Jones" This
individual had accompanied his only
son to Paris, 10 see that his medical
education should be thoroughly COM
pleted and under bis paternal care.
| did not learn that the youthful
Jones was disposed 10 break from the
wise control of his careful father
But the old gentleman was full of
fears; he had heard of Paris as the
city of evil, full of pitfalls and snares
for youthful steps. One night not
long since, the quiet hopeful said that
his dear and kind friend Brooks was
very i'll of the typhoid fever, and he
wished to tender his services, and sit
up the night by his friend. The ia
ther readily consented to this Chris
tan conduct-and, as he permitted
his boy 10 have no night key, left the
door of their bed room unlocked.
After his sons departure, however,
he remembered that il was Saturday
nlght-the night of the grand bal
masque at the Italian Opera House,
thing he had heard much of, and
had been solicited by his delicate boy
to attend, merely for once but his
morality, his sense of duty recoiled /;
he sternly babe his son to be silent
on that vile subject. But, to tell the
truth, the old gentleman had Turk
ing curiosity, and on this evening it
became frigh,fully strong. What
could possess himl He attempted
his usual French studies, but Offend
orff seemed doubly stupid. One or
two sentences in that valuable work
took possession Of his brain. "Com-
ptez vous aller au bal masque ce soirl"
do you intend to go to the masque
ball this eveningO "Je comp,e y
aller." intend TO go) The OPP