Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-03-16

tpondent, / have neither health nor in
Iclination. Save a few visits to tn
Iopera, and three dinner parties, knol
nothing. The bal-masque, once so IA
imous that all strangers were expecte
lat least to see one, have degenerate
Unto such vile things, that no one having
the slightest self-respect ever wishes t
witness the second. The most famou
IL was tempted to write Infamous
are at the Italian Opera House, ant
commences at midnight, Saturday.
This makes it a Sunday orgie, and i
continues on Sabbath morning unit
daylight. Our little party, one and all
declined witnessing such, until curiosity
overcame their scruples, and they went
DR.. Bob protesting that it was shock
ing affair-any other day it would no
be so bad. D. answering that Bob re-
minded him of the old lady in Virginia
who begged the gentlemen engaged il
running the boundary line so to arrangt
it as to keep her house where it was
"for Caroliny was such a sickly State
ID. thinking the evil to be in the ball
and not in the day.
l saw nothing of our friends unit
after late breakfast, when they ap-
peared, looking much ashamed of them
selves, and were loud in their condemna.
ton of the affair. They amused me
with little history of an elderly gentle
man they were pleased to call "Ancient
Jones'" This individual had accom-,
panied his only son to Paris, to see that
his medical education should be thor
oughly completed, and under his pater-
nal care. l did not learn that the youth
full Jones was disposed to break from
the wise control of his careful father
But the old gentleman was full of fears
-he heard of Paris as the city of evils,
full of pitfalls and snares for youthful
steps. One night not long since, the
quiet hopeful said that his near and kind
friend Brooks was very i'll of the typhoid
fever, and he wished to tender his SER
vices, and sit up the night by his friend.
The father readily consented to this
Christian conduct, and as he permitted
his boy to have no night key, left the door
of their bedroom unlocked.
After his sons departure, however,
he remembered that it was Saturday
night-the night of the grand 6al-maS-
que at the Italian Opera House, thing
he had heard much of, and had been
solicited by his delicate boy to attend,
merely to see, for one; but his morality,
his sense of duty, recoiled; he sternly
bade his son be silent on that vile sub
ject. But, to tell the truth, the old gen.
tleman had a lrking curiosity, and on
this evening it became frightfully strong.
What could possess him? He attempt
ed his usual French studies, but 0llen-
dorff seemed doubly stupid. One or
two sentences in that VALUABLE work took
possession of his brain. "COmptez rous
aller rabal masque &c Soirs" Do you
intend to 90 to the masque ball this
evening?) ..Je cemte q aller." Iintend
to go. The opportunity was so favora-
ble-he could go and return without his
sons, without any ones knowledge.
His satanic majesty fairly took posses
sion of the good old man; and he re-
paired to a neighboring store, where
dresses were rented or sold, and selected
the most appropriate-that of friar of
order gray-placed himself in voiture,
and in few minutes was at his destina-
ton. He entered-the scene startled
him beyound measure--the crushing
roar of two hundred instruments, the
dazzling light of chandeliers and jets,
which seemed to go glittering up and up
into a dizzy distance, lighting tier after
tier where thousands of eyes from IL
hind black dominoes reflected back the
rays, as they looked down upon the
myriads of fantastic forms which rolled
and tossed under the sway of the
deafening music, like a vexed sea by
moonlight-made up whole to dream
of, not to see. Mr. Jones was startled,
then shocked little, very little amused,
and finally, as shall tell you, greatly
alarmed. A strange fascination pos
sessed him. After he had gratifed his
curiosity, he still fingered; he wandered
on through the wild maze, and, as the
hours wore on, the fun grew fast and
furious---monks and knights jumped
higher and higher---devils twisted
gypseys, fower-girls, dibardeurs,
screamed as they fairly flew; while
hideous beasts roared, howled and
squealed. The musicians seemed pos
sessed, and rolled out without ceasing
the wild strains, that seemed to madden
every one. Mr.. Jones, was bewildered;
many times was he seized upon by some
fearful creature, and whirled through
dances which made him dizzy and sick.
AT last Mr.. Jones was frightened
he was captured by group, that, in
mad fit, seemed determined to torture
him to death. He could not get away;
one of the number, girl, scandalously
habited, seemed the leader Her dress
was very improper-her. conduct dis
gusting. She was evidently intoxicated
-smelled dreadfuly of bad cigars and
brandy. She would not let him 60
called him IN excellent English, cher
ancient garcon"-"a regular brick
while the others laughed, shouted and
danced round him. Atlast be tore him
self away, rushed home at daylight,
tore off his gown, thrust it into the
CRATE, and by its warmth hastened to
bed, fearing every moment the arrival of