New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-29
TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 80, 1866.
Gatts and cfntions.

SPLIGGINs AT A BAL MAsQUE.-Our country
correspondent, Spliggins an old typo, has been
at Bal Maaqu@ and thinks it may prove service
able and interesting to relate his experiences As
it may really prove SO, we make room for his mar
ratiye. He says
AS there are thousands of the readers of Facts
ana FlctOns, who, living in the country, have
never attended bal mluSJlt6, Spliggns wishes to
record his experiences at one which was given on
Mardi.Gras last
About II A. NJ. of that day, he went to the box
once and illed an application for two tickets, in
| tending, of course, to take Mrs. Spliggins with
| him. He desired to call at 8 p NJ. for an an
| swer. During the interval he went home and Mrs.
| Spliggins and himself had long talk as to what
| costume they would appear in. Finally, she said
| sue you'd go as peasant girl as it was a modest
| and unassuming character, and he posted off to
| look for suitable habiliments He went into an
| establishmenton Chartres street, found exactly
WI nat MRS; y needed, and then, suggesting that
| ne wanted costume for himself, the polite pro-
| prIetor took long pole and lifted dukes
turnout from peg, which Mr.. Spliggins was,
without much difficulty, very soon persuaded
would suit him admirably. As he took the care
tully-wrapped up traps under his arm, he was very
much reminded, as he trudged along the street, of
Ben, Franklin, with the loaf Of bread under his
arm. When he arrived at home, he found Mrs.
SpIgglns as busy as bee in a tar bucket, sewing
ON piece of red lace here and piece there, and
twisting lot Of moss to put in her waterfall.
without telling him anything about this transac-
ton, she had gone to a mattrass manufacturers
and ordered cart load anent which he thought
great deal, but did not say much. At the hour
T appointed he returned to the box-ofice and
got the tickets, duly backed by some knowing
one" Mr.. Splggins" Mrs. Spliggins." The
next thing was to / fix up" About P. NJ. he
lad succeeded in getting his costume on, and
announced to Mrs. S. that he was ready, when he
was somewhat astonished to learn that Mrs. 8. had
only taken one reef in her waterfall. However
at about liz p M, they started for the ball room
On presenting the tickets gentleman told Mrs
| Sphggms to fellow him, motioning towards
room. s. peeped in as the door opened and saw
several ladies already there. When Mrs s. came
out he asked her what she had been wanted for,
aud what had been the result. She answered that
she had had the following question put to her ::
9 DO you s9lemnly pledge your word as lady that
you are Mrs. Spliggins ?"-that she replied she
did and that he then told her to pass on. to the
at the delay.
t Ashe stepped ina duke, mind you " stype-
/ ticker" no more,-he said to himself" Good
bye friends Stith and Hedges, NJ quads, N quads,
and hair spaces. His grace intends to enjoy him
| self.u
: He extended his hand to Mrs. spliggins, and
took position for a dance. While they were
, waiting for the music, he thought he would look
around him to see the sights. One lady, near his
left had flesh-colored stockings on, and another
: with o good many diamonds on her pretty fingers
had Scotch plaid ditto. The latter attracted his
attention, and he determined to secure her for the
next
y "Swashay, hands across.
Salie go down the middle.'
/ A duke and diamonds could not be otherwise
3 than attractive. The music struck up and away
r they went splggins was very graceful in his
! movements, and he fancied he heard a sweet
voice say he must be a real lord. His eyes would
/ wander after the little lady with the Scotch suit.
AS she skipped and sided along he fancied he
f saw more and more of her attractions.
1 Mrs. Spliggins observed his peerings and his
abstract ctedness, and said " Mr.. Spliggins, wish
you would not look SO much at that lady's"-
! Stockings, my dear" he said " l only looked
I at the stockings"
= The first dance being over, Spliggns began
! search for another partner. Soon found one
Thought he heard her heart humping against hel
y dellcate bosom as she gave her consent. He lei
her forth, the observed of all OBJ" no: Mrs. s
had her eyes on him and he imagined that he hat
any regard for his nice head of hair he had bette
act little reseryedly, and rt as little possible
Dance over Splggins thought he had better takC
something to refresh his dukeship and started fol
the retreshment saloon, to see what could be had
just as he arrived at the door bang went tumblel
against the wall then another, followed by various
bottles, and general crash of fragile ware. "a
fight! ight!n "Clear the way?n "Stop it 2
. was sung out by the walters. cut head,
: smashed nose, and bloody shirt bosom was the
result "If that the kind of refreshments served
out in this apartment" he said. "Mr. and Mrs
K Spliggins wont take any,"
. He returned to the stage and found Mrs. s, com
planning of the cold notwithstanding it had taker
her her from to liz P. n; to put on the numberless
e fiXinsh she wore. "Well, Mrs. Spliggins if you
are cold, what do you think of some Of the othel
ladies around you ~ asked he. "They must be
freezing for | never saw dresses so l01o and sc
l. high in my life." ''Nor l ether,n said lady
It dressed in pink domino, near us. "This is the
k kfrst time was ever at masquerade l came al
the way from Arkansas just to attend this ball
: making my husband postpone his business, which
= was OF very urgent character, so as to strike il
S exactly. Let me tell you," continued the lady
+ II had to sit in hair. dressing from nine in
: the morning until six in the evening, waiting fol
B.. my turn to get my hair arrangedn Spliggns
Il thought of the cart load of moss. 81 went with
g out dinner, without supper, or anything tc
k relieve the most eXcTuCiating hunger-eXpendeC
two hundred dollars for a cos-ume-have no
y danced a single time with any one but o. GrubbE
n CHATS my husband, madam call him Grubbs)
f and he shall not dance with any of those women
a with brass heels and seigh-bells on their ankles
just to make noise to attract the eyes of the mer
in that diTectiOn.n Mrs. Spliggins shook her fin
ger at me | understood. " Lordy wish was
N back in Arkansas, where the ladies wear long
dresses and long sleeves, and button their troCk
If under their chin aud not round their waist. Here
II comes Grubhs. I'll make him go home, and yOr
" had better take your husband away, madam yOJ
s. don't know hut what one of these ladies might en-
n tap him, for he looks very attractiven Spiiggn
could not help thinking Of the composing rule anC
:, | q piece of proof he had in his pocket, headed
II Facts aud Fictions,n and wondered which hat
t. proved the most disappointing, the facts OF the
L. hctons of that Mardi Grass experiences.
a The little hours having arrived, Mrs. Spliggin
| and himself started for home, resolved never Il
: so to the ball of the season again.
-S- -ss
How THEY DO THINGS IN PARIs.-The pleasure
J Of European travel must be great to those WHIT
Y desire to get the worth of their money, judging
2, from the following anecdote, which we copy from