The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-24


is relished by the wisest men-and women. The
truth of the old couplet was never more manifest
than at the Grand Bal Masque of the Menner-
chor Musical Society, at the Academy of Music
last evening. The Mennerchor is one of our
oldest, most celebrated, and successful of
Amercon singing societies, and a most worthy
and respectable organization. 1t has got into the
good fashion of giving these masked balls
every year; and they have always been notable
for the spirit of real enjoyment characterizing
them-for the love of harmless social amuse-
nents is an essential element In the German
composition. German recrestions are never
selfish or exclusive. They embrace the entire
family, even to the toddling infant, and the
young folks of ten or twelve ha We as big share
in the bal mas4le as the more consequential
grown people.
In every respect perhaps, the ball of last
evening far eCiipsed its predecessors. There
was more variety of costumes and characters,
and the sport of merry-making was more earnest
and sustained than is usually the case. FIRST,
there was some ground and lofty tumbling by
lot of clowns who walked around the floor upon
their hands until their faces were as red as
beets, and their wrists became painfully sore.
Then the curtain rolled up and the singers ap
peared upon the stage in the celebrated fair
scene from Martha. The chorus was no doubt
well rendered, to judge from the physical exer-
tons of the foremost chorBters, but the vocal
harmonies all went for naught, being completely
drowned by the blatant orchestra.
By-the-way there were two orchestras in at
tendance in addition to the one on the right of
the stage, embalmed IN bower of pInes Hass-
ler's orchestra being stationed on the left OF the
balcony, whence it discoursed operate gems
from DiIOTdh, and so forth. So far as the deco
rations of the house vent. they were quite
pretty. Festoons of red, white, and blue fabric
clasped by miniature masks, adorned the front
of the balcony. The stage was arranged in neat
curtains, and altogether was fair to behold.b
The floor managers wore white satin badges,
surmomted with small masks, that grinned with
exuberant jollity.
The night was hardly auspicous for an enter
tainment of the kind, or indeed for any public
entertainment. The weather was unpleasautlY
cold, and the snow disagreeably deep. But the
Academy was so full that had the attendance
been much larger there would have been an
inconvenient JAM and the princely suits would
have suffered The floor was crowded with the
dancers and promenaders from halfpast nine
OClOCh unGll dllcC LWO, duu JllG phIAuel CHClSJ
balcony, and family circle were filled with the
spectators, who must have enjoyed themselves
as much as the actual participants in che reyel.
To give the bali imposing ecIat, one or two new
features were introduced. The programme Of
the dances was printed on illuminated cardboard
fans, with one Of which each lady was presented.
The idea was both ornamental and useful, for
dancing en- mdsqUe is decidedly warm work, and
even the shaggy polar bears famed themselves
as persstertly as the "Dundreary" exquisi!es.
Another novelty was the check system.
Each gentleman, as he passed out from the
ballroom, presented his hand and had check
imprinted on the palm, with ink. The plan was
found to work admirably-so admirably, in
deed, that several of our gentlemen friends, who
were unable otherwise to gain admission to the
parquet circle, moistened their palms, shook
hands warmly with acquaintance who had
ls,s,, come out" and thus obtained the neces-
sary imprint.
Among other excellent music of the evening
wac me "Galcp," composed expressly for the
occasion by Adolph Birgfeld. Its prilliancy
was a theme of general remark, and its execu'
ton by the orchestra was capital.
The third novelty to be mentioned was more
startling and narrowing than these. About
IL o'clock great cries we're heard up in the
family circle, and three or four clowns were
seen struggling and belaboring the PROSTATE
and apparently lifeless figure of man. Every
one was startled at the cruelty OF their conduct,
and the feeling was intensified to horror when
they seized the unfortunate wretch, and tossing
him over the railing, hurled him to the floor.
He struck with such violent "thud" that he
burst open, scattering his contents Ia bundle OF
straw upon the dresses of the peasant girls and
peeresses, the EsquimauX and the Jolly Myn.
heers.
To recollect all the ludicrous characters pre-
sented would be q matter of some difficulty.
Many who made the least attempt to be ridicu-
lous In their ''make-upn were the most so, as In
the case of young lady whose slippers we're so
absurdly small that cher heel kept a-rocking',
all through the dance. There is no better field
for the study of human nature its follies and its
foibles, than the mask ballroom. In general,
too, there can be no better indication OF the bent
of persons character than the style of dress
they select for such occasions.
Amid much that was very funny and enter
tanning by the hour, there were some charao-
tiers in bad taste, and some not unexceptiOnable.
And there were too painfully many, that exhi.
bited a woful paucity of original idea. The
impressible lackadaislcal "Hamletsn were there,
with plumes, caps, doublets and immaculate
hose, displaying contemptibly proportoned
calves. In each case, however, 1t was remarked
that the proprietors of the calves lost no oppor.
tunity of displaying them, or striking effective