The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-01
Our New York Letter.
TrRom OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE

grand masked anu Iancy uiess duuudi .Ooi'
Of the Purim Association came off last
night at the Academy Of Music, as had been
duly announced in the papers here, and
MouLrR1E attended as per promise in his
letter of the 22d to the News. AS made
my appearance at the ball Gin the disguise OF
a bran new suit Of clothes) at nine o'clock
last night, and did not make my disappear
ance till the morn in russell mantle clad
walked Ger the dew, and so forth, and an
nounced that it was time to think Of bid
ding the world good night, or rather good
morning, and indulgingin atleast a modicum
Of tired natures sweet restorer, balmy sleep.
My account of the gay festivities is given
under the disadvantage Of my being rather
fatigued, not to say somnolent. However,
as the affair was what is called in French
nm grand success, and is well worth describ-
ing; although I may say that in: the flesh, |
have just come from the ball, in spirit will
enter it de noro, accompanied by your read
ers-time, nine o'clock last night:
Three-fourths of the parquette and the
whole Of the stage is neatly boarded over,
forming an immense ballroom thronged
with the merry maskers, dressed in cos
tunes of every description, many Of them
superly elegant and some extremely outre
and pleasantly comic-the portion Of the
parquette what is not boarded over accom-
modates such portion of the lovers OF the
dance as prefer to wait till after midnight,
when it will be allowed them to Ego upon the
floor unmasked and without costumes, to
gether with general spectators who could
not afford topay twenty dollarsfor private
box in the tier alone-in this tier are the
hog aa4s ton, to whom money is no object,
and who sip champagne as they look upon
the kaleidoscope scene below and wipe their
lips withhankerchiefs that cost from one to
five hundred dollars each.
As it grows later the maskers increase IN IL
numbers, and many Of the costumes are
noted for their richness, beautiful young
daughter of Israel, gorgeously attired as an
Indian girl, bearing the palm and winning
the gold. medal. None Of the other cos;
tunes deserve particular mention, except
one which was extraordinarily comic, and
think. that the Jewish portion Of your
readers will agree with me in considering
in rather questionable taste. What the
Israelites call a SAFER, is scroll on which
is inscribed the law Of Moses. On the fes-
tival Of Purim somewhat similar scroll, in
which is written the Book of ESTHER, is
read during the service in the Synagogue.
This is called the MEGa1ILAH, and this
was the costume in which one Of the gen.
tlemen thought proper to appear. It was
certainly most curious sight to note this
peripatetie human SAFER dancing aquad-
rille, flirting with the ladies, and, drollest
of all, joining in the chorus of hymn
chanted at midnight, the words being sung
to the tune of Yankee Doodle. A SAFER
singing Yankee Doodle is about as strange
mixture of the sublime and ridiculous as
can be well conceived. The handsomest
dressed lady on the floor was Mrs. WI
FLORENCE, the comedienne, who was the
observed of all observers. The dress wa.
made in Paris, and is heavy white rep
silk, magnifcently embroidered in black
and gold, with pearl trimmings, and the
train Cor traiD very long. Mrs, FLORENCE
wore head dress of pearl and diamonds
There was one lady present whose dress
was much costlier, though not so neat and
elegant as that Of Mrs. F. The lady
is Mrs. CRoML1NE, wife Of wealthy
Jewish banker in Wall street, who has
failed in business an extraordinary number
Of times, but who seems to get along tolera
bly, well Notwithstanding. Mrs. G. wore
blue MORE antique, with point lace and
pearl trimmings, superb diamond orna
ments in her hair, with necklace, ear rings
aud bracelets, also of diamonds, the whole
probably worth about fifty thousand dollars
At midnight when the dancers unmask
ed, the scene which was dazzling before
became more dazzIngly brilliant, for wher
the masks were thrown aside and the hand
some faces of their lovely wearers, q dc
NOT refer to the males,) were exposed tt
view, as the dark flashing eyes Of the hun
dreds of Jewish maidens, shone with
brightness that shamed the diamonds, ano
put the gas jets to the blush. could moi
but indulge in the philosophic reflection
that if nature has not been lavish in her ia
vors to the sons of the covenant, she ha'
more than counterbalanced it by bestowins
them most bounteously upon the daughters
of Israel. And now the dance is renewed
and the q Merry Purim that flashes upo1
the view in letters Of fire, across the stage
is read again and again il the laughter low
ing eyes of the lovely dancers, (not th'
men, and young men fall in love, who were
not in love before, and those who had fallel
in before, sink deeper, and the eyes aasl
on, and young men sigh, and old folk
yawn, for it is7growing late, and the hungr,.
go to the supper room and eat, and tn
thirsty drink, and it grows later still-on'
o'clock-two, three, tour, five. Music