New-York tribune., 1867-05-03
TIE OPERA Ball.
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ball after Easter Is almost "A unheard of as bali
IN Lent. The soft Spring weather does not tempt to
the blaze, and dust and din of the routs at tho
Academy; and the strain upon brain and nerves in
yolyed in arranging Summer plans, aud attaining
summer wardrobes, forbids the bellies any greater
exertion than saunter the Avenue, or q drive in
the Park; any wilder excitement than an evening at
Walacks at tho Opera, or with Ristoti.
nevertheless, when the poor are in question,
dancing becomes quite another thing, We all know
I'VE have heard often that it is more blessed to
give than to receive. But when it is a contest be-
tween the heathen Of BorroboolaGha and the pretty
lace handkerchief that one needs uspeakably.
having but five; when one must decide be.
tween the supposititious hungry sand-hiller among
the tributaries of the Tar, and lovely arias
for the idol Of ones young affections BorriobooIa
and Carolina apt to be left unyisited. Cologne
and Jockey Club, and laces, and silk, and
diamonds. and flowers, and hairdressers services,
and canes. and light kid gloves, and other
ecessaries of life being unprecedently high of
people must curai their little charities in order to
be presentable at all And solicitors Of funds cannot
ask, they could. s0 So $50. for the freezing
infants of Terra del fuegoor the starving citizens Of
the Indian Isles
so veteran generals of finance forego attack, but
adopt strategic system of mining, certain to make
all pockets capitulate. They devise private tbeatr
Gals, where t0 witness very bad acting. on very
small stage, fashionable audience STILES and sghs,
expressing its discomfort and delight in most liberal
iargessc; They arrange amateur concerts. and po-
lite public indorses notes which its least sensitive
unit would decline to accept at Stenways or Irving
They manage balls and the $40 tickets are eagerly
seized m, the general bother s Of Of preparation
by the very persons who would die
OF rose IN aromatic pain, If they were besonght 10
taHs half the trouble IN any directly helpful and
charity ygate of heaven in plain gown and limited
ornaments IL is delicious to float into the king
dom on the throbbing waltz-music of Strauss and
DOnzetti.
All this, not by way of carpng. but of commends
ton. Lovely That's sits beside U.S. Let's take tho
good the gods provide us. If these sweet children
elect to learn the palm shall not they have two
gingeruts
The gingernuts were spread last night at the
Academy, by seventy purveyors representing 80
much money and 80 much social position, and 80
much department that, TO the eye of imagination,
they appeared to be dressed in armorof gold. to glide
gracefully through the thrOng on inaccessible
stills, and to have each and every onet
Chestereds Letters to his Son in his pocket instead
of diary. SO gracious were these seventy, how
ever they bore their faculties meek and were -
clear iii their great office, that when one had falry
of the money. they represented produced, he
saw at once that golden armor was the only wear;
that stills were the greatest improvement upon legs
and that Chesterheds letters ought to become part
of every Sunday school library.
The great ballroom not elabOrately decorated
the Committee, with fine sense of the fitness or
things feeling that that entire and perfect erysote
of tawdry chcapness ought not TO be obscured by
any attempt at grace, andwealth of color, and
e festive which, on such fare e shs,
flooded the ills they had with whole rivuletst
rivers. of gas, which only foated the bad
architecture, bad c0loring, bad effects and could
not drown them. But when the boxes and tho
floors were full. ono forgot, in the glow and
blaze of dresses and jewels the ugly frame OF tho
midnight there enough to fill the house pleas
antly, not enough to make dancing impossible, md
moving wearness There was the usual orchestra; ore
piper of Hamen-town piped to the rats and the
children, but with no more dangerous results in this
case than swift fOray for places, the destruction OF
hounces, and the OdOrous crushing Of flowers.
At 1 o'clock there were very few maskers on the
floor. Now and then gentleman with more nose
than belonged to him would pass YOU, seeming con-
tent with his incomplete disguise. The orchestra ~
playing a meZy waltz, but there are few clrchng
couples revolving around the spareiy 9lled area OK
Of some one on whom to practices his joke and
he is content TO tap every one on the back that ne
passes. Near the boxes could be seen August
Belmont attempting TO hob-nob with a German
Prince, Leonard aud Lawrence Jerome were enter
tanning party of ladies with masks Lawyer Stiltom
was gallanting lady who was the observed OF all
observers. PTomenading arm in arm were John
Hoey and James Gordon Bennett, jr, seeming very
Seward were sharing the smiles of a stately lady
dressed III q corn colored silk dress with black
mask. AS it approached o'clock the guests CON-
menced vending their way homeward.
The dancing at all balls is alike The music Is tho
same. The tOettes are duplicates Of each other.
The bows and md smiles 4af gaaa aa6 s%a paTv 'a the
world. Nothing is new but the quick, electric
the light. and color and music, and odor, and
all the sensuous charms that fit a ballroom. Moth
ing is but the flush of pretty girls when admir-
ing eyes follow them, but felt the faster heating OF
hearts that can speak TO each other in the wonderful
passioeate voice of the music. Nothing but tho
ever-renewed delight of dowagers in party under
any conditions. the ever-sprnglng pleasure
Of the younger reYelers in the excitement which
stimulates the palled senses and quickens the duh
nerves. Nothing but tho serene satisfaction Of man.
ayers who have made the occasion success, and the
unrest of patient scribes whose doom il is to tell tho
tale of a hundred balls in n hundred ways.
when each ball is as like the other rs two peas
and not Sceherezade herself could enliven the re-
cital. And these things, which alone are new with
every fete are the things alone which can never be-
set down. but must tell themselves otherwise thas
in words.