The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-06-10
The Opera Bali in Paris.

4
now in Paris, thus recounts her
impressions of a masked ball at
the great French opera house -
T"Unquestionably to an American
this is one of the strangest and
saddest Of sights These balls
commence at midnight on Satur,
day night, and continue until five
or six o'clock in the morning.
The pit of the opera house is
boarded over and made level with
the stage, thus affofding a mag
nifeent dancing floor, while the
boxes are filed with spectators
eagerly watching the scene below
| Dominoes and masksfare worn by
women who go as spectators, but
men go in ordinary evening dress
To attempt to give any adequate
idea of the scene and the impress.
sion produced as the, visitor en-.
ters the spacious and magnificent
hall would be futile. For a mo-
ment the eyes are dazzled with
the lights, the ears stunned by
the laughter and merriment Of
thousands Of voices, the senses be.
wAdered by the variety of eos
tunes, colors and shapes that are
whirling through the mazes Of
|, the dance. Imagine specimens Of
every conceivable costume, from
every nation under the sun !; inter;
mingle monsters of the deep, and
birds from the air, and insert
figures that have no likeness te
anything in the heavens above
nor in the earth beneath, nor in
the waters under thes earth-im
agine the whole galvanized, sc
that every tongue, muscle and
--eA-sesu7zel
sive activity, and moving to the
notes of a band, wild, thrilling
and furious enough to set the
very paving stones in motion
and you will have some concep
ton of a masked bali at the grand
opera. Some of the dresses were
exceedingly rich and handsome
and were made of velvet, satin
and heavy silks, while others
were Of the most fantastic de-
scription. A favorite costume
with the women seemed to be !
sort Of infants slip, made short
ana worn over satin or silk breech.
es, the legs not unfrequentiy being
of different celors: A group o'
our men dancers; in some theatre
I was told, attracted much atten
tion by their hideous costumes
and fend-like activity. Every
species Of license, not absolutely
bestial, seemed, allowed, and ]
found myself. instead of. amused
growing unutterably sad ane
heartsick, as I contemplated The
| spectacle before me. Where, bnt
in this beautiful, goddess Paris
| would anything sowild and satur
nalian be tolerated? My eye'
followed sadly one slight, delicate
figure, evidently a young girl, ii
the costume of a page. She wore
| blue satin tunic; and trunks
| trimmed with swans down,
jaunty blue cap, gray silk tights
| and blue boots. She seemed alb
solutely possessed-an incarna
ton of the scene Of which sh,
was a part-not of its wild exu
berance. of animal spirits merely
but of it's most reckless and de
PRAYED aspects. As I looked dow
1 upon the scene, all the joyous mu
sic, brilliant -eolors and gayet.
seemed gradually to change TO
ghastly spectacle of vice, folly
and shameless immortality. It wa
with diffulty that [ kept back tn
tears till 1 could make my wa,
from this pandemonium-a plac
where purity of woman and dig
nifty Of man seemed alike obliters
ted. This seemed to me a saddle
spectacle than even the Cats
combs