Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-02-21
TIE Opera HALL 10 Paris.

An American woman, who is now in
Paris, thus recounts in Tho Independent
her impressions Of q masked ball at the
great French Opera House:
Unquestionably, to On American this
is one of the strangest and saddest Of
sights. These balls commence at mid
night on Saturday night, and continue
till FIVE or six o'clock in the morning.
The pit of the Opera House is boarded
v Q and made level with the stage,
thus affording q magnificent dancing
floor, while the boxes are filled with
spectators eagerly watching the scene
below. Dominoes and masks are worn
by women who GO as spectators, but
men 60 in ordinary evening dress. To
attempt to give any adequate idea of
tho scene and the impression produced
as the visitor enters the spacious and
magnificent hall, would be futile. For
a moment tho eyes are dazzled with the
lights, the cars stunned with the laugh
ter and merriment of thousands Of
voices, the senses bewildered by the
variety of costumes, %colors, and shapes
that are wbirliug through the mazcs of
the dance. Imagine specimens Of every
conceivable costume, from every nation
under the sun intermingle monsters
from tho deep, and birds from the air,
and insert figures that have no likeness
to anything in the heavens above nor in
the earth beneath, o in the waters
that are under the earth-imagine the
whole galvanized, so that every tongue,
muscle and limb shall be in n state Of
convulsive activity, and moving to the
notes of band wild, thrilling and furi-
Gus enough to set tho very paving stones
in motion-and you will have some con-
ception Of n masked ball OF 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 favoritc costume with tho women
seemed to be q sort of infants slip, made
short and worn over satin or silk breech-
es, the legs not unfrequently being Of
different colors. A group Of four men
dancers, in some theater, I was told, at
tracted much attention by their hideous
costumes and fcnd.like activity. Every
species oflicense, not absolutely bestial,
seemed allowed, aud / found myself in
stead of amused, growing unuttcrably
sad and heart sick, MS | contemplated
tho spectacle before mo. Where, but in
this beautiful goddess Paris, would any
thing so wild and saturnalian be tolera-
ted2 My eyes followed sadly one slight,
delicate figure, evidently n young girl,
in the costume of n page. She wore a
blue satin tunic and trunks trimmed
with swans down, q jaunty blue cap,
gray silk tights, and blue boots. She
seemed absolutely possesssd-an incar-
nation of tho scene Of which she was q
part-not of its wild exuberance OF
animal spirits merely, but of its most
reckless and deprayed aspects. AS
looked down upon the scene, all the
Joyous music, brilliant colors and gayety
seemed gradually to change to n CHASTITY
spectacle of vice, folly, and shameless
immortality. 1t was with difficulty that
I kept back the tears till / could make
my way from this pandemonium-a
place where purity of woman and dignity
of man seemed alike o%bliterated. This
seemed to rue q sadder spectacle than
even the Catacombs.