The New York herald., 1870-02-04
TIE CHARITY BALL.
The Academy Of Music Crowded with the Beauty,
Chivalry and Wealth Of the City.
The Most Brilliant Ball or the Season.
LustrOus Richness of Toilets and I'm
surpassed Display OF Diamonds
Prince Arthur Present Enjoy
Ing Himself with the Rest.

sentation OF our metropolitan wealth. fashion, Gle.
gance and refinement; a. an exponent OF the grace,
beauty and Intelligence OF the best society OF the
city; as concentrated ana lustrous embodiment
OF that giving highest dignity to human character
and richest adornment 10 life and purpose s'the
sweet luxury Of doing goodn the Charity
Ball last evening at the Academy of Music
greatly surpassed anything preceding it.
While many other annual balls are occasions OF
marked interest," there Ia that about this exceeding
them oil. A work OF benevolence Ia i.s basis and
aim. whose instructive impulses stir with their
electric fire every fibre OF the sOu--a benevoence at
once the truest and tenderest. ana highest ana
hottest OF oil possible forms OF public or private
philanthropy or benevolence--
Whose sEated charity lifts the soul
To the eternal realms of the godhssd.
The history OF the institution for whose aid tho
bali was given Is well known. It's record or noble
charities runs back decades OF years. The Arsr
ladies OF the city are Its managersour wealthiest
ci,zens comprise ITS directors; hence the brilliantly
select gatherings at It's annual balls.
Pecuniarily which OF course is the primary object
Of giving these balls, they have always been sue.
cossful. The great Calico Ball, given some years
ago. has not been forgotten, and 30 the balls that
preceded, and 80 those that came after and so the
interregnum. wnen on account Of extra Puritanlc
lady happening to be the presiding dlrectress
and opposed TO balls there was none and
80 the last few balls In the late unln.
terupted series Of these now stately recurring
terpsichorean festivities But OF all the balls thus
FAR that OF last evening will be the longest remem
bered as the most memorable There were many
things conspiring to make It SO. No enlic-
ing opera held out It's counter-all1ring attrac-
tions no theatrical performance other than such
as everybody has seen presented its bewtching
nrnO n ~ ppf IN ON NJ
claimed the public ear at any OF the public halls.
There were private parties OF note to give pre-
engagements to ladies nothing politics to alb
sorD The attention OF the men. The weather was
fine; no rain or sleet or snow, or raging wind; but
the silent stars cleaned TRANQUILITY in the still night
air. Last Prince Arthur was TO b6 there. And
thus everybody came who had tickets or who could
procure them.
COMING TO THE BALL.
At nalfpast eight O'Clock the carriages first began
to arrive and till two hours later kept increasing in
number. Encased In cashmere queens might envy
In furs ut for Russian prncesses and In silks and vol.
OF the richest and description the ladies'
daintily stepped from the carriages, ana at once
chdperOned by their escorts proceeded the recep
tion rooms set apart for their use. The gentlemen
did the same their reception room consisting, how.
ever solely OF places for passing in those articles OF
wardrobe deemed supernuous In dancing Those
coming to be simply lockers on preceded, withouG
the necessity OF preliminary disposition arrange.
ment OF wardrobe, direct to their seats In private
boxes or elsewhere as good or worse fortune favored
them.
Watching the coming carriages and the parties
alighting from them furnished prolonged occupa-
ton, with doubtless q sensible mixture or study
and phliosophizing to q large crowd outside. Very
many were especially anxious TO see Prince Arthur,
and this no doubt brought so large crowd there.
compelling the police occasionally 10 interpose
against their infringing too much on the space re-
quired for leaving tho carriages and entering the
building. 1t must DO said TO the credit OF thus out
Side throng, however, that they behaved themselves
very decoronsy, as also did The drivers, who with
most commendable propriety restrained their
naturally peryerse procilyities to Indulge in
occasional provocativey Dcwllderng interming Cling
OF horses heads and carriage wheels. Taxing it ali
in all, and considering The fact that nearly every.
body came IN carriages, they certainly do not
manage this thing OF getting Ia quiet and orderly
manner TO large ball better IN France or anywhere
else than 1t was managed here last night.
FILLING UP INSIDE
This seemed to be done In an incredibly brief
space OF time. Rapidly comes pouring In the in
creasng tide or waves rather for there crests
upon 0re5ts, some going into the parQuet circle
some IN the box tier some IN the mezzanine tier and
est tier OF ALL II Is busy animated spectacle There
arc BOWS OF recognition transitory gossipings ln9
the house with the hum OF voices and rustngs OF
silks and satns, and, above all, CLEANS OF pure, un
alioyed and unselfsh pleasure llumlne every face.
THE COUP D'GiIL.
How can this be nringly described. The scene
grows grander each moment. Everything lends
spirit beauty and animation to the magnificent
from the triple rows OF gas burners clrchng the
monster chandelier pendant from the ceiling the
sDendor OF the ladies' toilets and the liasnng bril-
ilancy OF diarnouds, whose sclntllaions OF living,
duzziing light indicate that they belong to that
ciass-u there are any such-that only
They've treasured from sun itself.
There Is everywhere beauty, brightness, elegance.
We VIII not attempt TO describe 1t farther IL Ii
simply lndescribable pleasure.
TIN DECORATIONS.
The interior decorations special for this occasion,
reveal ine word Charity Beyond TINS is drop
scene view, or rather u view made up from comOi-
nation OF crop scenes representing oriental land
scape with long leaved tree OF tropical hue In the
foreground, dlnmutive lake beyond ana mock
mountains ana preturnAturally cerulsan sky In
the background-doubtess the auxiliary to a fne
story IN some drama or OPERA and certainly bearing
no intimate relationship TO the present occasion.
On locking about more carefully for other decora-
ton, an amiabe inLermingling OF American and
English Gags Is noticed IN the private box OF the
first tier next to the stage on the right hand side.
third aon OF Queen Victoria, and his party.
PRELIMINARY MUSIC.
While the comers TO The Dal are pouring In, while
the lively cnattngs are IN progress while ladies are
arranging their toilets for dancing, and while
gentlemen are putting on their white kids, pleas
future dancers Gralulia's band plays an overture
"Euryanthe" from Weber. They follow with other
equally exquisite mus music and as exqq,siteiy played
music never sounded better or sweeter.
OPENING OF THE BALL.
Iu0Ic 10 uN0iJ DILL Uu tnc Sldkc auu U1dI1ualllE
OF forces 1t IL little past nine O'Clock aud the
mana9ers wide awake to the long programme That
has been prepared, open the ball win . march,
Gratlila's band playing, the grandly iasprlting
march, ''Fort Columbus Of Wiegard. Even at
this carly hour the spacious noor Ia nearly
niled. Such display VI gorgeous ts&lets SUCH
An array OF fresh beauty ana last and not
least, such bs,Alant assembage OF gentlemen Rave
never been gaNered together before st any ban In
this city.
on WITH THE DANCE.
The ball has now fairly opened. The march con-
cuded, sets for y quadrillo are formed. Saaders'
band who are to furnish the dancing musl2, strike
up the "Cayotius ds Ia Semi Of sabalier and tho
hrst dance OF the evening follows This finished
0fafua's band plays one OF Donizetti'a choicest
gems-the Maria dl Rohan.n
Lke echo, sending back sweet music. rrfntpht
Wah twice the asrial sweetness " had bi ougnt.
Mex, comes waltz with all its II .yolutions and
couvolutions, seeming whrlwlnd OF huluan beings
dashed into fury. OF seeming
In their whirlng His'n.,
Just like gay moths about = lamp at night
And thus the dance. proceedg The two bands
alternating their music ana the dancers
presenting ali the varieties from the staid
and stately quadrllle to the mad galop. The
crowd meantime keeps moving. Every seat and All
the standing is occupied ty the lookers on and