The New York herald., 1871-11-30
THE BALL.

portraits Of the Emperor and Empress Of Russia.
THE BALL.
II is now past even that wtching hour OF night
when churchyards and fair women coming home
from balls alike begin to yawn. The sound or the
last coupe has dicd away, and the scnti-
mel, as he closed the gates. has answered
to the faithful Kinvsland "All is wen."
But like the Roman sentinel at Pompehs gates we
must refrain from enticlng sumber. and attempt
hurried picture OF the brilliant, bewidering, com.
plicated scene which has just vanished into dark
sess. The Alexis ball has gone the way OF all
ball hoods and passed from the state OF expectancy
into that OF tradition in the thoughts OF 80
many lovely ladies' and most gallant men.
The Duke Of wellington has land down
an axiom, in which we believe General
Grant concurs, that no man can describe
battle or ball Yet, in spite Of these great
authorities, we shall venture to picture how 1t
came on and went OF, down to this morning hour,
which looks on with an air most bi;ingly JrapDee
upon the deserted scene.
For several days past the demand for tickets
would have astonished Mr.. Wallack in the four hun
dred and eighteenth performance of 'Rosedale,'
and scenes OF the most ridiculous description oc-
CURED In this wild competition. 1t was about ten
O'Clock when the first carriage slow on the gravel
and loud on the stone," drew up to the Academy,
and for two hours after q pleasanter shower than
the skies could afford to let fall, plle dc pe,les-
in word, lots OF ladies, CLOUDS OF gauzy drapery,
raining sweet Influences, descended at the Academy
doors.
1t was halfpast ten O'Clock when, with the
punctuality Of gentle training, Alexis came
upon the scene; and more lovely scene
1t would be difficult to witness. The Academy put
IN ita y,nQt1 1Ovn ftaw ~
beauty rose to its roof with the gay toilets nutter
ing like 30 many fields OF waving flowers. Be-
meath surged q perfect mass Of loveliness,
through which the young Prince moved, as
1t gently bent to give him passage.
1t Is some thirty years since the grandfather OF this
bright boy the Emperor Nicholas, stood in the lead
ing Opera House Of London, beside the then young
Queen OF England towering In his simple green
uniform anu solitary star with lonely splendOr
above all around and when, as the national anthem
OF Russia was struck up, and princes and mobiles
and people rose to do him homage, tear
of emotion passed down his cheek and never
did the softest airs that oated round the reves Of
the East thrill the heart with such mingled agony
and rapture as did those simple tones mementoes
OF his native land. Since then steam has gathered
in the world in Its iron grasp, and New York Is
nearer st. Petersburg than then was London. But
1t seemed to US, as last night, when Alexis entered
and that anthem again arose, and great people
stood up to do him honor, that the young
Prince was touched with o similar emotion.
It may be remembered that on that same scene,
some ten years since, similar ball was given TO an
other prince. The Guelphs and Roman0ns, as the
latter entered the Academy last night, presented
one singular feature of contrast. Whereas
the Prln,-' Of Wales was entirely over
shadowea by the stately, noble form Of New
mains, Alexis stood head over everybody,
and Catacazy just reached to his knee. Nor was
there any catastrophe with the PLATFORM as at the
Wales ball.
The committeeman Of 1871 had evidently gone
down to their knees to kiss the dust, so that 1t
might not as ten years ago, rise in rebell4l against
the timber and upset the crafty contrivance.
Mr.. Ciews, who, as the representative man OF
Of the English lower classes, might have joined
Corcoran and the platform In 1850 in closing upon
Wales does not prejudice his standing among the
demagogues OF Lombard street by exhibiting keenly
excessive courtesies toward Romanon, ana by
carrying, like Atlas, upon his tiny shoulders the
whole oily bulk and weight Of the II committee.
General Aspinwall, the Chairman OF the Ro-
manon committee, Is endowed with more airy
grace than was Peter Cooper, who presided at the
Wales ball, and carried him to and fro anNlg the
young ladies'. This remark may be made without
either disparaging the venerable Cooper Institutes
benevolent elasticity, or without unduy exagge-
rating General Aspnwal capacities as an amateur
low chamberlain.
But to the hero OF all these perennial Ovations
Alexis. we say it without any murderous intention
toward his older brothers, ought TO be the future
Car. He has something Of the frame and shape
OF Peter the Great, and Knows ike this founder of
Muscovite greatness, now to make himself popular
with everybody, and yet remain ali the time
conscious Of his prncely station Above all,
he has that which tells so much among the OF poioi
In Russia and America; he mas and the sense OF
space about him which characterizes the Khirgse
steppes on our western pralres
II he were subjected for another week to the per-
petual motion of his New York committee men his
ambition OF being president OF Fat Princes AS
sociaton might be thwarted; but unless the com.
mittee men keep his blood all the time
In circulation he runs the RISK to which
all fat Is heir TO. His features bear the mlld benign
German expression OF the Romanon family. His
imperial father Alexander looks more benign than
did Nicholas, and he has even more womany
gentleness In his face than Alexander. 1t Is this
which makes him attractive to young ladies. His
face inspires them with sisterly affection, while
his robust and symmetrical frame stamps him as
every inch man. A small person, however full OF
genius-a Napoleon or Nelson-coud never be i'm.
posing III tne eyes Vi the MASSES OF iartars or
Yankees. Huge physical proportions strike wild
masses OF people and everything else, and
person like him, of colossal proportions seems to be
laid out by nature to rule over colossal empire
II Is this combination Of nerculean strength with
a Madonna's gentleness which storms the young
female heart, especially where the blue sash OF St.
Andrews glitters upon the imperial breast, and the
hero OF this thousand ana one Ovatons, appears In
ballroom amid the splendid accessories OF beauty, art
and the brilliant gems Of diamonds. uniforms ana
the still bewitching glances OF thousand de-
lirious eyes.
While the girls. old and young, and the marrons
as well as the women Gun certain age, rave about
this darling Hlmaaya OF a Prince, the men stared
at Madame Catacazy and her rduissante toilet her
grdnde ddD,e manners and her truly clas- |
sica head, with sem-Mare Antonette |
semi Mary Stuart presence. She descend5 |
from both of these decaptated beauties