New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-05


| in my suggestion that we should consider
ourselves for the nonce good Catholics who
| bad tasted for three weeks, and seconded
my vote that we should make up for our alb
sunence by dining together in recherche
manner at the Palais Regal
| am bound to say that none of us spared
the champagne, and whether it was from
the exhiliarating effects of the wine, or the
| prospect of so novel treat, we started off
to the opera at midnight in the highest
! spirits. We paid ten francs each for an en-
| trance Ia lady's ticket is twelve francs, and
| she Is not admitted unless in dominol: a
| gentleman may either 90 in evening dress,
unmasked, or in costume.
On entering the door which leads. bv
means OF some steps, to the partelTe OF the
| theatre, a spectacle was presented to us
| which is hardly to be described The pit
| was boarded over so as to be on level with
the stage Ia stratagem, blythe bye, which is
said to have first occurred to a Carmelites
! trlar-was he IN the habit Of attending this
| pandemODium in mask, / wonder From
what | saw, | should hardly Judge it to be a
/ suitable place for dignitary of the church.
| and can not but regard the fact of Lis apply
ing his ingenuity to such a purpose as an
! indication that the thoughts of the holy
man were sometimes riveted with too great
| an intensity on things mundane We stood
| Tor some seconds stunned, as it were by the
! sudden change IRON the darkness to a blaze
| OF light, by the crash of the music after the
| comparative quiet outside, by the brillian-
! cy of the scene, and the grOtesque APP
! pearance of the actors. Below, where the
dancers were a variegated mass, containing
! every tint Of the rainbow, was whirling i'll
and out and round and round like the ever
| changing pictures of Kaleidoscope, with
! out their symmetry. Comic figures dancing
| fantastic pas SeULs by themselves; nymphs
in short dresses and tights, bare as to their
| arms, and just a trife more decOlLeite than
would perhaps come up to our English idea
of what is becoming; drOll military men
with gilt helmets and exaggerated plumes;
bOatmen in picturesque jerseys young men
dressed up as ancient satyTs; Neplu les
dancing with mermaid; gods with goddess
es; bOttle-nOses and funny masks ey ery-
where. In one quadrille party l noticed
presentations of BecOnds, chimney swCeJ,
a ghost and baboOB. 1t is the thing tor
every mask on making its entree to addrC s.
a few words or gestures Of greeting to the
cOmpf ny, who, if his get-up pleases them, !
return his salutatiOn with applause.
haJ struck us even more than the masks
of the dancers was the dancing. No mean
ingless walking through" the quadrilIes
for them, thank you! They moved with
deliriOus joy to every single quayer of the
music 1t seemed impossible for them to
their heads, swayed and bent their 1.-THE
bodies with the motions of their "twinkling
feet" their lips smiling with delight, and |
their eyes sparkling through their black |
dominOs, like animated diamonds, upon |
their happy partners, who, with jumps and |
original capeFs, were equal to the occasion. /
The thud of the feet in concert at the Occa-
sional clashes of the band, and the little |
laughs Of pleasure as the partners caught !
each other for the gallOp round, gave one
some idea Of the earnestness of their Joy. /
had never before seen such universal good |
temper and high spirits in so large an as
sembly. Our own spirits caught the intec-
ton, and, confess, an irresistible desire
came over me to Join in the dance myself |
/ felt competent to kick up my heels with the
vivacity OF the best of them, aud was only
deferred by observing that no one in eve
ming dress was among the dancers. I'm
aglniDg, therefore, that it was contrary to
etiquette for the unmarked to do anything
but look on, | restrained my saltatOry de-
5ires, and resolved to say nothing about
them to NJ or N, who, | feared, |
would not be withheld by any such con.
lideration.
Curiously enough. however, the same
to be joining in the fun had pos
essed NJ and N, without any sug-
,estiOn on my part. After the next dance
saw them whispering to each other, and
hen NJ declared, aloud, he could stand
his inactivity no lOnger-that he and N
we're going out to get masks-wOuld come,
90 NO. l replied, some hat hypocriti- |
ally, Il don't care to make a fool of myself I
ut l have no objection to watching you |
wO do so, and will help you to choose a c
Ostume."
We asked doorkeeper where we could a
btain dresses; to which question he re-
lied, Struggling his shoulders, that it was
late in the day to be Linking Of =.
uF costumes; that the shops had all been l
nut some hours" as an afterthOught he
dded, that friend of his, who deals IN v
lch things, would probably wait upon US
we rang him up at private door" s.
We took the address, tipped him, and e
ent our way. The mask dealer was In;
1t, alas such had been the demand for n
'esses that he had but one left-that of a v
'agOn looked at the Dress and then at 81
y friends. Would either of them have
e courage to take upon him such a dis
Use | asked the man how he came TO =
axe such a thing whether the wearer
Juld not be calculated to strike terror st
Their than love in the heart of his part sc
r whether he would be admitted at all I
1ong bevy of fair damsels; or, if he IN
ere, whether he would not run he risk of I'll
me French st. Georges coming and
nchmg his head ii tiJ of gallantry? en-
NO" the man said, nothing Of the kind ev
rs to be anticipated A bal inasote 'was
sort of happy family, where Greeks ard ia
ojans might meet without blOodshed- co
lere sheep might wander with impunitv
long Wolyes-where fair and tempting II
msels did not fear the dragon !
He then held the dress up temptingIv.
d drew our attention to the manner in m;
ch the scales Of the beast formed OF La
ces of tinsel paper glittered in the gas 1t
BIT. lie assured us, on his honor, that m'
only reason it had not been sold already ar
s that the tail was little incOnvenient
dancing, bat that we should find it a sh
coming dress, and UncOnmonly taking
h the joieS petjteS.
Iy friends. on hearing this, declared
y had no objection to it all, and imme- an an
tely tossed up sou to decide who -
uld be the happy dragon. The lot fell 20,
n, who speedily dUnned il. 81
The dress is not complete without this ''i
d-piece of horns, and a mask" said the dr
n, out do not recommend the mask -
l will find it hot and troublesome. will :
MT your face, instead; it will be equally 10,
,cuVe; the color is easily removed by r.
lie soap and water" uaI
ms was soon accomplished, and was so iins
,clye as to terrify me- Indeed, was not W. W.
~ was not alone with NJ in the "'
,, IhaU drove US back, for the way was az
M ana the occasional CLEAN of a Gas
It have always ass3oiafoJ ,-i, 80 oP did
ioul iiend himself. Fortunately, NJ "HO
,sesses none Of that sclfconscionsness
zen could have spoiled my pleasure under In
same circumstances. His egkycc into gre
arena Of masks was hailed with in nW aftt
wal, ana IN few minutes, HAVING ~ cut
ed prettlly dressed Swiss n,iIL35aiJ app
his partner, he was dancing as tnaIopat bee
ly as any one IN the room. his
-, though baked Of his costume, was con
disposed to remaiu a mere sDectajor and