New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-01

| SUCH transient and fallaclOuS ideas are
apt to attack any man when he enters fol
the first time upon a new and perilous
duty
LET us talk freely" said Hortense, as
she mutfled herself in the coach ave
are searching for truth, not looking fol
pleasure.
''And we shall find it, never fear" re-
piled, for we join two Indispensable re-
quisites to its discovery"
'They are"
Experience and curiosity"
Her eyes twinkled little even in the
gloom Of the coach. The prospect of see.
ing something that was supposed to be fit
only for men to see thrilled her little.
50 in spite of her philosophy-that much
of woman remained in her.
| s.Of course the masquerade is repu-
table Z" she asked with little eagerness.
''Let us talk freely" l replied. GOT
course, if it was you wouldn't want to go.
To attend reputable and regular affairs is
to walk very straight and uneventful
line Women have been doing that ever
since the dark ages. In fact our journey
tonight is in the direction of the dark
| ages.
GLOW delicious Y she said.
When we arrived at the Academy of
Music it must have been ten o'clock. The
building was already thronged by maskers
and spectators. Princes, fends and fairies
were trooping in from the street The
floor was occupied by great groups of fam
tastically dressed men and rather prettily
dressed women. The dress circle and
boxes were filling up with spectators. Far
| 10 al x,Ia rilx tho far
a band fifty instruments was pealing the
animating music of Lecocq and Offenbach.
| Looked at from any part OF the brilliantly
| lighted building the scene was, as indeed
| any masquerade is, both attractive and ad-
mirable. The costumes, if they did not
exhibit any originality of design or great
| resource i'll material, were nevertheless
sufficiently strong in contrast to give
picturesque interest to the vital panorama,
that wound and pulsated like a variegated
monster in the evolutions of the dance IN
der our eyes,
Let us inquire what the dance may
have been when men and women sought
it merely to expend their superintendent
mirthfulness and activity. 1t has been
loaded since with the technicalities of
righteousness, and all the signifcences
of feverish society. 1t needs only the
added attraction Of undraped limbs and
short skirts to make it both picture and
poem of sensual delight
The people mingling upon the floor
were noticeable of all classes Perhaps,
nowhere else could such intercourse of
widely separated sets be tolerated. A
large number was composed of reputable
and even prominent foreigners and their
wives. The same class was observable
among the spectators. They were all
bent on rational amusement. and they
were orderly and courteous as they were
vivacious.
We sat in box and noticed the cos.
tunes and kept time with the rhythm. We
strayed about the lobbies, and saw only
dominos holding their masks up, and
room, with here and there groups of gen
tlemen and knots of women chattering
gayly.
1T seems rather tame. unless One
dances, said Hortense.
''That's because what you come to see
hasn't commenced" answered. This is
the first brew. Wait till the theatres are
out, and the dance houses ge. through
their regular business"
Then what q
"Llfe. l believe that's what they call
it i'll Bohemia"
She tried to hide the smile Of satisEac- !
ton, but l saw it in the big mirror before |
she covered it with hollow yawn.
why" che asked, ''does life always |
wait till after twelve o'clock"
principally suspect because that kind |
of life is born and nurtured after mid |
night, but also because these balls bear a |
certain filmy order of responsibility which |
must be kept up. So lite waits for respec-
liability and the reporter to go home. The |
ball has two phases; its neither half never
reported because it shows too late. The
accounts which you will read tomorrow
of this affair must necessarily be written
before morning"
Then we strolled down to the entrance,
and noticed that numbers were going
away, and still greater numbers were ar
irving. The noise had increased about the
doorway too. Clubmen and theatre-goers,
exhllarated by previous pastimes, shouted
md called each other by name. Extra DO
lcemen were visible on the steps. And
he coaches were pouring out a continu-
JUS stream of pink legs and ballet skirts
Every fresh arrival being hailed with
shouts by the crowd of men and boys in
he street.
When we reached the box again, dis
ernable change had come over the dane
ng assemblage. 1t had lost its order
nd moderation. Fresh costumes blazed
n it, and the crowd was so dense and so
in places where it pressed after
emale dancers that the foormen had
reat difficulty in making room. We
ould see, too, here and there, the blue
oat of policeman in the mass, with his
hub i'll his hand. The dancing itself had
AIKEN on new demeanor. The poetic ..
assemble was gone. Special features of
ress or of action gave interest to it.
The people in the boxes We're similarly
hanging. Very robust women and ex-
essively loud men were leaning out of {
lem, now and then calling to acquain-
lnces on the floor, or pulling and maui !,
&c" each other. ;
About two o'clock an enormous woman,
hose yoluptuousness threatened to over L
ow into the abyss beneath, took possess t
on of box opposite. Similar bodies, =
list, vulgar and conspicuous, doomed up
sewhere. They were recognized with j.
louts and ribald jests. Then suddenly t
ere was rush into one of the boxes,
I'd fierce cries as of wild beasts issued a
ON it.
To satisfy Hortense made inquiries Il
Id told her they were punching a French
an, which information appeared to sat- y
fly her. "
While the row was going on the crowd a
low turned its faces up, and some of
EN- cheered as if this were an added fea-
re of delight. n
Somebody loudly asked me who that II