, 1876-01-23
A FESTIVE SCENE.
.r,,e Cap-Can at the French Mask
Ball in New York.


Eec Tori Ford, Jan. IL
Tia French n1ask-ball at the Academy last
LII r,s half-and.h hall, It vas half French and
psh' r-...h 80 ho1r Av,ariosn and aaaan-
esseos'An, m.s I-e..l a,.,.aat ,r,,;,,
tia}s American. ine r!enen ele"eu7 "n,eA
psedomrated during the hfs1 part OF me nisnt'
vss rather wicked aud very. RBthetical-was
"-roe,,vc AMI ou,et and might have been the
soss N.h;,,a +rs-.ncr,ad for rho oo.oei,,,
the 's1u.1 ~, -.4-s-~,'
and set no~n "a.nou' 'aucn 'oss IN fespeetaolo
Irving place. The American element came in
,.,er and then the proceedings took On more OF
,e ~ !. riotous swing. such aa Bouilier'g, of
ns' 1,.1a,nhourp or,rter de1.hta IN p,oha-
9ue ..u ,-h;ct, haa arar ,oo,, haId in +1a tc,d.
emr attracted such crowd or vas 80 utterly
D. II ocloch ene oai1 ID 1ale'y solng. AZ tno
cssllght 1hat tue Acaqsny can 19tnlsn Is sueo
upon the scene Cossume1 eaf1ed oesono oo-
scrptlon ~ nasn aoouI III tne most plo1use con-
fusion. inc 1Leucu sauue.'. ~ 1gte ~! sely
different IRON WEI ns ID y. nolne. ne ~ tne so9l
OF gA.et7, "ltn n!s nat qute gtuse on 1ne paek s1
Of his head. Ae y ny u.oAIsLeu, . etcel' mlln
bis own hie9 sp'l'ts, ont ne capess aoons ase ~
budoon. anu 90 m.Aes ca eAns' aao cties ~
cj J" uutn oues esis Ache mum u1s waning. ne
is the eleAt na1n'eV! 4us W u.e Psaeo Ao ta1ns
sbe Wllaest o1 nanu,ep.!osa Al 10 uo
vh11l5 ihe iaaias us pa1tneIs aooos autH tasy
Eeeam With Delight ne cape1s up ana GOWN lke
frog 10 nas toe e.enoetes1 M ,:1. ~ s1eu9e1 iegs
Iser!poay 1uue. uaee eeea n'e i!Aone9s ~ u suoso
artistic colofeo Plates aenom'nateu "Jaro1n
Mahille e"-ihe youth WIN tho checAered trousers
and tolored snl1t, snlrs cut "onaoFlufv low IN
the peck ana lonE c1aVat-ends. ae Is uot TO 10
compared With the tai, INN gentleman IN black.
who has mustaene n9o young forest and
IN enormous goia lto say eoln) waich-chaln
dangling above his concave stomach. No,
that is the hired dancer: who can put his
foot high store hts head and hang bis hat
npou it. he smiles ineesaantly one catches
tha gieap o. bis teeth t occasionally from under
his olack mustaene, nus tne.e y SOFT OF frn
tells that dancing is his occupation, not lis
psetime.
But Iow there is flourish OF music which sets
Tho room il commotiou- Tue plecard hung up-
on the gallery reads "Quadrille." which means,
boweyeI the french " can-can." Long lines
are forming, facing ono another, men and To1n-
eu. and the men are tuck ng up their sIeerea,
while the ladies gather their skirts ABOUT them,
Ind loot t4at tracaets aud hair-pins are SECURE
IL fastened. 1t length tho "a p-1ap OF tho di-
truupets, until now tuning aud discordsnr, blend
into long, quickly trcmulous swell OF aound,
which changes suddenly into Gil air so wild and
LIVELY that ones own feet will scarce rest quiet,
A young gentleman goes prancins up to the
opposite LADY, salutes her. aud prances back
again. The lady, holding her skirts about her,
and exhibiting IN the operation many pretty
Steps and gestures returns the compliment
Then they both advance until they are directly
face to lace, when, eleyating their chins, and
regarding each other with look Of mock deti-
snoe thew dau.a a Rhort euereetic jig and
again retire. The third time they grow liyelie1
The lady, gathering her skirts we'll up, advances
upon him direct, and makes pass at his hat
with her foot, which ne dodges, and siding
about her. makes knocking gestures. while sha