Middletown transcript., 1877-08-18
wrIt.sn s0r lhs NIddIs.own rE.a.erIp.

Bnll at the Philadelphia AlmshouSe.
We witnessed one of these balls last
Friday with mingled feelings of sad
ness and pity, the former prompted by
the thought that these unfortunate
people on exhibition (for you can term
It nothing else) here, without doubt,
been in former days the objects often
der mother love; and fond devoted pa
rents have built fancy castles as they
watched by their cradles. The other
feeling-that Of pity-come over us as
we gaze at their rude and awkward ef-
forts to keep time to the music, if we
can call the sounds discoursed by the
awful band in attendance. My cheeks
burned with shame to think Of these
people in their terrible affiiction being
the sport of rude, unfeeling people. To
bring it home to ourselves: suppose we
had parent or daughter whose reason
was overshadowed by the will of God,
would we like them to be on exhibi-
ton, and every movement criticized
and Knocked at by those who came only
ito have laugh" as I overheard a
beardless youth say, who had some
chewing bark" to hand to the ladies
with him, and designating it as "qui-
nine to put one to Sleep" The balls
are doubtless beneficial to the patients,
but they should not be made a public
show. Prof Asher's pupils we're in
attendance last Friday, and the pa
tients enjoyed the dancing Of the chill
dren immensely, as we judged BY their
Interested faces. When we arrived
one Of the pupils was dancing the Sail
or's Hornpipe to the music Of the dis
tressed band, if the said music is com
posed Of the patients it was excellent,
but if it was a sane one it certainly re-
fleets no credit on the performers. Af
ter this the patients took the floor.
Among them we noticed the Pope of
Rome. This man imagines himselfth
Holy Father, and was dressed in a
velvet blouse over which was masonic
collar; the blouse was profusely orna-
mented with ribbons, braid, artificial
flowers, and other fnery. "A pair Of
white pants and tinsel crown com
pleted his dress in his hands he held
a hoop to which was attached basket
full Of something or other. He had
rather a pleasing countenance, and
seemed to enjoy the dancing to the ut
most. Several Of Prof Asher's pupils
then danced "El Bolero," and were
loudly clapped by patients and stran-
gers. One Of the male patients then
danced a clog dance, being provided
with green clogs, and he seemed to
feelingly understand the business, A
plain quadrille was then formed in
which the Pope took part. In this
dance we also noticed the individual
who calls himself Sallie Binns. He
has been an inmate here for for fifteen
years, and by his eccentric dress has
been an object Of curiosity. He ina
gines himself woman and dresses ac-
cordingly. On this day he had on a
grey waist trimmed with black rufies,
half high neck and short sleeves, a |
white skirt with two tucks reaching to |
the knees was sewed to the waist. He |
had on pair Of white drawers, around |
the knees Of which was sewed a broad |
black band his feet were encased in I
long white stockings and white slip
pers. His gray hair was curled, and |
on his head he had a black lace cap
trimmed with blue ribbons. His face
was long and slim and of a repulsive
cast What any one wants to imagine
themselves woman for in this pro-
gressiye age il q mystery, when the
Of the women want to be men,
and enjoy all the dear delightful priv
leges Of men, is fit subject for the
the Socialists and Radicals to discuss
ut some Of their meetings in this city.
For my part, we are perfectly satisfied
with our sex, and think our sex has
more rights now than we can well at
tend to, and if they are given the bal
lot we do not see how homes are to be
W. ~ uo6e We'll 6uOuSu 1OT
these motherless married folks who
i've, or exist, in boarding houses, to
attend primary meetings, caucuses, and
,ther inventions to drive the political
Of the government but for
with homes and ailing babies,
md no servants, with the ironing wait
ng and stockings to be darned, and
iull scholars to help with lessons, we
hink that the government would 90
o the "demnition bow vows as far as
he majority of the married women is
and still we've an idea that
hey would never consent for other
women to rule and make laws for those
t home, and would step in occasion /
lily, clog the wheels, and the result ,
Fould be -pandemoniuml But, we !
y from the subject.
Prot, Asher's little fairies danced /
he Polaka, Danish, and several fancy /
ances, including Cahucha, and the
u1ono fha YationfS mo ,,of;oad n o.o,, :