The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-03-16

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: ionable garments,
The display was extremely handsom
and clever. 1t was witnessed by tn
thousands of spectators who thronged tn
stands, windows, piazzas, doorsteps an,
even the roofs on the route with enthusi
astic signs of pleasure. The points wer
well appreciated and frequently the pro
cession halted for few minutes in recog
milton of the applause and cheers tina
greeted it. The punctuality of its star
and the admirable order that prevailed oil
the line of march enabled the managers tt
end the pageant early in the afternoon, ant
thus to give the people breathing spell
and dining time before the event of the
evening, the annual parade of the Mystick
Krewe of Conus.
THE MYsTIcK KREwE OF COMUs.
'FThe Grandeur which was in Greece and the
Glory which was in Rome" Reproduced II
New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS, March By some re-
markable and unprecedented coincidence
the idea of representing the mythology Of
Greece and Rome seems to have occurred
simultaneously to the mastery mind Of
the regal Rex and the tickle fancy of the
comic Comus. The merry Comus, as we well
know, was son of Bacchus and the En-
chantress Circe. He was the type of sen
suality, and presided over the revel and
the banquet. Since his naturalization in
New Orleans, however, his character has
improved and he shows himself only
through those charming and artistic crea-
tions which have long been the feature of
Mardi Gras night in the Crescent City.
This evening he made his twentieth ap-
pearance among us, as gay and joyous as
ever. He was accompanied as usual, by
his Mystick Krewe, those strange but
but welcomed visitants who come, no one
knows whence, and vanish, no one knows
where.
The day was drawing to close. The
sun-call him Phebus out of Difference to
the occasion-had gone to light the East
ern hemisphere, and Latona had drawn her
starry veil across the sky. The city was
all aglow with life and noise and hustle
and expectancy, and gas jets were on all
sides. The great boulevard of the city,
Canal street, shone with the light of a
thousand illuminations, fairly rivalling in
brilliancy the midday rays of the sun
even in this favored latitude. The balco-
nies, windows, roofs, doors and other
coigns of vantage on the route of the ex-
pected procession were alive with fair wo-
men and gay men, and buzz was in the
air as of million angels whispering from
the clouds. Suddenly the strains of music
we're heard afar off, but growing louder by
degrees and drawing slowly near. The
procession was coming, and thousand
necks bent forward and thousand pairs
of bright eyes peered into the half-lit dark
ness and caught the first sight of the red
smoke which told of the coming torches.
A few minutes and, amid blaze of. light
from the myriad torches, the head of the
procession came fairly into view, and the
streets for several squares around were
bathed in the light of noou-day sum-
The procession had come.
1t was pageant to behold. The sub
ject was the
Grandeur which was in Greece,
The glory which was in Rome,
as set forth in the heather mythology. It
was purely an artistic representation, the
humorous element, which had been fea-
ture of Rex's display, being entirely omit
ted.
At the head of the line rode the youth
full Comas, mounted on an Arabian steed,
the gift of Persia's mighty King. lie
waves his wand aloft. His costume is Of
white crimson, chaplets of asphodel and
amaranth sandals with gold buckles, jewels
on breast.
Phuebus follows, attended by the Sea-
SONS and throned in the palace of the sun.
Above his head the radiant orb of day;
below, the battlements of cities, and the
all-encompassing ocean, dominated by
Neptune and the Tritons; Hyperion in
purple and gold, holding Tyre; Old Time
on the right, leaning on his scythe; Young
Time on the left, with his sickle. Before
the throne divinities of the seasons-Win.
ter with snowy hair and sombre garments;
Spring with parti-colored robes and
crowned with flowers; Summer in forid
vestments of purple and gold, bearing a
sickle and sheaf of wheat; Autumn with
fallen leaves in her hair and fruit baskets
on her arms.
Phaeton comes in the chariot Of the sun
"Phaetou, insulted by Epaphus, goes tc
the palace of Apollo to beseech the god
for a token that he is his son. Apollo
having sworn by the River Styx to refuse
him nothing, Phaeton asks leave to guide
his chariot for one day. He is unsuccess
full; the horses run away and the world is
in danger of burning" The chariot, poles
and axle-tree of gold, spokes of silver
golden harness, gems on the yokes. The
horses struggle in the harness, missing the
hand of Phebus.
The tomb of Phaeton, of white marble
was finely represented. A funeral scene
on the bank of the Eridanus, into which
Phaeton was hurled by Jupiter. On the
pediment Of the tomb sits Clymene, moth
er of Phaeton, and his sisters Heliada
transformed into poplars, distilling amber
from their branches. Around the bank
roses, hyaciuths, lilies, sunAowers and he
liotropes -divinities in disguise.
Hercules and Nessus approach next
Hercules stands OH the brink of the Ato
leon River. He is clothed in the skin o
the Nemean lion. Dejamra trembles OF
her seat on the Centaurs back; her tresse
stream in the wind; at Hercules's back
triple-headed Cerberus; on a jutting rocl
the >Lydian Queen Omphale, with he
distaff.
: The next tableau represented Minery'
and Arachne, Latona and the clowns
"Arachne challenges Minerva to a trial o
skill in her art (wool-working.) Minervi
accepts. Enraged at finding herself ex
celled, she strikes her rival with her shut
tie, on which distressed Arachne hang
herself. Minerva, compassionate, trans
forms her into spider"
"Latona, with her two children, go to |
pond to drink. Three clowns treat hel
brutally by troubling the water, and she
transforms them into frogs"
Scene-Minerva in blue robes, plastroI
ON her bosom; Egis with Gorgon's heat