The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-12
THE DAILY STAR
BROOKLYN LETTER.


The Season of Festivities Three
Representative Balls at the Acad-
emy Of Music-Description OF a
Feature Of the Decorations ut the
Charity BalL-A Gross German
carieature of Revs. Beecher and
Tai mage-Ex.Ministe Washburm
Before the Historical Society.
t.pn. BROOKLYN, n. Y, Feb. g.
Within the fortnight Just closed three
great nationalities have given balls in
this city-Ireland, Germany and Ameri-
o. Three, in the estimation of the an
clients, was lucky number, being the
only number that has a beginning,
middle and end, and with the third great
ball on last Thursday night the ball
season came to a close luckily for the
health of the fraternity inclined, and for
the good humor of the journalists who
are obliged to work thousand nothing
nesses into thousand something's for
the benefit of the reading public on the
following day. The first ball was that
given by the Emerald Association for
the benefit of the Roman Catholic
orphans of the city; the second was that
given by the Sengerbund for the pur-
pose of social recreation, and the third
was that given four nights ago under the
title of the Charity Ball for the benefit
Of the Home for the Destitute
and Brooklyn Industrial School
Association. And just in pro-
portion to the charges for tickets were
the several affairs social successive
dollars in the case of the Emerald ball,
three dollars in the case of the Saenger-
bund ball, and ten dollars in the case of
the Charity ball.
All three were given at the Academy
Of Music, and each was characterized by
the traits which enter itno the charac-
ters of the nationalities interested. The
Emerald was dressy and airish (this is
not pun), but enveloped in an atmos-
phere of geniality. There were some
horal decorations about the stage, and
in the auditorium festoons of evergreens,
and gilt cages containing canaries. The
supper was also characterized by a fine
menu. In the German bali there was a
complete transformation. 1t was en-
masque, and so long as this require
ment was complied with it made no diff
ference who went on the floor, I was,
however, favorably struck with
one thing, the entire absence
Of anything approaching immodesty, and
lay stress upon this point because ten
dency has sometimes been noticed among
the Teutons- though not so much as
among the French-to introduce into
gatherings of this kind costumes and
ways not altogether consistent with
Puritan ideas of propriety, 70 In the
Sangerbund ball noticed but one woman
with what might be termed an armless
dress, and only one Medchen whose
neither limbs were unduly visible, and
then not to a degree to shock modesty
and certainly not to be attractive, since
a worse pair of spindles it would be hard
TO find. A feature Of the. entertainment
was tableaux introducing Columbus
and Prince Carnival, and an anus
ing feature was the pranks played
at intervals during the night
by band of muscular young
aerNbats. Rhine wine and lager were
the staple beverages, and so inviting
were these that some of the burly herren
fingered over their "sehooners" until 8
o'clock next morning, their jolly frauen
and laughing frauleins meanwhile
making merry on the floor to the be-
witching strains of Strauss.
But the ball was the Charity Ball,
which netted upward of $4,000 for the
very worthy and efficient benevolent in
stitution for whose benefit it was given
Here everything that taste could sug-
gest, money obtain or art create was
present, and decorations and dresses
were on a scale of magnifcence and
splendor rarely if ever before equaled
In this city. This is an annual ball,
and each year is given for the benefit
of some charitable institution, so
that there is double inducement
to engage in it. But this year more
pains than usual were taken with it and
The tickets were placed only in the hands
Of what Hans would style "ze ubber
crust" The result was fashionable
display Of the most unique order. The
dresses were mostly light silks and satins,
while there were a few velvet dresses,
one being "a white brocaded velvet of q
rose pattern" description of which the
ladies will understand better than /, see
ing that never had the honor Of doing
duty behind a dry goods store counter.
Qaly one lady wore bonnet, and she,
finding herself in an unenviable minori-
ty of one, wisely contepted herself with a
back seat IN the dress-circle. No gentle
man was admitted unless in full evening
dress There were two bands of music,
one for pronaenading and one for dane
ing, the first being stationed behind a
mass Of shrubbery and flowers on the
stage and the other holding forth from
the topmost gallery or family-circle.
Let me give you description Of the
decorations in one part Of the building.
Within the inner lobby, what in France