Litchfield enquirer., 1880-04-01
The Masouerade.

house on NOrtn street was d DfaZe Oi Hgnt rom garret to cellar, for our good genius the V. I. | s. had waved his wand and suddenly there 1 had sprung into existence a host of strange creatures of every nation under the sun and i dressed in robes of every imaginable hue He l iiad gathered them in this hosptable mansion and there they were. enjoying their new found existence, as we'll they might, amid the flash of light and the glitter of tlnsel. There was the tall Highlander, whose velvet and plaid set off figure and countenance not unworthy Roderick Dhu, and che way in which he strode up and down showed that he lacked none of the ferceness of that redoubtable champion. with thee, Roderlck? A young jester by all that is absurd! little clown dancing and joking; now twitching the coat of that grave elderly gentleman and now stealing pears from that poor old fruit-vendor. No fit con- panion for thee, my doughty Erse. And what a train he leads! Here is tall Celestial who may be the Chinese Professor at Harvard for all we know, for he has Boston look about him. Here is an old fellow with long hair, clutching dagger in his bony fingers, an el- derly and an evil-looking villain. But To l! 1 wonder comes dear old Mrs. Winslow, with a kind word and sip of soothing syrup for every one in the Madding crowd" There. behind her, is lady who must have arrived from Yokohama by telegraph, for she looks as fresh as if she were yet treading the green turf of her native Japan Next in the train come two who may be twins, for their CO.'S | tunes are strangely alike. They are envelop- l ed in newspapers from head to foot. Surely | if these young ladies have as much wisdom in | their heads as on their dresses their claim to 1 the title of Philosopher will be even greater than that of him who approaches yonder lan- l tern in hand. Yes, it is old Diogenes sure enough, natural as life save that his tub has | shrunken to tin foot-bath, and his features | have lost some of their Grecian regularity. He | is still searching for an honest man, in all l these two thousand years he has not found one.
 And now press onward through the throng, elbowing aside pretty maids going milking with stool in hand-daughters of the regiment, old ladies in big bonnets, gipsy fortune -telers and dominos without number pink, blue, black, whites tall, short, stout and thin; peer ing into our faces and surging around us till ! we seem to be in convention of friars There too, IS their bishop, see! he blesses us with outstretched hand. Here is an old fashioned eight-day clock. "View it with critics eye and pass it's imperfections particularly the imperfection of it's locomotion. Open the face to see the works within, and you will discover instead, another face, that of the genial presi- dent of our V. I. S., who is attending the fete, en costume dhorloge, as we might say.
 But hark voice announces that in ten minutes more all masks must be removed. Little Buttercup, you have only ten minutes more Ill which to vend your wares and carol in that silvery voice, Sailors should never be shy" ah, yes, methinks have heard that melo- dy before Topsy, in ten minutes you must cease announcing that you are ''so wicked p although the fact without doubt will remain the same, and Miss 'Pheey too, you have not much longer to be tormented by your exasper- ating little charge. And now the fun increases. A helmeted warior his breast covered with decorations, kneels to beauteous damsel valn- y entreating her fan as favor. A scutf1e ensues. The warrior jostles the vicious High comes the cry, UNMAsK!
 
 In twinklng the mystery, though not the history of this eventful evening is over. From every side come exclamations of surprise as chieftain, villain or celestial, nsformed into some friend or companion. Then the sum- mons to supper falls on the willing ear, and the long procession t1les into the dining room. After due regard paid to the delicious cake and coffee, the tables are cleared away and the orchestra enters. The leader-a man as cele- brated in his own way as any of our men of note, takes his seat, and in an instant strains | of enchanting music mingle with the tones of his Salwart voice. On whlrls the giddy throng of dancers till the approach of the "wee sma' hours" warns them that the time for de- parture is close at hand. One last glimpse See bevy of fair ones are despoiling the war rior of his hard earned decorations: he who was unconquered on the bloody field seems vanquished at last. We have seen enough. out we go, and the glitter of the moonlight on the rows of ice-clad elms is olr last me,nYry of The great masquerade R. R. F. M.