Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-08
LgrrzR FROM SAN rRArc1soo.
lent-Mardi Gras-The Procession-The
Costumery-A Water witch-Blectric
shadows--be opera-orchestra Union.

We are a week advanced In Lent and yet
che echoes of the Mardi Gras merry max.
ing are audible still. In city with such
a large Southern and foreign population it
is natural that Shrove Tuesday should pre-
sent itself as proper day for a frolic, and
for several years the festivities have been
growing in fun and in absorption of the
public interest until this year they bloomed
out into street parade with music and
fireworks. 1t was capital evening for the
show-still, clear and soft-and the people
turned out by thousands. The sidewalks
on both sides of the parade streets were
packed, and waves and currents of enthu.
siasm would make the stream of converse.
ton wax and wane. The rocket that
showed when the procession began to
move, was we'll thrown it tore the night,
and then softly showered its stars down as
these man-made meteors do. No wonder
that Arthur Cleveland Coke, Bishop of
western New York, put " a rocket sent up
to the armament when even was out go
blue, among the "dear things that ever
ne loved, in the ecclesiastical little
volume of his poems that one sees OCCASION
ally. Everyone deplored the lack of lights
in the parade Much of the good costum-
ing and grouping was lost in the obscurity.
The feature was the
ARRANGEMENT OF SCENES
On great shaky stagings, placed on carts
drawn by four horses these we're called
floats. They seemed for the most like
tents or scenery houses with Inhabitants
gathered about them. 0ne was like huge
hay cart and was filed with brightly Co.'S
tuned masquers. On one comic travesty
of a priest stood calling out parodies of
prayers and blessings-he was very popu.
lar with the crowd-who gave him back
mis- harangue with interest. Other men,
bers of the procession were "horrlbles on
horseback and on foot. They all marched
a ball which the fantastic dresses made
a costume made of eggs-whole eggs
sewed as closely as one could be placed to
another, upon white cloth. A woman
wore the dress, which was of Esquimaux
design trousers, half long tunic and
cap. Added to this white satin mask on
the face completed
BEING QUAINT ENOUGH.
Strange things are included under the
head of amusement, always have been,
since the days of gladistorial combats. At
this Mardi Gras ball they gave an exhibi.
ton of the Water Queen, think they call
her. On the grand stage, where many of
the spectators of the ball were given seats,
there was an iron tank about six feet long
by four wide and four Deep This was
filled with heated water, and a young
woman in brown bathing dress came and
perched on the side of it, dove in, and
came out again with ringing wet hair. The
bathing dress seemed of good material to
throw off the water. l observed her face
after her plunge. She was not uncomely,
by any means, but had look of immense
fatigue that look of one whose work is
never done, who expects no respite and
gets none ; mournful look, much hight.
sned by deep red circles about her eyes,
and way of lifting her eyes open with
the muscles of her forehead as it were.
She was pale, and her cheeks were sunken.
The motley crowd of maskers gathered i'm.
mediately in front Of the stage, and the
Snowman announced that "the lady
would eat banana under water, which she
did, as well as sew together two pieces of
cloth, one red and one white, also under
water. Her last feat was one of endur-
ance merely, to stay under the water two
minutes and thirty seconds When horse
Grots that time, it seems short enough but
when this woman lay with her pale face
and weedy hair against the glass front of
the tank, her features
UTTERLY TRANSFORMED
Through the double medium of the glass
and the rather murky water, two and a
half minutes seemed Unfortunately long.
She took the attitude of enc asleep, and
when she meant to rise to the surface had
the strength, even after her long submer-
sion, to go through the movements of one
Weakening from a nap, slowly stretching
her arms and clenching her hands. When
she did come up to the air again her face
had terribly CHASTITY look, and the circles
around her eyes, the Redeemed sockets,
were badly in1amed. On sensitive or
inpressionable person, If happily the Mardi
Gras crowd contained one, the effect must
have been most unpleasant. In the com.
ing good times, when women choose pro.
LESSONS like their brothers, trust many OF
them will not elect to be Naiad Queens.
But the Mardi Gras celebration yearly
would be a pretty feature In the city's
life, especially if participation were gen.
sral On clear night, under the electric
lights, the streets would be fine theater
for peltings with sugar plums and rice by
maskers. Has anyone spoken scientifically
On the distinctness of the shadows cast by
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT?
tree bare of leaves, will be outlined
. on the flags of the pavement, to the finest
twio with the minutest delicacy, much
more completely than the sun casts the
shadow of the same object ard the other
night l was standing near lady waiting
20 take car, and the electric light behind
her reproduced on the cement sidewalk
even the lightest outer curl of her hair,
which she wore frizzsd around her face.
1t was an odd picture, because so perfect
and so evanescent. Lent does not make
much difference with the psrty-givers and
yoers, but it does decidedly with the thea
Ter audiences. The Abbott company have
left their stage to pretty doye-like Sara
Jewett. but they have not left her their
splendid houses. 1t was the wont of some
20 scott at Emma Abbot, of others to
rate her very, very high ; but all join IN
calling her conscientious, faith-keepIng,
hard. working little woman, and we have
enjoyed our opera season hugely. Since
you are to hear her, wish you could hear
paul and Virginia the scenery and the
vision scene are so beautiful and unusual.
To revert to costumed balls moment,
friend recently arrived from Tombstone,
Arizona, told me about the extensive pre-
parAtions for Wsshington's birthday ball
which the citizens of that lugubriously
named but merry spot contemplated giving
on the 22d OF February. They did, In
TACT, give their ball, but the beauteous Con-
sinental costumes which they had ordered
from San Francisco came not in time, and
therefore could not be worn. 1t was SIM
pie dress coat affair. Among the many or
carnations here in the city, enc OF the
Oldest and most esteemed is the
ORCHESTRAL UNION,
4 body of about sixty amateur performers
on every instrument that goes to make up
an orchestra, who have join their forces to
practice together and occasionally invite
their friends to concert. Concerted
music is the Joy of every musical per.
son. 1 have often heard young ladies,
i.