The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-12-23
A CARNIVAL BALL IN CUBA.
Scenes In the Casino EspanOI-A Laby.
rInth CT Artificial orottoes.


rInth CT Artificial orOttoes.
The orchestra has taken their seats on
a miniature stage built in the corner
which faced both of the large rooms
stretching out at right angles to each
other, and whose floors of white marble
We're covered with persons, most of
whom were in dominos or fancy costumes
and masked, promenading up and down.
The few men who were not masked
wore ordinary afternoon or business
suits, only one dress suit being visible,
and few of the ladies, even those not in
dominos, wore low-necked dresses.
liter an Introductory overture, the
orchestra at the Casino Espanol ON the
night in question struck into the first
dance of the evening in "Vals Tropical. :"
The Cubans have two kinds of waltzes,
that Just mentioned and the "Vals
Strauss" which last more nearly resem-
bles our own American movement. The
"Vals Tropical" consists of one move
ment, a soft, melodious one of about two
hours in length, played over and over
again. The time is very slow and the
air is languishing and enticing. Hardly
had the first notes sounded when the
room was filed with dancers, and in a
moment it seemed as if a human wave
rose and fell with the same voluptuous
measured cadence as the strains of the
orchestra. The step taken was the waltz.
but the movement was so slow that the
the dancers really only walked to and
fro in it. Without the exchange of a
word and with perfectly immovable
faces, a couple would see-saw back and
forth for fully ten minutes, then sud-
denly stop, walk around or sit down,
and as suddenly so at it again.
A typical Cuban family were my near
neighbors. The father, short and very
stout gentleman, who was evidently an
officer of the club from the Difference
that was paid him, was nearest me.
Then came two daughters, aged, respect
lively, about II and 90 years, and both
very pretty, with the blackest hair and
eyes, pearIy teeth, and delicate complex
ion--their faces for a wonder not covered
thickly with the white Cascarilla powder
which disfigures the majority of the
Cuban women; and then the mother,
fine-looking, gray-haired woman of about
45. The daughters were dressed very
plainly in high-necked colored lawn
dresses. They wore gloves, but no
jewelry, and carried handsome fans ex-
quisitely painted by hand. The mother
wore plain black silk and velvet, with
fine old lace trimmings, and her few
diamonds sparkled with an unmistakable
iuster. Every now and then the son, a
young man of about "a, would come up,
whisper few words to his mother, and
go away again to join some companions.
The party watched the dancing intently,
but did not converse much, the daugh-
ters casting glances around from under
their long eyelashes once in a while that
would make the average American want
to leave at once unless he could know
the fair archers, but as quickly and de-
murely dropping their eyes again if they
found themselves observed too closely.
AS the lanoers neared its conclusion and
the "rumti-iddleum" of the grand chain
began, beans began to arrive, at first
singly, then by twos and threes. These
youths, all well dressed and well man.
nered, invariably spoke first to the
father, then shook hands with the daugh-
ters in turn, and then, after bowling to
the mothers, sat down and talked with
the latter. In a few minutes, conse-
quently, the good lady was surrounded
with beaus, all talking and gesticulating,
while the fair daughters still sat alone.
This continued until the next dance, a
"Vals Tropical, began, when suddenly
two of the youths left the mother and,
evidently by previous arrangement, of
fered their arms to the daughters, and
were soon with the latter treading the
slow measures of the to us curious
dance.
After enjoying some delicious ices
brought in we decided 10 leave this ball
for one at another club some blocks
away. By this time it was nearly mid
night, and the waning moon only half lit
the streets still thronged with maskers
all shouting and laughing, but, strange
to say, in every few instances intoxi-
Gated. AS we walked along a tall, un-
gainly negress, Enthusiastically clad in sack
ing, strobe by us muttering to herself
and with a crowd of gamins following
and hooting at her. The lady Of our
party drew back in fright. "Only
crazy woman, said our Cuban com
panions. "They allow them to roam
about the street here" Coming to
block where the sidewalk was under an |
arcade we took the middle of the street, |
and to my wondering query as to the
reason for this procedure was told that |
there had been several persons stabbed |
of late under these dark archways, and |
hence the precaution.
So through the narrow streets of the |
city we pursued our way until q corner |
turned, revealed a wider street filled |
with people in front of low building |
brilliantly illuminated and through |
whose windows hoated out again on the |
warm air the strains of "Vals Tropical" |
1t was the clubhouse whittier we were |
bound and where a second ball was in !
progress. A delay of few moments at |
the doorway while our invitations were |
carefully scrutinized ensued, and we |
then entered the first of a labyrinth of |
rooms made to resemble grottos, the |
walls and ceilings being covered with |
papiermache, corrugated and painted.
At irregular intervals there projected !
from the walls huge serpents of papier-
mache holding in their mouths vari-
colored lights. The orchestra was con-
cealed, but to its strains the dancers,
here all masked, moved slowly round,
the lights falling ON their rich costumes
and bright colored dominoes with wierd
effect. Threading our way through these
rooms we desc ended some steps through
what appeared large cavern and found
ourselves in a large ballroom again filed
with dancers. Looking back, we saw
that our entrance had been through the
mouth of an immense demons head,
streams of maskers continually
issued, or through which they contlnu-
ally disappeared.-Co New York Times.
Color-blindness is said to have been
first reDOrted in 1777