Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-06-30
A CARNIVAL BALL IN CUBA.
Scenes in the Casino Espanol---A La
byrinth of Artificial Grottoes.


stretching out at right angles to each
other. and whose floors of white marble
were covered with persons, most of
whom were in dominoS or fancy COS
TUNES 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.
After an Introductory overture, the
orchestra at the Casino ESpanol on the
night in question struck into the first
dance of the evening in ''ValS Tropi-
cal The CubanS have two kinds of
waltZcS. that Just mentioned and the
'.EalS Strauss - which last more nearly
resembles our own American movement.
The ''Vals Tropical'' consists of one
movement, q soft, melodious one of
about two hours III 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 filled with dancers,
and in a moment it seemed as II hu-
man wave rose and fell with the same
voluptuOus measured cadence rs the
strains of the orchestra. The step taken
was the waltz, but the movement was
so slow that the dancers really only
walked TO and fro in it. Without the
exchange of a word and with perfectly
immOyable faces. a couple would see
saw back and forth for fully ten min
utes. then suddenly stop, walk around
or sit down. and as suddenly go at it
again.
4 typical Cuban family were my near
neighhOrS. The father. a short and
very stout gentleman. who was evident
" an officer Of the club from the defer
ence that was paid him, was nearest
me. Then came two daughters, aged, re-
spectively, about Il and 20 years, and
both very pretty. with the blackeSt hair
and eyes, pearly teeth, and delicate COM
plexiOn-their faces for a wonder not
covered thickly with the white Casca-
rilla powder which diStigures the majority
of the Cuban women; and, then the
mother. a fine-loOking, gray-haired wo-
man of about A.. The daughters were
dressed very plainly in high-necked col
ored lawn dresses. They wore gloves,
but no jewelry, and carried handsome
fans eAguisitely painted by hand. The
mother Wore plain black silk and vel
Vet, with fine old lace trimmings, and
her few diamonds sparkled with an un-
mistakable luStre. Every now and then
the son, a young man of about "a,
would come up, vsIlSper few words to
his mother, and go away to JOIN some
companions. The party watched the
dancing intently. but did not converse
much. the daughters casting g!ances
around from under their long eyeisshes
once in 4 while that would make the
average American want TO cave at |
once unless he could know the fair |
archerS, but as quickly and demurely |
dropping their eyes again if they found |
themselves observed too closely. As |
the ldncerS neared its conclusion and |
the ''rumti-iddleum' of the grand chain |
began, beaus began TO arrive, at first |
Singlv. 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
daughters in turn. and then, after bow
ing TO the mother. sat down and talked
with the latter In few minutes, con.
sequently, the good lady was surround
ed with beaus, all talking and gesticula-
ting, while the fair daughters still sat
alone This continued until the next
dance. Il ''Eals Tropical, F" began, when
suddenly two of the youths left the
mother and, evidently by previous ar
rangenent, offered 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 to leave this bal
for one at another club some blocks
away. BY this time it was nearly mid
night, and the waning moon only hall
lit the streets still thronged with mask
ers all shouting and laughing, but.
strange to say. in very few instances
intoxicated. As We walked along q
tall, ungainly negreSS, Enthusiastically clad
in Sacking, strede by us muttering &c
herself and with a crowd of gamins fol
lowing and hoOting at her. The lady OF
our party drew back in alright. "Only
a crazy woman" said our Cuban COM
panions. They allow them to roam
about the street here Coming to q
block where the sidewalk was under an
arcade we took the middle Of the street.
and to my wondering query as 10 the
reason for this procedure | was told that
there had been several persons stabbed
of late under these dark arshwayS, and
hence the precaUtion.
So through the narrow streets of the
city We pursued our way until cor
ner turned, revealed a wider street
filed with people in front of low
building brilliantly illuminated and
through whose windows flOated out
again on the warm air the strains OF
a .'EalS Tropical 1t was the club
house whittier we were bound an6
where a second bail was in progress
A delay Of a few minutes 1T the door
way while our invitations were careful
" scrutinized enSued. and we then en-
tered the first of q labyrinth of rooms
made TO resemble grOttOeS, the walls
and ceilings being covered with papier-
mache, corrugated and painted. At
irregular intervals there projected from
the walls huge scrpentS of papiermache
holding in their mouths vari-colored
lights. The orchestra was concealed.
but to its strains the dancers, here all
masked, moved slowly round, the lights
falling on their rich costumes and
bright colored dOminoes with weird
effect. Threading our way through
these rooms we descended some steps
through what appeared large cavern
and found ourselves in a large ball
room again filled with dancers. Look
ing back, we saw that our entrance
had been through the mouth of an i'm
mense demons head, whence streams
of maskers continually issued, or
through which they continually disap-
peared.
A Disappointed Lawyer.