San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-14

many u Il.
while V -, ID ,,bIl'. uAiy
decorated, DO. y E a lyr-
getting tie gri-l I.sas il me a5sl,Diny
frolic Ce the p. se2..
Sidewalks e, .rywhere were crowded
early in the day and from many bal
cony and Fundamentally in the less
pretentious residences of the Americas
city-peered piquant, pretty faces, in
tent on the now novel rovel and eager to
lose no Jot of it all the long day. To
these occasional cavaliers, more ambi-
tious than their pedestrian co-maskers
and habited in best regahty of cotton
velvet and ghtGering tinsel, waved gaunt-
leted hands, checking their steeds long
enough to toss flowers or confetti at the
fair ones. And they would in turn re-
ceive perhaps a fower-more probably a
tissU paper cartridge loaded with -four
or a torpedo to explode before the horses
nose.
Restaurants, cafes and wine shops
threw wide their doors. receiving liberal
PATRONAGE, for, numerous as were the
maskers, teni0ld greater was their al
fresco audience The entire popula ion
seemed turned into the streets, and at any
unusual squeak of tin horns, OF louder
beat of drums, patrons Of cafes would
rush to the doors. fork in hand and
mouths full. to lose no point of passing
fun.
But of all lockers on none approached
for wide eyed wonder and absorbed curl
osity the federal soldiers of the city gar
rison. Composed Of almost every nation
atty and coming from every city Of the
Union, save those where mummery was
born almost with the century, this pub
lie masquerade was to them ine1plicabls
as interesting. And very wistfully they
gazed too; for the spirit OF universal
mummery has in it strong infection, and
they could not yield to it. Strict orders
had been issued that no soldier should
mask. or disguise his uniform, under any
pretext, and only officers of duty were
permitted that privilege, after formal re-
port of intention to their commanders.
The general was a true soldier, and he
Justly realized theserious results possible
to chance from q mixture Of differing and
discordant elements, under the tempta
tons and novel conditions of the incog
nito.
"By Jove! the generals head is level as
$500 -
possible on all matters Of discipline" our
irrcpressible major of the quartermaster's
department enunciated TO group of dis
guised officers in Gen. Everett's garden
about noon The major had removed his
ample mask. but ruefully regarded its
dattened nose, rs he threw back the hood
of f;Iring red domino. why, Arnold,
sup ose lot of ignorant soldiers had
been caught, as we were, under thai
balcony on Rampant street, .....
IL don't think the results would have
been battle, murder and sudden death"
laughed the aid-de-caInp, nopping his
brow, after removing his mack "But
you should have seen the major bear
himself, general. He is as great in pilot
ing green hands through carnival as he
is at ordering breakfast ,f..
och. I'm an old masker," answered
the major, complacently. "When l was
a breyet at Fort Pike, in the forties,
used to run down here and attend the
masked balls at the old Hotel st. Louisl
All, my boy, those were days! But that
was hot work under the balcony"
Rather" put IN the junior aid.
why, general, the major led q charge
ON beyy Of the prettiest girls and bonn
barded them till our flowers were gone,
They returned the fire with -four car
tridges and torpedoes, and when we
turned to retreat a crowd of dozen har-
lequins charged Us with bladder clubs
and routed MS utterly"
ut was hoti" grumbled the major.
.Look at the nose of that mask, sir!
And believe those cartridges had pep
per in them. One Of the cursed things
got down my back, and it is tingling
now" ""'7"' H.5 "i 'fs .-.E.
"Well, I've had enough of the fun,'
said Col. Barnes dryly, wriggling out of
a long gray domino. Eve read Of car
nivals for years; but ! never expected to
fly about in a mask and pelt strange
young women with flowers Hang It'll
if Mrs. Barnes gets hold OF the storyp'
"Pshaw, mani" retorted the major,
do not desert Us. We've only seen the
beginning of the fun yet. And, Dale.
arc you not going in for trial.
Hardly in that way, major Everett
answered. ut is trife mira dig. to
ride steeple chases, and may as well let
masking alone. But really believe ]
enjoy the day better as locker an. Like
Barnes, was most eager TO see Creole
carnival; but the reality exceeds any
fantastic thing had imagined"
!. nInSt ,,rnit tiIl Tonight y the major