The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-01
The LEAP YEAR BALL.
Gaieties of Last Evening at the
Trocadero.
MUSIC, LIGHT AND FLOWERS
The Most Brilliant Society Event of the
season-Its Unique Features-The Sexes
Reversed-Flowers for the Gentlemen
and Ladies Lending the Cotilion.

Breathe it in respectful whispers, Provi-
dence society--that exclusive part of it
which went to the Leap year ball--is
sleepy to-day 1t sought its bed by day
light, so far, that is, as IL found It worth
while to seek its bed at all.
Providence bellies cherish too wise and
wholesome a respect for their roses To
keep such hours often, but it is eight
years since society has seen Leap Year
ball Of such unique and original features,
and the merriment of the night was worth
the mornings heavy eyelids.
The ball began, il such breaking of con-
fidence be not resented, yesterday after
noon, when "Peeping Tom" if he had
gone about peering through Waterman,
Powers, Angel, Meeting, Benefit, Benev-
olent street and other street windows,
might have seen divers, dignifed gentle
men laboriously practising the art OF car
rying bouquets.
But. pardon; this was not the begin
ming. The ball began with the messenger
boys who delivered the flowers. For
Mr." they would say, as the white
capped maids answered the bell.
"For met What the unmentionable can
do with it, Peeping Tom, or the mes
senger boy. might have heard if the por-
eres had not been TO well drawn 10 drown
the notes of the bouquets reception.
Garry il, of course. Let me show you.
Don't you know you play lady this even
ingY"
their long stalks oflilies and masses of red,
red roses with the grace that rewarded an
hour or more OF previous painful disci-
pline.
The Trocadero was the scene. palms and
green ferns the setting. Mr.. Grinnell,
...I ~
Sturgis stood in "A row and received. Per
haps they won't mind if it be set down
that early in the evening they, as gracious
hostesses, courtesied 10 their guests, and
were charming spectacle. Fatigue, how
ever, compelled them at a later hour TO
relax their efforts in this praiseworthy
direction.
The costumes of the other sex-the sex
which hardly knew what 10 make of itself
as il crossed the ball room floor with
splendid courage all alone-were among
the most beautiful ever worn in this city;
but the escorted sex is the only one
of whose toilets IL is good form TO
make mention. Let it be said. therefore,
that Mr.. --- wore a cascade of carnations
extending from sUmewhefe IN the neigh
borhood of his coat collar TO below the
waist line; that manly form was noted
with most becoming adornment of seven
large boutonneres; that one of the sue
nificent bouquet of house leeks, pictur-
esquely suspended from his arm by a pol
ished hitchipg chain: that Mr.. - was
quite the star of the ball with his armful
of orchids, rs you thought them at a dis
tance, but discovered on closer approach
TO be Japanese dolls, well embowered in
ferns.
Many of the gentlemen carried fans; all
improved their opportunities IN the mat
ter of flower-wearing, though one enthu-
siast found the weight of his La France
roses quite too much for him and disposed
them artistically among the mantel dec
orations.
The continuous music made one of the
evenings MOST delightful features Reeves
band and the Hungarian band of New y ork
were both in attendance, and when one
paused the other took up the harmony.
Tillinghast served the supper on small
and beautifully decked tables. Walters
were sent for from Boston and New York,
and arrangements were perfect TO the
minutest detail.
Miss Goddard and Miss Gammell, who
arranged the ball, led the cotillon At
least eighty couples participated and the
figures and the favors were greeted with
equal admiration. Flowers. ribbon bows
and streamers, bells, odd bits of jewery
and bright-hued balloons were among
them.
Subscriptions to the ball were sos, en-
titling the subscriber TO eight invitations.
The German favors alone are estimated to
have cost $500.
The list of patronesses Of this, the most
lows:
Mrs. n. w. Aldrich, Mrs. Philip Allen,
Mrs. :. ID. Ames, Mrs. William Amei,
Mrs. Samuel Ames, Mrs. c. III Babcock,
Mrs. David ;. Baker, Misses Barstow,
Mrs. William Binney, Jr.. Mrs. Brown,
AVu lN,sntyn NPS NJ
Brownell. Miss Bullock, Mrs. G. W.
Carr. Mrs. II. y. Campbell, Jr,
Mrs. James Coats, Mrs ;. Pom
eroy Colt, Mrs j. II. Cong
don. Miss Cranston, Mrs. j. w. Daniel
son. Mrs. Samuel y. Dorrance, Mrs
las, Mrs. w. W. Dunnell, Mrs. Thomas
Durfee, Mrs Elisha Dyer, Miss Francis,
Mrs. Gammelll, Mrs. William Gammell
Jr., Mrs, &. :. Gardner, Mrs. William
Goddard, Mrs. NJ. B. !. Goddard,
Mrs. X. ii. l. Goddard, Mrs. Frederick
Grnnell, Mrs. William Grosvenor. Miss
Grosvenor. Miss Hall. Mrs. Hartshorn.
Mrs. G.. Philip Mason, Mrs. \. Livingstone
Mason, Mrs. Eugene Mason, Mrs. :. O.
Metcalf, Mrs. G. II. Merriman, Mrs. G. c.
Nightingale, Jr., Mrs. Henry Pearce, Mrs.
T.. Douglas Pearce, Mrs. Walter a. Peck,
Mrs. John c. Pegram, Mrs. w. &. kolker,
Mrs. ii. q. Russell, Mrs. #. Nj.
Sackett, Miss Sayles, Mrs SeagraVe,
Mrs. Caleb Seagrave, Mrs. Lucian Sharpe,
Mrs. Shepard, Mrs. &. VI. smith, Mrs. G.. Nj.
smith, Mrs. III. q. Sturges, Mrs Royal {.
Taft, Mrs. B. +. Vaughan, Mrs. Arthur
j.. Watson, Mrs. Marshall Woods.
Women who ordinarily hold aloof from
such gaieties broke through their rules
for once aud joined with the younger ele-
ment in declaring the Lean Year ball of
1892 the prcttiest, merricst and wittiest
not alone of this but OF many winters
witnessing