Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-28
The Cotton King Ball


mond last night under the auspices .,
the Association for the Preservation 90
Virginia Antiquities, was the soca,r
event Of the season.
The Mozart Academy of Music v..
iloored over and decorated to resenbI.
as nearly as possible an outdoor seeD D,'
The iron front Of the first gallery NO.
covered in white, against which Ar II
tervals OF four feet were placed palms
behind which from hower-shgnei
globes sprung colored electric IjgbtS
Back of these lights along the eaja,o
were draperies fpalest blue and pinl
caught now and then with VIM
shields bearing the initials OF the asSo s
citation in jeweled letters. The upns,
gallery was clothed in the same TsI'
colors, while to the centre of the rs ny
ing. just in front. was attached larga
star made of white cotton. bearing t5o
words king Cotton and small.
centre star of electric lights. Acres.
the proscenium opening high up and
we'll in view, were the huge letters a
P. V. A" in electric lights. Suspem
ed beneath this was the round World
made of cotton, bearing across H..
front King Cotton" in jeweled Letter.
ing. In front of either box were rold
and silver shields of the association
with "A. p. V. A." inscribed.
Tha stage setting represented A gar.
den and was one mass CT glowing color
greenery. palms, ferns and the like b..
ing predominant. The whole eiec,
was light, airy and altogether lovely
The supper-rooms, Downstairs. Were
decorated by the same cunning hand,
bright colors prcvailing-buli and blue
the colors Of the association. beingmo,t
prominent-while shields of the assoc.
alton and Virginia banners, bearing the
familiar sic Semper Tyrannis, were
given conspicuous places. The columns
supporting the ceiling of these rooms
were wrapped in light colors and
twined with pink roses.
A little past : the reception commit.
tee took their stand in front ofthe stage
and received the guests informally till
| 10 o'clock, when the curtain rose on a
beautiful tableau representing Moon.
light on the Sleeping Cotton Blooms,
while the Frost Queen smiles upon
their gentle slumbers, but cannot resist
the desire TO deck them with her git.
tering mantle. She then sprinkle,
them with dew and bids them dance ill
Morning shall end her sway. This they
do till Morning, with the splendor 6t
her rosy light, banishes both Frost
Queen and cotton blooms.
The dance partakes somewhat ofthe
nature of the minuet, though liz move.
ments are rather more graceful and
merry than stately and languid What.
ever its nature, the effect upon the
mind and eye was one of indcscribabc
beauty. Fancy moonlit garden in
which 4 dozen lovely women clad in
snowy white, elistening with frost, are
bending, swaying and dancing to the
dreamy, voluptuous strains Of LOU de
Bal and you have some idea Of
what set hundreds Of people crazy last
night.
The dancers wore accordion-pleatcd
gowns of white cotton crepe with
corselet and sleeves of Canton flannel
covered with frost. From the decolee
corsage rose the snowy leaves OF the
cotton plant. stiilened and glistenns
with ice. Six tai! ones wore three-cOr-
nered hats of white Canton flannel,
frosted, while the smaller ones wore
mercury wings of silver frost in their
hair.
The reception committee consisted Of
Mrs. Alfred T. Harris as chairman, as
sisted by Mesdames Philip w Mckin.
ney, John Dunlop, w. L. Royal, Oh.
way Allen, Grey Skipwith. r. H. Whit
lock, c. d. Langhorne. I. y. Garter
Levin Joynes, Annie b. Gamm. Thos.
Rutherford, John Ker, Branch, Thomas
Boiling, James A. Wclch, c. OBJ. Cow
ardin, r. G. Cabell, Arthur LEROY, Eli.
ward C. Mayo. II. S. Bosher, c. P.Lath-
rep, VIM. II. Talbot, Benneham Cam
eron, Il. r. Crump. f. 7. Myers, jr.
James ID. Patton and Misses Judith Car
rington and Martha Bagby.