New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
FANCY DRESS AND RAGS.
HOW socIETY's LAVISH EXPENDITURES
BENEFIT THE POOR IN EUROPE.

HOW soC1ErY's LAVISH EXPENDITURES
BENEFIT THE POOR IN EUROPE.
II would seem as though there was some sort
Of connection between the misery OF the poor
and the fancy dress balls Of the rich. For 1t v
q peculiar fact that whenever the destltution
has been the most intense in Paris. Vienna
Berlin and other European capitals society mas
selected just that particular period OF organic"
Ing the form of entertainment which consists Ia
arraying ones self in costumes OF another age
and cline. While there is no doubt that the spec
tacle Of the luxury displayed In connection Win
festivities Of this character Is calculated to ex'
cite the ili-w and even the evaporation OF the
starving who naturally become angered oy
condition OF affairs which permits favored
class of ow-citzens to spend hundreds OF
thousands of dollars in amusement while they
themselves are dying for want Of bread on tho
other hand it will be seen that fancy dress
ball leads to the dissemination Of far more money
among the poorer classes than any other species
Of entertainment.
This has been so thoroughly recognized on the
other side Of the Atlantic that whenever times
have been particularly bad, and distress among
the poor in Vienna, for instance, most acute,
deputaton Of the leading tradesmen OF the
metropolis would wait upon Princess Meter
Mich and implore her to come to the assistance
of her fellow citizens by organizing such festivi-
ties and entertainments among the rich al
would be most likely to bring about large ex.
pendIture Of money among the working casseA
Princess Metternich Invariably responded by
getting up fancy dress ball as the class
Of entertainment most calculated to meet the
requirements OF the case, and satisfactory
have been the experiences In this respect that
fancy dress balls have now been adopted as part
and parcel of the Vienna winter season. the year
when they were omitted, in consequence OF the
tragic death Of the Crown Prince Rudolph. hav.
ing been marked by much suffering. destitution
and misery.
The same thing has taken place in Berlin. St
Petersburg. Rome. London and Paris, where the
most cruel winter within the memory of the
present generation signaliZed by fancy
dress ball in the FaubOurg ST. German mansion
Of the Princess de Sagan, at which all the guests
present appeared disguised some bird some
fOur-footed animal or insect, the hostess herself
being attired as wasp. The ball in question
excited no end of hostile comment on the part Of
that portion of society which had not been hidden
to it, and especially in the metropolitan press.
But at the same time it caused the expenditure
Of an immense amount Of money among tho
working classes. which would otherwise have re-
mained locked up in safes.
AFFECTED BY ROYALTY
One Of the strangest features Of these fancy
dress balls is the fondness of sovereigns and
Of royal personages for this particular form Of
entertainment One can understand after all.
that people of minor rank should relish the op-
portunity Of Disgusting themselves for once az
kings and queens. But it certainly does seem
strange that the anointed of the Lord. whose
entire existence. at any rate so far as their
public life is concerned, is uninterrupted
| pose and series Of postures. should show any
ip1i1Q
| mits herself. in her published memoirs that she
| never enjoyed anything so much as the fancy
| dress ball at Buckingham Palace at which she
| appeared in the guise of Queen Philippa, while
her husband. the late Prince Consort, figured by
| her side as King Edward ILL.,
| One Of the first things that Emperor William
did after his accession, as soon AZ the Court
went out Of mourning. was to give fancy d:ess
ball of great magnncence, at which he APP
peared in his faverite role Of Freds:.k the
| Great; and Empress Eurenie. during the rcsgv
| of Napoleon Ill. was never tired OF either CIV
| Ing fancy dress balls herself getting her
| friends and favortes to give them In her honor.
| PRINCESS METTERNICHs BALL.
| Probably the most amusing fancy dress en-
tertanment that has ever taken place was that
! organized twelve years ago in Vienna by Prn-
! cess Pauline Metternch. 1t was preceded by Q
one-act farce entitled For the Sake Of Charity"
| 1t represented an interview between a lady OF
| the great world, who is about to make her
| DEBUT on the amateur stage III d CndTitdpc pSt-
| formance, and a bona -fde actress whom she has
| visited for the purpose of obtaining advice.
| hints and instruction. The part OF the amateur
| was taken by Countess Draskowitch, while thae
| Of the actress was filled by Princess Pauline.
| The latter was inimitable and, after mimick-
| ing the pecuarities Of almost every well-known
| European actor and actress and holding forth
| in the strongest Viennese dialect and singing
Paris cafe chantant songs in the most approved
| Therese style, she finally wound up by carica-
turing in neatly turned couplets the idiosyn-
| crasies Of the guests present. All this was, OK
course done with the object OF showing the
amateur what tf ngS were especially 10 Do
| avoided in theatricals.
This was followed by a pantOmime entitled
| The Doll Shop" The stage was arranged to
| represent a shop. and on the shelves all around
| the walls were placed ladies and gentlemen OK
| the Austrian aristocracy dressed up In every
variety of costume to represent dolls, and per-
| fecty inanimate in appearance. Princess Met
| ternich was the boss" saleswoman OF the store.
and Prince John Schwarzenberg and the Mar
| grave Pallavicni were her assistants. Soon
| customers began to enter the establishment, ana
| then one by one the dolls were lifted down from
| the shelves by the two assistants, and. after
being wound up with a huge key and mucn
noise of cogwheels, showed of their accomplish"
ments the clockwork however frequently stop.
ping short in the very midst Of movement ano
recurring renewed winding up On concluding
their separate dances they became again In.
animate and were lifted back with the utmost
care to their places the shelves. AS the
| clock struck midnight, however, the Doll FAIRY
| In the person Of Countess Roman Potocka, made
| her appearance on the scene. accompanied py
her attendant elves, and, touching the dolls Win
her magic wand gave them the requisite life
and breath to take full part in the ball, which
was then opened. EA-AIIAChE'