The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-23
A NOOK IN FAIRYLAND
The May Festival at Ghsnt Park Was
An Immense Success.
THE SCENE INDEScRBABLY LOVELY

Hearts Of thc Thousand or Moro
Driii-rho aanypoie Dance.
who went to Y. M. G. n. park yesterday
afternoon, found themselves suddenly
transported to Il verltable corner In fai-
rEland. and discovered before them Il
scene the brightness and beauty OF
which battles description
The occasion was the May Festival for
the benefit Of the Infant Sunitnrium. 1t
had long been looked forward to W Oh
pleasurable expectancy. but It's conslln-
nation fairly exceeded all antlcipa ton,
# Ihe costumes were unique, charming,
and generally beautiful All or them
were gorgeous, and all Of them absolute
~ complete in every detail A more pic
Here Uncle Sam, With becoming diEni-
", hobnobbed With q yellow Celestial,
enthusiastically arrayed and queued out Of
all proportion to age and avordupois.
There wild indian in beads and moe
caSln chatted III the most civilized fash
ION with some fair little angel in wings
and gauze. The cowboy in his sweeping
slouch and leathern leggngs. swooping
down on the right had, however no ter
rors FOR the noble red man, nor did the
cute little Jap on the lcft so much as
cock his almond eye when n diminutivc
fiower-crowned fairy flashed bright
smile on him as she sped by on her
daintily decorated bike.
G speaking of bikes, there were no less
than hVc hundred on the grounds. There
were all sorts OF wheels Eorgeously
dressed up In the colors of the rainbow.
ana some Of the hues not found even
there. Everybody was awheel knick-
htoIr nnpf,
quite the thing
Anu Tor flowers, the park was simply
radiant with them IT reminded one or
! the reign OF roses over a rosc-crowned
lahd: ne air was heavy with their
scent, and wherever the eye turned the
vision rested on some floral representa-
tive, perhaps nothing more than a bou-
tonnlere. or perhaps n huge wreath, of
wonderful designing.
Imagine with all this, the sweet
strains OF some dangerous waltz or live
~ lwo-step sent floating over the parl,
by Hor1es superb band; ina ginc the
enclosure dotted with lovely little girls
and handsome little boys in costume in
conceiVably cute and curious; imagine
the grandstand filed with the fashion
and beauty and chivalry Of Norfolk;
imagine the lemonade, the candy, the
excitement the hurrying to and fro, the
finishing in the sunlight Of many colors;
,,
some smiles Of the wee little ladies'
imagine all this. and multiply it by u
hundred. and perhaps your comprehen-
sion will find itself elastic enough to
take in the picture
THE TOURNAMENT.
Then see four heralds in white and
red ride suddenly forth on their gallant
steeds OF steel from the gay asscmblagc
on the farther side OF the park. an
proach the Srandstand. and with a ca-
rlon call from their silver trumpets an
nounce that the grand tournament was
on, and the brave Sir knights who had
entered the list were ready to contest
for the victors wreath and his lady's
smiles. These heralds were Masters
Nash Reid. Il. Hardy. Hugh Southgate,
and Holt Page.
Quickly following the announcement
came the event participated In by Mas
ters Wake IruXton, Hugh Page. Rich
ara baylor, Alex. Irving, Harry TAYLOR
Ralph Jones. and Merritt Cooke. Jr., all
or course, on gaily. be-rbboned wheels.
lhe prize. after some really splendid
riding, fell to Master Irving, who can
tured seven rings. and Richard Baylor
came next with six. The victor was
enormously applauded.
THE GRAND MARCH.
Then came what was assurcdly one
or the prettieSt and most imposing spec
tacles ever presented here. the grand
march or drill, in which some two score
little girls, in dresses OF white, with their
fair flushed faces framed in great
wrcathes Of flowers, and about half as
many boys. In ingenously variegated
costumes OF ell sorts, all mounted on
their wonderfully decorated wheels for
twenty minutes or more. executed the
numerous and often complicated figures
OF a grand march with q precision and
accuracy which left nothing to be de-
sired. Those who saw it, will not forget
the inspiring picture. Those who did
not see it will not know what they
missed. and plain English is inadequate
to the task Of telling them
The drill was led by Misses Lucille
Hardy and Bayna Taylor. Miss Mar
gueri:e Taylor was most charming
Queen. Among the other little ladies
who participated were the following:
Misses Mary Lou Cooke, Helen Taylor,
Cornella r:uxton Mary Newbill, Lucy
Allen, l.. Myers, Mary Wilcox, Virginia
Downer, Virginia Cooke, kittIe Carroll.
L. Kelly. kitt:c Newb:ll, L. La Faucher,
Bird Page, Miss Jones, Mary Taylor
Bessie Doyle, Mary Saunders. Ellen
Belle, Mona Whittle, Nellie Bennett.
Evelyn Grant, Virginia Shepherd, Mary
Myers, Bertha Scott, Kitt!e Hardy. and
Fannie Nottingham.
The boys In the parade included the
heraldts and those IN the tournament al
ready mentioned, and Masters Richard
Baylor, NJ. Kelly and Walter Taylor. al
Indians; Beverly Payne, Rob Hunter
and Charlie Wrenn, as Japs; ALI. Thorn