The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-13
"AFrEn TIE BALL"
some of the Incidents of Mrs. Brad
Icy-aIartIn'S swell Functions.

| some of the Incidents of Mrs. Brad
icy-aIartfn's swell Functions.
The Bradley-Martin fancy dress ball will
80 down in history as a riot of color ana
display. says the New York World. 1t
will be classed with the Schermerhorn
fancy dress BAN Of nearly half a century
ago, the Prince of Wales ball and the
Vanderbilt bali.
But it eciipsed all of these. 1t is the
GROWING glory of the social life OF New
York OF this century. 1t may not be sur
passed IN another hundred years.
II was a gorgeous, superb and wonder
ful spectacle, 1t cost a fortune, and the
workers Who benefited by it Will always
say that the money was well expended.
II was monument to Vanity, but
tribute was paid to Industry.
Il was splendid and ridiculous.
Inc results of months of preparation and
the outlay of hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars We're exhausted in five hours.
IL was very fashionable. The social pO-
sltion OF those hidden 20 it could be exam
ined with microscope without revealing
a weakness. Men and women Travelled
across the continent for the honor of be-
There was dunky at the door-an Eng
hsh nunky with beautiful calves and UNI
certain n 's-who wore the livery Of Louis
Ky. They spoke to him as they entered,
ana ne baWled their names and their CO.'S
tunes.
She stood near the door, a few feet from
queen of the ball
She who originated this entertainment,
VINO was glad to spend $125,e00 to crafty
an ambition, Is short, stout woman. Her
blue eyes are rather cold. She has a
square, determined face and a high color.
her nose looks as If ii intended TO tilt and
stopped short.
She was dressed as a aleen-queen of
Henry Of Navarro, who was Marguerite
of Valois. You saw a dash of Jewels and
a tram that swept backward for twenty
tteet, Ihere was a crown upon her ford
prov and 100000 worth of jewels on her
stomacher, which is very like a waistcoat.
Sne wore girdle of diamonds on ropes
OF pearls and damonds-the rosary of
FASHION. Her black velvet court train
flashed with irridescent black jet
The queen stood there smiling gracious
", as a queen should when her subjects
approach to do her honor. They bowed
very low, as befitted cOurters and court
ladies, and passed on.
A little to one side stood the king, for
Bradley Martin played the same part in
this mimic world that he does in real life
lie was robed as King Henry of Navarro
When you looked upon him the lines of
Macauley poem seemed to rattle through
your brainA
All honor to our Lord of hosts. to whom
all honors are,
And honor to our Sovereign Leige King
Henry of Navarro.
But the lines didn't fit exactly. 1t was
distinctly Mrs. Bradley Martins ball.
More than a hundred men appeared as
courtiers OF Louis XIV. Nearly all of them
SAID that really they We're CARRIED as
4
so many kings
The. stockings were of silk. Diamonds
sparkled in their shoe buckles The
breeches were of white blue or pink sat
IN; the Waistcoat of red, the coat of blue
PINK or faWn-cOlored satin or brocade
They wore powdered wigs and tiny black
patches We're on their faces The ruffles
+ were OF real lace. They took care to i'm
press this upon to whom they talked. Some
( OF tnem looked obviously at the fat calves
OF the fiun6y. Some regarded them even
/ with apprehension.
They were powdered outrageously. and
4 everybody knew il, but so long as the
'symmetricals,' as stage people cali them.
did not get out of place, it didn't matter
There were only kings, queens, princes
! processes, courtiers and ladies of honor
| TO be seen, with now and then another
costume that looked very strange, but the
great people We're nearly all French.
| There were fifty Marie Antoinettes and
IL was PAINFUL to contemplate the future
OF all these young women who were to
lose their heads.
There were ten Nine. de Pompadour.
eight Nine de Maintenon, three or four
dc la Nallieres, and the cynics wondered
u lhelr lmpSrsonators knew their his
tory. There Vas two or three GATHERINGS
of Russia.
There was no Rocine, no Maliere. no
Charlotte Corday, no Nine. de Stael The
artists, The poets the literateurs were all
| neglected. They must needs have royalty
ana rank. There were only few English
costumes, and scarce fifty American ones
IN the whole zoo
rOf the nrSt time IN the history of cos
tune balls in this city says the New
York Times since colonial days, the gen
uenen danced the cotillion with swords
at their sides.
A great deal of merriment was caused
| oy the awkwardness of many in handlns
so unfamiliar an appendage of high dress
out all VINO were disappearing as princes
Knights and cOurters felt that their
swords were a part of the costume, and
took their lives in their hands as They
paced through the stately figures of the
old court dance.
Swords got tangled in gowns and Iaces
and courtiers tripped over them, to the
delight OF the spectators and the despair
of the dancers.
One or two of the dancers tucked tbeii
swords under their arms or gripped then
tightly TO their sides, to keep them out
of harms way.
In selecting the "favors' for her guest,
Mrs. Bradley Martins first consideration
was to have them novel. She found it Z
dlfhCult task, as almost every article o
jeWeiry or ornament had been used 70
this purpose in former balls
After long search, she finally selected
small silver figures of appropriate desigr
sets a third favor" was added in Tn,
form of kstaff, such as was carried by
heralds and cOurtiers in the days OF thC
magnificent courts Of Versailles and Paris
This consisted of a staff crowned b,
plumeS and other ornaments, and was lr
! harmony with costumes of century anf
two centuries ago. The slaves were J
little too heavy to be carried about bv the
guests, and they were intended chiefly az
souvenirs of the ball.