Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-13
Original Prices on Every Ticket.

with smiling faces and happy words,
jostling, with never fear of offending
one taking your tread on his feet as
good-naturedly, as he steps on your
pedal extremities, or unintentionally
causes your silk hat to rest on the floor;
the gliding forward and backward of
the nimble dancers, now and then up
setting the corpulent dignity of a gray
haired gentleman or the frizzled sedate-
ness of a dutiful chaperone; the many
colored streamers of paper ribbons
which are playfully cast down and up
and across the hall, by the maidens in
the boxes, twining and twisting amid
the chandeliers and about the arms and
necks of the dancers-all make a scene
worthy of the renowned Frenchman of
vivacious spirit and enthusiastic dispo-
sition, and source Of wonderment, as
are the Spanish and italian carnivals,
to the sober soul of New Englands
grave temperament
The ball does not take on it's real self,
its jolly ebullition of merriment till af-
ter midnight. Then it is that the spec
tator may feast his eyes on the novel
spectacle, kaleidoscope Of gay Pari-
slams. The many logeS contain families
and parties Of onlookers, many of
whom. in fisherman fashion, with poles
and lines, suspend toys over the heads
of the promenaders, and pleasantly tor
ture the one who would grasp the arti-
Gle. Glad peals of laughter ring out
from the pretty little fishermaiden as
she catches great big man-fish, with
his silk hat and white gloves, and her
laughter grows the merrier as she per-
ceives him knock off his hat, muss his
neat tie; and, after stepping on the little
slipper of an unoffending lady, thrust
his elbow against the back Of a waltz
ing gentleman. When the bait is
caught, the man-fish goes away with his
prize, after saying with his gracious
bow to the fishermaiden, HE laughs
best who laughs last"
Down on the floor you see a motley
group; gray hairs and youthful locks;
gorgeous robes that hide the wearer as
completely as his garb does Capuchin
monk, and costumes quite as abbreyi-
ated as the habit of certain African
tribes; sober faces of foreigners who are
looking at it all in wonderment, and the
unbounded smiles of those who, sad be
it told, have STEPPED themselves in the
philosophy of a million Parisians, Live
and be merry, tomorrow we die;'
the unmasked countenance of a young
wife who, leaning on the chivalrous
arm of her husband, seems to be as fear
less of the rabble's antics as If she were
under military escort, and the dis
guised features of a lone demoiselle,
lone IN CnaI ununlnklnS assembly, De-
cause long ago she lost the guidance Of
mothers love and a fathers solicit
ude.
Out in the brilliant foyer, groups are
chatting and promenading; while out in
the cafe, whence the popping Of the
champagne comes-well, If you are a
person that frequents such places, you
know what it is like, and if you are not,
then you must learn of it from a scribe
that knows.
If you wish to moralize on this Pari-
sian bal masque, wait till the entire per-
formance has ended. In the wee sma'
hours" of the morning, when the partic-
pants In the festivities seem to have
lost the little reason that they had when
they entered the opera house, you may
look from your loge on revellings such
as Marie Corelli on one Mr.. Brann, of
Texan iconoclast fame, could well de-
pict. You have read in your Quo