The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02
FRENCH BALL A SAD SCENE.
a1oOM REIGNED WHERE ALE
HOULD NAVE BEEN GAY,

LOV
SHOULD HAVE BEEN GAY.
MIL, Brady,s Proposed Series Or Revelries ~
madison Square Garden neatns with .
.grost,-A weak nmitatisn or the NauGhty
Celebrations or Fermer Years-Hncfdents.
There we're at all times during the evening
groups plainly visible TO the naked eye across
the great room, and this In spite Of the fact
that tho illuminations were not 90 brilliant as
usual. The first OF the masked balls Of tho year
might have been held under much brighter
lights, and tho first impression Of tho room
would have been moro enlivening. But q closer
alance at the crowd lod to tho belief that II was
possibly wise not to have made the details too
conspicuous. It could not have borne success
fully very close scrutiny. A loss spectacular
ball has indeed rarely been seen here in New
York than that which opened the serios under
taken by William Brady. The grand march.
which came after 2 o'clock in the morning. re-
yealed a succession Of shabby velvets and
dImmed tinsel that would nave put to shame
the most highly treasured properties Of the Bar
mum circus, and tho annual visits Of that or
eanisation reveal somo worry faded relics OF
grandeur.
There was another tendency noticeable in the
costumes Of that parade which were equally
potent in tho damage they did to its sightlincss.
This was q simplicity In the matter OF material
that was rather overdone. There was a prepon-
derance Of cheese cloth. paper cambria. and
figured calicoes about the promenaders that
diminished tho effect Of luxury. One Of the
favorites. indeed. wore a pair Of boomers made
OF pink mosquito netting, and this costly mate
rial had been 90 lavishly used that what was
under the thick layers of It nobody could tell.
The crowd at the ball on Friday night distrib-
uted itself over the floor just as 1t usually does
AT halla vwhan tho attendance In nof lnr0a Rotnn
Of the men promenaded with women in street
dress. Others lounged around aimlessly. star
Ing into the boxes for the beauty that was not
to be found there. Occasionally one OF the hired
dancers would lift her cheesecloth skirt and her
thick lingerie would for a second fly back from
It's contact with her cotton stocking. That
spectacle always had its effect. From all
quarters of the room came hurrying men
deceived momentarily into the hope that some
thing had happened. But as soon as the black.
coated ring had formed around the dancer the
barren hopelessness Of the whole business be-
came evident. AS the first row of men gradu-
ally melted away. however. there were others
to take their places, 30 these illuslvo rings from
time to time made 1t look as though there was
really q splash In the dull puddle of the nights
monotony. But the appearance was wholly do
ceptive.
Through the great open space in the slim
crowd, which could not hold itself together long
enough to make any union Of the dement's pos
sible. there stood the conspicuous figures Of the
paid dancers. There are always a certain num-
Der Of these at the large French balls. and IL they
are not directly paid for coming. 1t Is at least
made an object to them. But In the crowd they
arc merged into q background that throws into
view the other figures. Unluckily there were
no other figures last night, SO those who were
meant to be incidental only stepped into
the front. This was not a fortunate incident
for the spectacular success Of the evening.
those hired dancers. Two were Women dressed
s as %s ma . hhsy S MSrs black SiSa bSoc sss 9TH, evening ra 3
rom i o:eloeE until a no man mai"t spoke isi to 'th hem
with their smirks OF self.satisfaction unchanged
throughout the entire evening.
room assr the boxes. :"Ter s,' lake that up ITO TO
the counter 'San. sna cash IT. M called z y Z ing man man
reached aedD up to the box. An empty glass w" was sr put
into 1t. Then the woman's hand dropped. and
she held the glass with the same distracted air;
they were ali in ridicuie Of the woman's appear
ance. which was indeed pathetic. Evidently
although they cut some Of. the men Who heard
them: But they received from her no other
who was thin and shrunken; could not have
q schoolgirl with n short red skirt ana n long
white apron. On her he,d was q sun bonnet,
ami she carried n slate. No more pathetic piece
of driftwood ever t1oated into an assembly so at
variance with 1t. That the people were laugh
ing at her as she wandered slowly around tho
room apparently escaped her. Cruel jokes were
called to her from nearly every box. But they
luckily passed over her unfortunate head.
There were a number Of figures equally out OF
the spirit Of the evening-or of what ought 70
enough to deserve a place by the 50yearold
schoolgirl. She was a tall woman with short,
gray hair. Her dress was an old-fashioned
maroon silk made in the mode of fifteen years
ago. bout 1t she had carefully pinned n lot OF
green oak leaves In borders and designs that
have suggested then, TO her. On her head was
n wreath Of the green leaves. and her fan was
covered with them. During the greater part OF
the evening she wandered around alone. But
the isolation of the two finally brought them to-
gether. When the last of the visitors left these
two figures were walking hand In hand around
the auditorium.
What there was of excitement In tho evening
came when the prizes were awarded. Just how
they were awarded nobody could discover. But
the Inauguration of the ball was seen standing In
q box waving his hands violently. in the air.
Then the girl who calls herself Annabelle Moore
Was lifted into the box IN which the judges sat:
the uptown GRO I'd ut night The arrival OF
Annabelle was the signal for. the production, OF
q dozen other women. They wero handed
up on the shoulders of tho crowd, dragged
up by the legs or merely thrown up with the
hope that they might land safely On some plisnt
there was no injury done. One acrobat who was
knocked from a name shoulder to the floor was
seemingly the only casualty. Nothing else acute
was reported. The rest Of the injuries were OF