Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30
A NEW YEAR EVE DANCE
An Historical Fancy Dress Ball Planned for
Tonight
March of the Centuries prett, Cor
man Favors-Paper
Costumes.
Written for Tie Evening Star.

Written for Tie Evening Star
New Year eve dances are excellent ',s-
| tiviies for welcoming Times coming and
speeding its parting guest. The present
New Year eve ushers US I'm 10 1900 fact
that will he excuse to many q hostess Tor
novel entertainments
One Of the most interesting and baca,lza
of its historical character. one Of the most
instructive of such entertainments. IS no
ing planned by a welI-known hostess IN
another city. II is to be the fancy dress
party Of the centuries The guests viii
number 190-ninety-ive ladies' and ninety
five gentlemen. Each one of these has been
Informed that he or she is expected 10 dress
I IN accordance with the peculiarities Of cos
tune prevailing at the beginning of fba
decade which he OF she represents Had
the party been given In a larger house or
IN the large assembly room Of a club il
Would have been possible to invite moro
guests. The party Will be given this even
ing, as the real New Year eve is tomorrow
Now. as the cards of invitation limit tn,
guests 70 no particular nationality or coun-
try, each person has wide range of s,Ib.
jects from which to choose.
For instance, an ambitious leader Of tho
CotlIlon may select the coronation robes ~
tharlemagne, the year 500 having seen the
great FRANK crowned emperor OF the west
at Rome.
There is no difficulty in costuming for
such dance Any book of old costumes
such as may be found in large ruhlIr IA
braries Will show just what is needed
A dictionary Of dates will be OF assist.
ance IN placing the historical period sun
Piled with this knowledge, any carefully
Illustrated history will suggest a cost rnne
The costumes may or may not h.. ,axpa,,
siVe; 1t all depends on the means. inciina-
uon and social pretensions of the V1iasts
Just as agreeable an evening may be nasse1
Al limitation brocades as in the real article
A Medieval Parsonage.
To add to the amusement of sucb an ~.
fair person versed in the lore of astraIo,,,,
has been engaged by the aforementioned
hostess. He is expected to array himself
in the costume Of the medieval astrol,par
white haired and white bearded and go
ed IN a curtained alcove, be propareJ =,
cast horoscopes for the coming wear Tor any
who may wish them.
The cOtillon will be danced and ,t,. f.,
Eors will be pretty calendars mtuiattlr.
hGur glasses. diaries and tiny blank books
with fancy covers and bearing the fnscrin-
Ion, for New Year Resolutions" Other
tribes appropriate TO the season are in
Guided the list
The supper table. in fact the entire din
ing room, Will be prettily decorated with
Mowers, and the guests will be axpccted 10
enter the dining room by one door and leave
1t by another. Over the door by which they
enter will be outlined in green the figures
1899 while over the exit viii appear the
figures 1890
The hostess herself retains the nr1yilepa
OF appearing in the costume OF the dav,
and for the party her daughter has ordered
a beautiful empire gown representing the
beginning of the century. 1t IL of white
silk, with a lace overdress falling 10 the
bottom OF the skirt in deep points and Just
showing an applique Of flowers. Among the
historical persouages who Will lie repre-
scented are Matilda, the wife of Henry / Of
England: the queen of Henry ", Queen
Anne, Isabella of Angouleme, the wife OF
King John; Catherine OF Russia and others
As the hour of II approaches window cur
tains Will be thrown open. and looking nut
into the night, the strange sounding 1850
will be welcomed. The orchestra Of
stringed instruments will play quietly some
pathetic strains untl the hour of l. rings
out, when the music viii be changed to
coming in new era. After this the guests
will be expected to remain only "A little
while. There will be no dancing after L.
March of Time.
That the affair win be Interesting no one
can doubt if the costumes are pretty ana
we'll selected. The hostess says she means
TO have a march in which they shall all
in the order Of the decades Il
the centuries they represent.
Now that Partisan hostesses have inau-
gurated the custom of giving fancy dress
parties at which paper costumes are worn
much reduced. 1t is a good plan to wear
the paper dress over slip of some sort
that will look preseu table in case of serious
damage to the outer garment. The Pari-
sian gowns are painted to represent bro
cades. but the handsome but cheap brocad-
ed Grape papers that may BON be purchased
almost anywhere make this unnecessary.
EDITH LAWRENCE.