The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-23

The latest craze in fancy balls, the hero
and the heroine ball, has been suggested
by the book party, which is not a fancy
dress entertainment. The hero and hero
inc ball is simply one confded to familiar
characters in literature. but it gives a
wide scope, embracing plays and pictures
as well as books.
Jane Shore is the principal charter IN
more than one interesting volume Those
who represent her have mostly fallen
back on old pictures, the one in Elton Col
lege and one at Kings, Cambridge. They
are very similar, and represent a fair ana
beautiful woman, in a low bodice, with
handsome jewels in the hair and about
the neck. She is wearing the soft falling
skirt and close fitting bodice after the
period of Edward v, with a girdle about
the waist. &
Jeanette and J~eannot, the heroine of
a well known song. figures as a piquante
French peasant, with a high cap and long
earrings, and dainty shoes, a short cot
ton skirt and a black velvet bodice; while
J~eannot. who sis going far from" her.
appears as a French sailor. All Sir Wal
ter SCOTS heroines are eligible for repre-
sentatfon. Julia Mannering, in the pretty
arriving dress, with its long silk cape and
close-ftting bodice; the large hat en-
twined with ribbon and turning up on the
left side, a long feather on the other;
her hair hanging in ringlets down her
back, tied with blue ribbons. The long
pointed bodice Is laced at the back, n
the sleeves nave a doubl frin at the ell
bow. Sometimes she wears a muslin
fchu, n long gloves always. Jennie
Deans and Amy Robsarts have a charm
ing presence, and there are many others
that occur to the mind.
The Princess de Lambalie, in her joy
and her sorrow, is always welcome at a
fancy ball of heroes and heroines. The
lass of Richmond Hill wears a pretty
poudre dress, the bodice made with pa
niers, in white brocade over a blue and
white striped satin skirt; a dainty hat
poised on one side of the powdered hair.
Petrarch's Laura would be arrayed in a
long white robe, embroidered with sill
yer; the low bodice edged with silver
braid, a checked red and white under
sleeves appearing at the elbow, the hair
twisted about the head in a~coil, the shoes
have the pointed toes of our period.
Heroines must be both grave and gay,
even at a fancy ball, and Lydia Languish
in the Rivals is Of quite a different
character, habited in simple white mus
lin, a sash round the low bodice, the hair
in curls, or in a handsome brocaded dress
over az satin petticoat, with powdered
hair. Sometimes at these balls a whole
family agree to represent one particular
play or book, and the Rivals Is well
adapted to this. Lorna. Doone is a capi-
tai im-personation. The hair about her
ears should be short and curly, and the
low, square, striped bodice edged with
lace. turning down from it; it Is laced
in front; the full sleeves come to the
elbow. and round the waist is a fringe
of bows, the skirt long and sweeping.
What a royal array of queens figure as
Observation-Disclosures de Valois- Maria
Theresa, Queen Elizabeth, Marie Antoi-
nette and hundreds of others, whose gar
ments are too well known to need descrip-
ton here; but about none is a greater ro-
nance centered than Mary Queen of
Scots and her attendant Marys. I am
aiming. however, to suggest less familiar
characters, Marion de Lorm, for exam
ple. whom Victor Hugo immortalized She
dressed her hair in short curls all round
her head. and had a low chignon at the
hack. and figures in pink satin, yelled
utth black embroidery; the bodice made
with a square cut front, high Medicis col
rar. and full of sleeve slashed, the skirt
gathered onto the bodice.
Tn marked contrast to her is Lucy Ma
nette in "The Tale of Two Cities" just
one of those graceful gowns of white
muslin. with a flowing skirt and fchu OF
tha same 4 sash about the waist. the
hair powdered and turned over a cushion.
- fO11rec in one or two
well known novels. She wears a regal
gou-n of dark green, trimmed with gold,
a black velvet ~corslet, with creves of yell
low satin in the sleeves, q long mantle
~ b,acs velvet floating at the back, lined
with yellow brocade; the skirt ricn green
brocatelle. an aumonier hanging at the
side.
Mary Crop is of interest, as 1t was
a character acted by the lamented Fan
ME Kemble, In the play OF "Charies IL
She wore a yellow petticoat, trimmed
with light blu ribbons, and one OF those
becoming black velvet bodices, out OF
which emerge a white chemlsette. ana
elbow sleeves. The white cap mas piue
ribbons and a small white apron, with
blue BOWS on the pockets, Meg Merrlies
figures but seldom at a fancy Dali, pc
| cause there are SO rev ptoPiC WIZ SOu
carry out the character with any kind OF
aplomb. Fantastic and wierd. she puts
in an appearance in her blue riding habit
with furnished lace. her hair dubbed like
a mans ~surmounted by a highland cap
with a bunch of broken feathers. out OF
which a peacock's feather rises, highest
OF all. with always a bunch of old flowers
reposing somewhere about her person.
There is such a plethora of material
for these entertainments with all our and
other countries literature to choose from
Nancy of the Vale. immortalized by
Sheuton. has seldom been seen in her
plain olive green silk, a large bunch Of
darodils on the bodice. the poked bonnet
tied with the same yellow ribbons, and
others attached to the reticule bag. Mrs
NieKleby is only one Of the many person
ages. male and female, which Dickens
has planted In our memory as familiar
friends. These should, whenever possible
he copied from the original drawings
There are few Of them so sombre as
Nicholas weak, wavering mother in hei
widows cap and black gown, accom-
panied sometimes by an old coal seuttlf
bonnet and q shawl about her shoulders
axT c