The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-02-29
DoNALDsoNyIILE, La, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 49, 1908.
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
A New Fad in Dancing-spring Styles in
Shoes. Hats and suits-Good Week
at the Theatres Carnival
Preparations.
New orleans. La. Feb. %. 1903.

couples jumping and caVorting across
the floor in manner which was hoi
! denish and ungainly, to say the least
The fact that they were perpetratine
the ofense to the soft and dulcet
strains of the HAmoreuse waltz
seemed almost desecration and
added to the barbarity of the romp,
and was mentally cataloguing these
young people as silly and outfe when
a friend standing near my box querfed
''What do you think OF the new barn
dance?'' "The barn dance?" l re-
! peated, really puzzled. ''Yes-that is
it those couples are dancing now; it's
quite the rage. Haven't you been read
ing of the barn dances that have
been given lately?' Oh, yes, | had
been reading OF them, all right, and
daresay I am one among great many
who thought that barn dance meant
dance given in barn, never guess
ing that the term applied to the man
ner OF the dance itself and not to the
place in which it was given. There is
certainly no poetry OF motion in the
barn dance-no, not even blank verse.
1t ls nothing more than a hideous
romp, iumbalaya of leaps and
slides, a fantastic riot of discords ex-
pressed in motion. I don't know
where the virtue OF the strange dance
may lie: perhaps it Is in the novelty
Of the thing Or in the superabundanee
OF animation that characterizes it; GER
tainly it is not beautiful to look upon
and lacks all the grace and rhythmic
harmony of the old-time dance.
Short vamps in the spring footwear
continue in favor, and the fashion of
lacing the 0xfords from the tops and
tying the bow at the base Of the eye-
lets not only adds to this effect but
lends new and coquettish touch to
the shoe. The new spring suits and
even many of the spring hats are
muchinevidence on the streets already.
Light and delicate tones prevail In the
tailor-mades, which are mostly seen
in hip-lengths closely-ftted jackets
and plain or plated skirts, according
to the wearer's fancy. The plated
skirts are still much in evidence, but
the day of the plain-gored skirts is
assuredly at hand. I saw as many as
a dozen pretty white straw hats at the
matinee last Saturday, some trimmed
with a profusion of delicately shaded
roses, but the majority merely piled
up with big, frothy bows of tuIle. This
style of hat promises to enjoy de-
cided vogue, and is certainly very
simple and girlish looking.
| thought the Winter Garden Opera
Company's presentation of ERA Di-
avalo' last week just about fifty per
cent better than their Offering of the
week before, which was 'sThe Belle of
New York" !" There was not one In
the cast who did not show up to excel |
lent advantage, and even the comedian,
who isn't very funny at best, made a |
really amusing ''Beppo." Miss Ada |
Meade, always charming and clever,
was a most attractive ''Zerlina, . and |
Josie Intropidi as "Lady Allcash''
was as good as ever, which is really |
saying great deal. Miss Dorothy |
Maynard, the soubrette of the COM |
pany, did not appear in the cast of |
FRA Diavolo," but as last Satur-
days matinee was candy matinee
which means that everyone on enter
ing was presented with a stick of |
candy, Miss Maynard sang-I sup
pose you'd call it singing-a popular
hit between the first and second acts
entitled "You're the Candy Ktd,n or
words to that effect. If Miss May
nard wouldn't make SO many gestures
and would only timber up bit I |
would like her better. She dances |
like she's made OF wood, and would
possibly do Dutch dance to perfec-
ton. She makes you dizzy with ges.
ture and leaves nothing at all to the |
power of her voice, her expression, or
your imagination.
Sunday night at the Tulane Jan
Kubelik, the worlds most famous vi
olinist, appeared for a single eve
ning's engagement and electrified with |
his wonderful music a house packed |
to the doors. The Kilties Band was
heard at the Winter Garden for three
afternoons this week, beginning Sun
day, while Eleanor Robson at the Tu
lane in "Salomy Jane, {" the great
American play "Arizona" at the
Crescent, and corking bill at the
Orpheum made the attractions at the
leading playhouses way above the
average mark this week.
Carnival preparations are well
under way and the old city is begin
ring TO take on its festive air. Flags,
bunting and other decorations are ap.
pearing like magic, and visitors are
daily pouring into town. E. B.
II An All In.''
The supreme court OF Nevada, in