The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-04-10

sic Of a Virginia reel she flung a rose
at the feet of some gallant youth, or
later to he loying strains of AN old
fashioned waltz listened as he pleaded
his cause. but she. DE she matron or
maid. Who has never waited in the
masker to choose her from the crowd
has never known the meaning Of a real
bali!
If 1T We're not for the balls, Mardl
Gras would o o become a part Of the
past, for While the carnival itself may
draw the tourists it is the balls that
keep up the interest of the New Or
leans people themselves. Twelfth
Night, named because it is held just
IL nights from Christmas. is followed
by ~ other balls: Nereus, the Olymp-
ians, the F~alstatfians. Mithras. Oberon,
the Atlanteans. Menus. Proteus, and
on the last night of the carnival, Comus
and Rex. the peoples ball. each eXceli-
ing the preceding one in grandeur and
magnificence.
1t is not everyone who is fortunate
enough to receive Invitations to these
affairs n many a disappointed
stranger thinking he will Of course be
/ permitted to buy a ticket at the door
Is turned away With the explanation
that they are not to be bought and can
only be obtained through members of
the organization. AS the organizations
are secret societies to which no man
has ever been known to confess that he
really belongs. it is no small matter for
newcomer to try to find out from.
whom he might be able to ask cards.
and it Is even rumored thai each mem
Der must submit his list of names tc
the society and each name must be
unanimously accepted before the invi-
%tations can be sent. It Is said that one
New Orleans maj who had never beer
able to obtain an invitation one year
mailed a check for a thousand dollars
made payable to the society at the
same time asking for three tickets, one
for himself. one for his wife and an
other for a visiting friends, but the
check was returned without the tickets
and with no word Of explanation.
Money was no object and Invitations
are not to be had in any such man
ner.
Crowds Throns Steps.
Fully an hour before the doors of the
old French opera house are thrown
open the steps leading up to them are
thronged with men and women In dress
suits n beautiful evening gowns for
1t is the rule that no one will be adj
mitted who is not in full dress. These
people have come early so that they
may get the best seats in the Horse
shoe" where the hest view of the stage
a. AN "a poAQoSI 4 llOOTSU over
even with the stage to provide more
room for the dancers with only a few
seats left at the back for the Call
outs" These are reserved for the
younger women, the girls and the sea-
sons debutantes who have received
call out Invitations" better known in
language less technical as specia, invi-
tat1ons to dance with the maskers
themselves.
OF the smaller Of the balls given this
season the Falstafians' on February
IA was one Of the prettiest OF them ali.
The subject of the ball was .'The
Dream OF the Rose. n when the cur
tain went up at exactly 9 o'clock 1t
showed a garden In which the rose was
sending the little violet off as a mes
spare the fragile flowers from his dead
ly biting blasts. In the second tableau
the violet was pleading with the hoary
old sovereign OF winter and winning
from him the promise to let the chill
dren OF the garden live. The last tab
leau which was used as the stage set
ting for the ball itself was a bower OF
beauty in which all the flowers were
smiling their appreciation for the
warm rays Of sunshine sent in place of
nipping winds. in the garden was set
up q great golden throne around which
the royal court in beautiful garm ents
of satin n velvet danced for his mai
esty's pleasure. while on the throne In
gold-embrolcered satin. a jewelled
crown upon his head, his royal scepter
in his hand sat the king himself, And
then while everyone breathed an
ecstacy of delight over the
cence Of the scene, a knight gorgeous