The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-10


 Strange that nature, in her wisdom A oneen SO garely-but 'tis true With all her opulence, not one com-
 pares
 In regal womanhoo with you Divine nerfection yours of form and
 face;
 Its wondrous symmetry and classic line; Great Phidias' ca ger hand would trace And love it as a stroke divine And though distinctive it's patrician
 mould,
 It but reflects what we all most adore: A glorious personality and soul That radiates with gladness evelrmore Sparkling. your gems of thought ingile The sordid mind and startle 1t To inspiration and to such delight As close encounter strikes from ready
 wit
 The wit whose quality exhilerates. Nor is it cheapened by sarcastic sting Crisp and electrical if scmttllates Like diamonds from Piera's Hmpid
 spring.
 For love of symmetry or to excel In full completion of d queen, The lavish hand of fate has mated well A robust wisdom and the Keen Decision of an intellect enlightened, That, Minerva like, can welld for Tens The thunderbolts and successful
 frighten
 Or persuade the war-god. Mars, to
 amicable truce.
 We love you in your varied moods ln lighter vein or in heroic act In smiles or tears-in all vicissitudes. Perennial you reign by love or tact; In carnival, in council, or the dance Acknowledgment of your leadership we
 owe
 And may you, as the years advance, Remain our queen, in statu quo.
 Juliet Olin, Montgomery At last the Confederate ball is over That such a beautiful ball should end! That the brocades and laces and jewels that our grandmothers loved should have been revived for only night! That any thing as picturesque as a Virginia reel should die out with the tones of an or chestra The ballroom at the Country club was brilliant with the red, white and blue of many flags. Bunting was draped across the beamed ceiling, and be- hind great screening palms sat a group of musicians who cleverly alternated old fashioned airs with the modern waltzes. In the midst of all this color and brightness. was the ball. Mr. John T.. Yeatman, with Mrs. Virginia Clay-Clopton of Huntsville, the sweet, gracious lady whose presence typifies all that was beau tiful and gracious in the old south, opened the ball. The earlier figures included the Virginia Reel and the lancers. Tread ing these stately measures were grizzled veterans wearing the gray and giving courtly greeting to gentle matrons whose beneship sometimes dated back to the period made famous in war time stories Among them fitted beles of the present day, pretty girls made utterly irresistible by the adoption of some pose Of favorite grandaunt or grandmother. For there were frlls and furbelows, clrls and coils, corals and cameos and the faint perfume of mignonette lavender was shaken out of old fabrics as these dainty ladies ripped through the mazes of the dance inlpartialy on the arm of white haired warrior or youthful gallant.
 Sweetest lady of them all was Mrs. Vir- Enia Clay-Clopton of Huntsville who, throughout the many years that have pSssed, has retained her loyalty and love of the lost cause, and who is always glad to lend her presence to the occasion that recalls the days that are gone. A typical Grande dame of the old school, she gave distinction last evening to a ball already graced by the flower of Alabama society Her sweeping robes were built of ruby velvet, after a fashion long past. Gre. ated of the richest fabrics, the gown is still beautiful relic, though it was woven for its wearer 50 years ago il Genoa, Italy.
 Ol laces heightened its beauty ant in her hair which was elaborately ar ranged in the fashion prevailing in tn, sixties, she wore a quaint old orna ment
 A group of members of patriotic or ganizations were invited to constitute a receiving party.
 Mrs. H. T. Stringfellow, as presiden of William l.. Yancey U. D. C.,-hostes chapter for the evening-was one O the chief figures noted during the even ing. To her efforts and those of he assistants, the success of the ball i due. Mrs. Stringfellow appeared in on of the most attractive of the costumes Her hair was arranged after that of portrait of her mother Draped abou her shoulders was an old lace shaw and on her neck was worn a magnifi cer.t old pearl necklace of fabulou value and quaint design. Another inter estfng figure noted in the ballroom was Mrs Ernest Red, formerly Mis- Eva Yancey, a member of that distin guished family after whom the chapte was named In pink tarleton gow with full ruffled skirt and a soft whit fchu. she was one or the pretties young matrons at the ball.
 lovely woman and one to whom tn ball was reminiscent of many statel. functions. which she Eraced as a bell in days long past was Mrs. J. G. W Leftwich of Florence. In black gowl and rare old black lace shawl, and wit her snowy hair simply dressed she wa wonderfully sweet and interesting Sh was with her daughter, Mrs. John ( Carmichael, whose gown went even far ther back into history than the civi war. 1t was one of those pretty, scan little frocks of the Empress Josephin type that has been a prized relic i Mrs. Carmichaefs family for 115 years With the gown string of pearls wa worn about the wearers hair and com pleted one of the most picturesque toi lettes at the ball. Mrs J. E. Frazie also wore an old gown, but of tn period of the Confederacy. It was mad of pineapple silk-cream, but now be come deeply yellow with age. Pannjer and long,. pointed basque, old blac Chantilly lace draped on bodice an skirt made it a captivating gown fo it's pretty wearer, who had arrange her hair with curls to hang over tn shoulder and tucked a gold rose jus beneath her ear.
 Mrs. T. c. Thompson's gown wa typical of the period. It was fash toned of net and lowered silk and old lac