The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-06
Scene Of BEAUTY
IS FIRST ARMQRY
PLEASURE IN PERSON ATTENDS
HALL GIVEN FOR WAR
RELIEF FUND.
COMMITTEE. SATISFIED
RECEIPTS CAN ONLY BE EsTT-
MATED, But LARGE ATTEND
ANcE GUARANTEES A
GOOD TOTAL
COMMITTEE SATISFIED

A spacious hall, decorated in ban
ners of all colors and festoons Of
flowers of every description and va
riety: a floor made for dancing. smooth,
wide and long. free of all distractions;
gaily dressed people In the galleries:
q military band. playing as 1t never
played before.
There is the scene.
Beautiful women. beautifully gown
ed; men in evening dress: soldiers In
uniform: the Governor OF Virginia
and his staff In fun evening dress uni
form; debutantes in Red Cross gowns
selling refreshments.
There is the dramatis personnae.
Dancing into the early hours of the
morning were the same men and WON
enhancing for the sufferers across
the waters.
There IL the motif.
Assembling 1t all. you have the Red
Cross ball given in the First Regiment
Armory last night for the benefit of
the National Red Cross Society's fund
for use in Europe.
Endowment PeRsoniAed.
The scene was one OF beauty and
the music Of the most inspiring kind.
Given for any purpose and attended
for any of the many reasons that make
men and women love to keep time with
feet and body to music. Pleasure would
have been the companion of the most
serious minded. Given for the sake
Of charity and attended that hunger
and sickness might be relieved.
wounds dressed and the dead laid In
graves rather than trenches, that. in
short. the horrors of war might be
mitigated as much as possible and the
innocent saved some OF the punishment
that falls upon the guilty. Pleasure
was unusually persistent--was more
attractive and a!luring than ever.
The bali was a success. Those in
charge are well satisfied with the at
tendance, with the sales or refresh
ments, with the enjoyment shown so
plainly on all faces, with everything
occurring from the time the band
struck up its first notes to the time the
strains OF Home, Sweet Home" turned
reluctant feet away from the scene of
pleasure.
The number present was variousiy
estimated, but a conservative state
ment In that there were twelve nun
dred persons present, while there were
not lacking those to put the total at
ffteen to sixteen hundred. The re-
ceipts must have been satisfactory.
though the exact total will not be
KNOWN untu Tue eAcCQttNc
OF the ball holds its meeting to receive
returns from the various agencies and
individuals selling tickets.
A Good Profit.
I-Esxpenses -were=Ret- faiis4is-
throph came to the aid of those In
charge and nearly everything needed
was contributed. The city allowed the
use of the armory. merchants supplied
the refreshments sold; young women
gave their services; decorations were
donated and the music was furnished
free OF charge by members OF the
local American Federation OF MUSE,
directed by Kessnich.
All Richmond apparently did It's
part and the Executive Committee ex-
poets soon to send to the National Red
Cross Society check Of generous pro-
portions as one of Richmond's con-
tributions to the humane work being
carried on in the very midst OF the
hell in France and Flanders.
Exhibition dances by Miss Emily
ITrances Hopper and Ellsworth Cook
added TO the enjoyment Of spectators
|as we'll ~ to that OF those participate
|ing In the dancing q the svsntnx'