The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-12
THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE OLD SOUTHIS TO BE EMBODIED IN THE COTTON BALL." SAYS MRS
 MABEN, PRESIDENT OF FNEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
Ny DOLLY DALRYMPLE

As faint as tic perfume of the jasmine
 flower, as delicatelyl insinuating as the
 scent of the mimosa and heliotrope, as deliciousy lnsidious as the breeze on a
 moonlight night-such will be the atmos- phere of the cotton ball which will be given on the evening of Tuesday, Novem-
 Der 17, for the benefit of Neighborhood house.
 The atmosphere of the old south, of
 ante -hellum days when our grandmothers
 danced the stately "minuet'' and "curt-
 sled" to their partners, when chivairy from the men and elegance from the
 women characterized a never to be for gotten period in the souths great his- tory-this will be the theme which will be embodied in modernity's progress-a touch of the old southern hospitality for which this section of the country is famed, return to the simple cotton gown Will mark an interesting epoch in the trend of today, when the scene of the cotton ball will be transferred back to the time of our forefathers.
 What prettier or more representative ex-
 ponent of the south's loveliest women to stand at the head of this idea, than Mrs.
  of all that is aristocratic and elegant and graceful in the line of splendid ancestry, from the good old state of Georgia one of the grandest commonwealths in the union, a state which has contributed as many glorious men to history's annals, and as many talented and beautiful women as perhaps any other in the union.
 Mrs. Maben's interest in the cotton ball and her enthusiasm for the charity for
 which 1t will be given, Is an inspiration to even the most lukewarni
 'In these strenuous tlmes." Mrs. Maben | said yesterday in speaking of the ball, when every body is talking business de- 1 pression, and the whole country is in an abnormal state, who has the poorer l class to look to if not to those who are l financially better off than they? We I have il children in the day nursery at | Neighborhood house. The one good meal | a day they are provided with there is sometimes the only meal they have Miss | Ely (and by the way every member of the board of Neighborhood house) is en- | thusiastic in their praise of this splendid young woman and the work she has done | there, visiting among our patrons, finding | in many cases now that the mothers are at home sewing, trying to earn liveli-
 hood, many of the fathers being out of
 work on account of the hard times. Could | anybody withhold a helping hand un- | der such conditions? We are trying to l raise funds to carry on the work at | Neighborhoor house during the rest of
 the winter. We have not come before the public asking for help since last spring, and we would not do so now except for | the absolute necessity of it."
 l Our idea of the cotton ball think is l a happy one," Mrs. Maben continued. Tt 1 is in keeping with the spirit of the times, the entire country advocating the sale 1 of cotton. the wearing of cotton gar | merits and this helping in a cause which is nation wide in it's scope In all the largo cities-New York, Philadelphia, | Washington-the cotton ball has been a | great feature this season, and we want l to make ours the most successful of them all. We have had such cordial cooper ation from everybody in regard to the
 ball. It's artistic success is assured by the fact that Mrs. w. S. Lowell (whose
 beautiful taste and wonderful originality are the pride of Birmingham, has under taken number of features which will 1 prove most interesting. MT. Hubert Kin | neys dance, for instance. which includes | 24 girls, will be staged by Mrs. Lowell | in a very artistic manner. to represent | the different stage of the blossoming of the cotton plant. The shades, white, pink, yellow, lavendar, will be employed by
 Mrs. Lowell in the execution of this idea | each representing a different phase of the l development of the cotton blossom" | "The throne for King and Queen Cot ton," said Mrs. Maben, twill be designed
 also by Mrs. Lowell, and this will intro duce the only note of modernity in the
 ball. Ladies in waiting will attend the
 king and queen. and the present day en-