The Washington times., 1919-03-05
BY JEAN ELIOT.

and colorful party this Mardi Gras
ball for the Free Milk for France
Fund, about which everybody is talk
ing. Starting last evening at 10
o'clock, festivities continued 1ntiI the
small hours of the morning and as
the dawn was breaking breakfast
was served to the jewellers.
Not since the United States made
its sacrifice 20 the great god Mars
has Washington witnessed such
genuine gayety and merriment, and
one wonders yet how so much true
carnival spirit could be worked I'D
on--milk. Confetti helped and SER
! Tentines and bright colored balloons,
which were batted back and forth
across the ballroom, and all the
noisy, foolish, amusing carnival
trtnkets sold for charity, with the
prettiest girls in Washington as
If official society was more or less
conspicuous by it's absence, it was
doubtless because the President and
Mrs. Wilson and the Vice President
and Mrs. Marshall are away and q
general exodus is in progress follow
ing the adjournment of Congress. For
the rest, the world and his wife were
there, not forgetting his sisters and
his cousins-and he reckons 'em by
dozens-his sisters and his cousins
and his aunts." The Diplomatic
Corps was numerously represented
and the cream of resident society
was present; and diplomats and
dowagers, politicians and potentates
ITeVen a prelate or two-laid aside
formality and even a measure of dig
nifty to frolic "all same like" the
younger generation and to help make
Shrove Tuesday memorable in the
social annals of Washington.
Charming Pastoral scenes.
Had a magician waved his wand
over Wardman Park Hotel, where the
ball was given, the transformation
could not have been more complete;
but the magic which produced the
charming pastoral scenes among
which the dancers reveled lay in the
willing hands of many volunteer
workers. Pastoral? Yes, but highly
sophisticated, and the sight Of Wash
ington's most prominent maids and
matrons in the humble but pictur-
esque role of milkmaids brought
back the days when Marie Antoinette
andt her ladies-in-waitiDg played at
dairying.
Indeed, the famous Laiterie in the
gardens of the Petit Trianon, scene
Of the pathetic masquerade of the
hapless Queen of France, was faith
fully reproduced as part of the
scheme Of decoration, and here Mrs.
Sidney Ballou and a group Of assist
ants, by chance all California wom-
en-, took the part OF these historical |
oiletantte dajrymaids. Their frocks |
of gay satins looped over voluminous |
nRTTfRnnf1 =.
even to the white wigs and picture |
hats described in the memoirs of |
Nine. Bortin. leading modiste of the |
period of Marie Antoinette, which the /
court circles of the eighteenth CEN
fury considered essential for all cor
rect butter workers.
BaIIOOn-Trimmed FrOekS,
In Mrs. Ballou's group were Mrs.
John Cravens, Mrs. Randolph Minor, |
Mrs. Henry NJ. Judson, Mrs. Louis |
Titus and Mrs. william SculIy. They
disposed OF balloons Of every conceiv-
able shape and color and in this they
were assisted by Miss Betty Burnett,
Miss Natalia Fisher and Miss Mary
Helen, dressed in balloon-trimmed
frocks Of gay-colored organizes.
Below stairs motion pictures of the
Free Milk for France parade were
shown, under the direction. of Mrs.
E. A Sturgis and there was dancing
wherever space for the dancers might
De found, three orchestras providing
the music. The long ballroom was
decorated to represent an orchard in
apple blossom time, with the blue
sky overhead and apple trees in full
bloom lining the walls Each box
boasted its own tree and was en-
closed in a picket fence, painted blue.
with miniature letter box, bearing
the name Of the hostess, upon the
gate.
Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry. Mrs. Breck-
inridge Long, Mrs. Arthur Graham
Glasgow and Mrs. Walter Dillingham;,
who, with Mrs. Joseph Letter and Mrs.
George Draper, were members of the |
ball committee, received the guests,
standing in line until the press of ar
irving guests became so great that |
they were forced to retire before over
whelming numbers. For the company |
which assembled for the ball was the |
largest as well as quite the most bril- |
liant which has attended any charity |
ball this season, and the flood of gold |
which poured into the Golfers of the |
free milk fund must have reached |
highly satisfactory proportions.
Who Wasn't Thereg
Who was there? Say, rather, who |
wasn't, for the list OF those basent"
would be easier to handle The Span
ish Ambassador and Nine. de Riano
were the ranking diplomats present
They were guests in Mrs. Richard
Townsend's box, their hostess also en-
Pertaining Senator and Mrs. Peter
Goelet Gerry; the minister of Portu-
gal, Viscount date, and Nine. Hauge
The Minister of the Netherlands and
Nine. Cremer had a box and had
among their guests the Ambassador