Evening star., 1938-03-01


reigns supreme.
1t is sight that is so amazing and
such an unusual procedure that 1t is
hard to describe. Carnival day brings
to close two of the gayest weeks that
have ever seen any place. Balls
every night that are so magnificent
that you are afraid to believe your
eyes. The king and queen Of Mardi
Gras and those of each ball are more
gorgeously gowned than in any child's
fairy book.
Behind all Of this carnival spirit
there Is a serious side that adds to the
fascination Of the whole thing Each
ball is given by an organization OF
men, no one ever knowing who the
members are, for they appear at the
ball SO heavily masked, with even
close-fitting hoods covering their hair,
and gloves, so that there is no possible
way OF identifying one from the other.
The story is that even their families
don't know which one they belong to.
Each ball has a mythical name,
such as Momus, Proteus and Comus,
and at the ball tableau depicts some
legend.
The queen Of each ball is selected
many weeks in advance, affording am
pie opportunity for an elaborate cos
tune and mantle to be made. How
ever no one ever knows who the queen
will be until she arrives at the ball
with her court. Following the ball
the queen always has her own supper
dance, in one of the famous restau-
rants in the old French quarter, start
ing after midnight. The invitations
are issued as a royal command in
the name of the queen of the ball
The queen and the maids of her court
must be New Orleans girls, no out
of-town girl may have this honor.
The king and his court wear colorful
costumes of rich satin, velvets and
brocades. studded with flashing gems.
The queen is gowned in costume of
the period of the legend depicted,
fashioned Of shimmering material and
encrusted with sparkling jewels, her
mantle many yards in length. also
embroidered in jewels and trimmed
with simulated ermine. On her head
handsome diamond tiara, in her
hand the royal scepter and an enor-
nous bouquet Of flowers.
\ X
INVITATIONS to the balls are
anxiously awaited by young and
old. AS each young girl tears open
her envelope she quickly searches for
the extra card bearing the words call
out seats"
Men never receive this, just the
debutantes and young matrons, and
only those that are the proud pos
SCISSORS of them may dance The dow
ayers sit in boxes surrounding the
floor, the girls with call out cards"
sit in seats placed at the end opposite
the stage. The rest with invitations,
but no designated place, must sit in
the gallery, this includes all men who
are not members of the organization
or the Floor Committee. who are al
ways spoken OF as the black coats"
Following the pageant the king claims
his queen from the box where she
has been with her court. He escorts
her around the floor for all to see,
then they ascend the stage. and the
queen takes her rightful place on the
throne alongside of the king, to watch
his merrymaking court dance.
The "call out seats" derive their
name from the fact that a masked
reveler gives member of the Floor
Committee the name of the girl he
wishes to dance with The man on
the committee calls her name until
she rises, then escorts her to the
masked gentleman.
There is no cutting in at these balls,
and after each dance the lady returns
to her chair, but before returning her
partner opens bag on his arm and
presents her with souvenir Needless
to say a popular young lady leaves the
ball laden down with gifts of every
description. The most coveted of all
Is when one of your partners feels that
he hasn't a gift quite worthy of you,
so he invites you to unhook his hand
somely embroidered cloak and take
it as souvenir of the dance, although
it IS against all rules and regulations
for a member to give away any part
Of his costume.
Every one is always under the i'm
preston that the girls at the ball
wear costumes and masks also, but
this is not so, for she wears one of her
loveliest ball gowns and no mask. The
only woman in costume is the queen of
the ball, the maids in her court are