Cinderella Dances.

Otago Witness, Issue 1751, 13 June 1885, Page 27

Cinderella Dances.

The term "tMnderella Dancoß" appears to be but imperfectly understood, and a variety of questions aro put respecting them. Is f.tney dress worn ? Are costume qundrillea danced ? Do they wear Cinderella shoes 1 How are the invitations issued ? What refreshments aro given 1 Are these dances for juveniles or for growu-up people? And what ia the meaning of the term Cinderella dance ? The explanation to these queries, is simple enough. Fancy dress ia not worn. Costume quadrillos ara not dancjd. Cinderella alippara are not tried .on. Tho refreshments aro tho aame as at ordinary dances. And tiioy are given for grown-up people rather than for children. The origin of Cinderella dunces arose frt/na a desire on the part of several people to institute dances that should not be prolonged into tho small houra of the morning; that daylight should not dawn upon young ladies dancing in the ball-room, but rather upon their healthgivingslumber, and that 8 30, J), or 9,30 wore more reasonable hours for commencing dancing than 10 or 10.30. Small and early dances, au they are termed, have tor some lime been in vogue, and enjoy a popularity that rivals larger dances and balls ; but the term " small and early" does not dofine the hour whon theso dances are expected to terminate, and they are of tener than not kept up until after two o'clock; whereas the appellation Ciodai-alia dance, taken from the old fairy tale, clearly indicates th« hour of twolvo to be the limit ot tbo evening's amusement. mi_- :l.l_ ij.. i i . i -i »

This sensible idea of early hour*, ntarted by the few, Boon found favour with the many. Motherß approved, no* only cm tbeir dangfatoia' account;, but also on tboir owa, the fatigue ox periencad afc -twelve being light; in comparieon with that felt at three or four in the morning, •when the whole frarao becomes chilled and torpid from six hours' Bitting still, in addition to that peculiar shivering and depression known to those who thus encounter tho aarly dawn. Mothers also approve of thw movement oa 08half of their sons, being well aware that late hours are not the bast preparation for early rising and office work. A hostess approves for various reasons ; she, too, can rotira early from her post, and can hardly realise that eha has given a dance on reaching her owa room a littla after midnight. Cinderella dances are less pretentious and leas ambitious than what are commonly known as ordinary dances, and upon whatever scale the preparations are made, no surprise or disappointment is felt by tho guests. Floral decorations, for one thing, can bo entirely dispensed with if the hostess is so inclined. "If the dance ia only for three bourn it is hardly worfch while to go to the expense of flowers," is the wise reflection of the piudent hosteaß. " I will have a tew flowera, jusfc to make the rooms look bright," says the giver of another Cinderella dance. The samo as regards the music — a piano, a piano and cornet, a piano and two other instruments are respectively chosen, as thi hostess miy think fit;. A poliahed or a parquet floor, or the more modest dancing cloth, are ground for fairy feet, and the nectar and ambrosia are subject to like variations. Tei and coffee, with or without ices, light rereshmente, or a smart suppsr are given, aa the ase may bj.

People mnßt not suppoße that Cinderella sappers and Cinderella refreshments ara composed of can-away seed biscuits maio at home, sardine sandwiches, and chopped lettuce, and other nonsense dishes, with lemonade ia lieu of wine. On the contrary, the gneets require to bo properiy entertained, whether thay leave wheu the cluck is striking twelve or when it u> arikiiig four ; and an early danca does not imply uneatable and impossible rofreahmenta.

Again, the quantum of drasu assumes far Isas importance for a Cinderella dance than for a regulation ball. To make an elaborate toilette for three hours only is nob considered imperative, and thus far lesa expansive dreseea are worn, and the mothers of many young ladies regard thia aa another point in favour oTthio description oi dauce. — Quo( j n.

Society ami Fashion Gossip.

— Ifc is probable, says tha World, that thi bridesmaids of the Princess Beatrice will be hor niecea, the daughters of r,ha Prince of Wales and tho Duke of Edinburgh, and the Princess Irene of Hesse. The wedding is to take place at Oaborne during the Queen's Bummer residence there, either the week before Goodwood or early in August, and the happy pair will accompany her Majesty to Balmoral after their honeymoon, which is to be passed in the Isle of Wight, probably at Qiarr Abbe?, near Ryde, tha seat of La r Jy Goehrane, whose daughter ia to be appointed lady in waiting to the Princess. It i« tho Queen'o wish that the wedding should be celebrated as privately as possible. — Mrs John Jacob Actor is the best known collector of laces in America. When tho boxes containing theaa wonderful fabrics were opened at the recent New York loan exhibit there were exclamations of rapture on every Bide. Mrs Astor is probably tho best judge of lace in America. She knows every stitch in the fabric of every country, and can tell at a glance the date, the point, and the value of anything in tho line of laco.

— Embroideries (according to La Moniteur de la Mode) are used to an enormous extent for evening dresses. Silks and tulles are embroidered with beads, chenille, and silks, or are trimmed with embroidered muslin, etamine, or laces of all kinds. A dinner toilette of vertlumiere velvet is beautifully trimmed with fine embroidered lawn. The embroidery ia particularly handsome, consisting of open-work flowers marvellously executed, picked out with a delicate pattern in satin stitch. The skirt ia of vert-lumiera faille, edged with a velvet flounce and covered with a deep skirt of embroidery. A velvet panel is on each Bide, and the long, Bquare train is also velvet. The velvet corsage has a low, pointed neck, which ia outlined with a row of shaded green beads ; the same beads edge the short basques. — Etiquette in- a Mohammedan Mosque,— '• On going into the mosque," says a traveller, "they made us put on very large red cloth slippers, which caused us to alip about in the taost absurd manner, and I could but laugh to think what grotesque figures we must have looked in them. Still, they do allow Christiana to enter, thuß showing a vory different slate of things from what it was even at the beginning of this dantnry, when Ohristianß were rigorously excluded, except, as in tho mosque at Tunis, where a Christian workman waa allowod to enter on all fourß to repair, the dock, because, as the Sheikh baid to his co-religion-ists who objected, ' in cage of repairs, is it not true, O true believers,. that a donkey enterß this holy place carrying stone 3on his back ; and is it not true that one who does not believe in the true religion is an asa and tha son o£ an ass ? Therefore, O brothers, let this man go in eg a donkey.' " —Last y^ar t hera w&s ia th* cifry of New

York 11,805 marriagos. Of these ten were of coloured men to while women, and one of a coloured woman to a whitu man, Two mon waro irarriod for tho fifth tim", throe men an'i two women for iho fourth. 100 men and 41 worut>M for the third, and 1515 widowers and 1210widowsof thetirstpoweriemamei, Eleven Ondegro >m»i and nne bride wore between 70 and 80 yeara of aga, lfi bridegrooms and two brides between 65 and 70, and R9 bridegrooms and Bix brides between 60 and 65 The number of men who married under 20 was 218, that of women 2919. The number of men who married between 20 and 25 years of age wan 4173, of women 6031; 3795 mon and 2170 women married botween 25 and 30 yoara of ago. — Tho death of Mrs Joseph M'Oann, in Saccarappa, last Friday evening, was marked by an event of singular iutere3fc. Touched by the grief of her relatives and tho tears of her little children, sho said : " As you rn-o feeling very badly I will sing to you." The dying woman, who was the possessor of a remarkably fino voice, then sang sang b.s first a piece familiar to the children as "One of mamma's songH. ;> Then she sang a hymn for the older ones, and finally Bang two stanzas of " Ar-leep in Jews." At the conclusion of the singing she remarked, " Now I will go tj sleop," and quickly fell into the sleep which knows no waking in thi3 world. — Hartford, Conn., Telegram. March 18.

— Siiall lobsters constitute the latest whim for decorating dresses. Sonio ara in red pluwh, suggesting tha boiled and edible state of the fish, while others are in the bluish green colour of tha creature while alivo. Even in this soft material thoir claws are rendered with a fidelity to nature that ii occasionally appalling whon they are seen in closo proximity to a soft white nix k or arm.

— Tba Queen of Belgium ia described »s stolidly insolont, without a grace or a charm to nesHon the defect. Horses are her passion, and, as sho grows older, she becomes mors in sympathy with them, and loss with tho human race. All the faculties of her mind ara daily concentrated for htmra on the tßam of ponies Bhe drives.

— Primrose and a deeper shade of yellow is fashionable for youug girl*' tnl.'e ball dresses. Frequently no material but tullo is used, but tho toilette looks richer and brighter if satin ia combined with it. The skirts are pleated from tho waißt, the puffino6B of the material being restrained by a moire scarf or a garland of flowers. If tha bodic9 is of tulla the full cor&age a la viijrga is employed, with low oval neck and waisfcbelt, or Swiss ban iof satin. A sat.m corsage ib very pretty, howover, with tulle drapery or lace bertbe at the neck.

— Green is the tint of the aeanou ia Paris this spring, produced in a variety of shades — " eilvf ry moss," " budding sorrel," "emerald " and " watercress." Next in favour is a light cotfee colour, such as "beige," "raw lentils" and " cooked lentils."