THE BRADLEY-MARTIN BALL

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2379, 27 April 1897, Page 4

THE BRADLEY-MARTIN BALL

The following is a condensation of the New York World's account of "New York's greatest social function," Mrs Bradley-Martin's fancy dresa ball :— The Bradley-Martin fancy dress ball will go down m history as a riot of colour'and display. It is the crowning glory of the social life of New York of this century, and may not be surpassed m another hundred years. It was a gorgeous, superb, and wondrous spectacle. It cost a fortune, and the workers who benefited by it will always Bay that the money was well expended. It was a monument to Vanity, but a tribute was paid to Industry, 'it^was splendid and ridiculous. The results of months of preparation, and the outlay of hundreds of thousands of dollars were exhausted m live hours.. Jt was very fashionable. The social position of those bidden to it could be examined with a microscope without revealing a weakness. Men and women travelled across the Continent for the honour of being present. It needs a Carlyle to appreciate the meaning Of this function, the herculean task of attempting to take up the men and women who make what ia known as New York society— to pick them up by the ears and deposit them m Versailles amid the glory and refined vice of the Court of Louis XV. Only. the unchecked ambition of a woman could conceive eueh a thing. Mrs Bradley-Martin planned it as the great achievement of her remarkable career: Long before she had assaulted the peculiar ramparts of New York society and the walls had crumbled before the battering-ram of her craving for social prestige. She had married her daughter, a mere child, to an earl. Still ambition was not satisfisd. She determined to give such a ball as would be the criterion m new York for years to come, just as the ball given by Mrs WYK. Vanderbiit has been the measure of the gay world's entertainments up to this time. Mrs Bradley- Martin is a short, stout woman. She has a square determined face and a high colour. Her nose looks as if it intended to tilt and stopped short. She was dressed as a Queen— Queen of Henry of Navarre, who was Marguerite of Val : lois. You saw a flash of jewels and a train that swept backward for twenty feet. A little to one side stood the King, for Bradley-Martin played the same part m this mimic world that he does m real life. He was robed as King Henry of Navarre. When you looked upon him the lines of Macaulay's poem seemed to rattle through your brain :— All honour to our Lord of Hosts, to Whom all honours are, And honour to our-Sovereign Liege, King Henry of Navarre. But the lines didn't fit exactly. It was distinctly Mrs Bradley Martin's ball. It looked something like a salon e$ Versailles may have looked. It wt*3 distinctly Louis XV. More than a hundred men appeared as courtiers of Louis XV. Nearly all of them 6aid that really they were garbed as King Louis, but it looked bad to have co many kings. They wore powdered wigs and tiny black patcheß were on their faces. The ruffles were of real lace. They took care to impress this upon those with whom they talked. Some of them looked enviously nt the fat calves of the flunkies. 'Some regarded their own with apprehension. They were padded outrageously, and everyone knew it, but so long as the " symmetricals," as stage peqplte call them, did not get out of place it didn't matter. These kings and queens, lords and ladies, seemed to be much m doubt as to what they should do while the reception was going on. They walked about stiffly, and bowed like pupils m a dancing school. They studied each other, and passed compliments and admired the decorations. They seemed to feel that they were on their good behaviour, and behaved precisely like children. who are afraid of mussing, their clothes. There was a tremendous crush of course, at the opening of the ball with the "quadrille d'honneur," and there was danger of the dancers being crowded into too small a space. So they were roped m as prize-fighters, only pink ribbons were used instead of ropes. Now, to the plaia, unvarnished man, unfamiliar with our customs, a quadrille d'honneur is very like a Virginia reel danced to music that ia just as lively as a dead march. It is meant to be very stately and grand, but it is painfully slow, and the men have no end of trouble with their swords. In fact, the swords played the very mischief all the time. Men stumbled over them m getting out of carriages. They poked other people, and were as able agents m tripping folk as a string stretched across a side walk. Itis m the third figure that the king and queen receive the grand homage. They took ona vaetdeal of dignity^ and received the salutes with benignant seriousness. Then followed the quadrille of the debutantes. There was a suggestion of life m this dance of the young people, and the sixteen young women represented so much money that not a single impecunious bachelor could possibly go astray. Then followed the quadrille of the matrons, and they all blossomed m pink and white brocade. Ihe wonder was where it all came from. These were the only formal dances. After they were finished everybody was expected to dance. But they did not. They simply walked about and talked, and tried to be gay. But it was not m them. Nothing could destroy the stiffness and formality. There was no rollicking spirit of merriment such as characterised the Vanderbilt ball. Supper was served m the cafe, and the winter garden. They were hung with inagniffcent tapestries, and there were ever so many palms. There were 125 little tables with a bouquet m the centre of eech. £upper engagements were made weeks

ahead, and trifn -I'li^iad about to find' their partners. ' "It isn't so easy to recognise, a young woman m a Tourt gown with a powdered wig. The c upper con-: sisted principally of cliampagm 1 , with a_ few things to cat, like bullion, truffles,' canvasback duck, and ices. Now, New York has (.lie reputation of being stingy m the matter 'of champagne at balls. 1 The usual allowance has been a quart to : each guest. There was no stint to the; wine last night, or rather, this morning. One couldgo into the supper room as often as he chose, and some went there very often. It was 5 a.m. when the ball came to a close, and the majority of those who attended this remarkable function went' to bed fta the great majority of the people were preparing for their day'B work. •-■•'■•■••• ;