THE PRIVILEGES OF LEAP YEAR

Western Star, Issue 143, 3 June 1876, Page 7

THE PRIVILEGES OF LEAP YEAR

Pair America has turned the oldfashioned privileges of leap year to good account. If the ladies of that more vigourous hemisphere have a solemn sense of their rights, they have also a sense of the humour of the position to which they aspire, and have graceful tact enough to show what pleasant amenities might be the result of a concession to their social and political claims. An amusing instance of this has been afforded by a grand leap year ball given by the ladies of Norfolk to the officers of the United States naval vessel at that port. Mrs Leigh, who has done more, perhaps, than any other lady to harmonise the sectional elements in society there, was the leading spirit. She was heartily seconded by Mrs Loyall, a relative of Mrs Admiral Farragut, and other Virginian ladies. The * belles’ of the evening were Admiral Mulany and Captain Jouett, who received more invitations to dance than any other participant, either in civil, military, or naval life. The gentlemen were escorted to supper, waited upon to their heart’s desire, solicited to engage in the|dance, furnished with chairs when weary, supplied with fans and cooling beverages, and a number, particularly the naval officers, were protected on the way to their vessels.