FANCY DRESS CARNIVAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1879, 28 June 1888, Page 2

FANCY DRESS CARNIVAL.

11 Roller slcatlng |s a b|g faflt " and the truth of the assertion cannot be denied. Since the Inauguration of the Crystal Palaoo Rink here the promoters have had no oiuse to lament the look of Interest m thoir venture, or cry out that patronage was not forthcoming. Every session has seen the hall filled more or less comfortably, and when anything special has been announced the attendance has been moat satisfactory. £a their efforts to cater for the public taste the' r#aniigsQ>ent have not been Blothful, and m keeping the rolierakatlng omzi before the publio aare has been taken to make it as lively and taking, as possible. Everyone almost has be- ' 1 oonjp • pipltt9n with the disease term. " Rinkotaania' 1 and the coining of this: word naa a fortunate afctotupt to compress a great deal 'of meaning into sm»ll oompasB t 9gßlnkomanla Is the fashion" of the hour, Qnd it is followed blindly by all sorts and condition? of huraanity male «nd female, 'youpg' an 4 olql! Whether tbs fttsiitou w\\\ pr? 79 §<fe\? fJ99 d r)o|

now be diaoueaed suffice it to say that it I la at its hofght m New Zeahnd, and j nowhere, wo think, has tho contagion [ takeD on ao muoh aa a' Aahbnrton, The crowded hoaae last night to witnesa the Fanoy Drees Carnival bore witness of the hold the faolnating paatlme has taken of Aahburtoa. Tho popular taate has evidently boon hit, and tho Impression will not wear ont hero ontll at leaat the spring months are upon us. Aa we have aaid the attoud^noe at the rink last night was phenomanal. Bound the hall the seats were filled and the improvised gallery at ooe ond of the hall, and the stago at tho other vroro both packed. Memy had to stand m the corners and round the front of the stage the spectators were several deep. Thia neceasarily made the skating room somewhat circumscribed. The large audience were all impatience to see the costume akatera enter tho side door leading from the dressing rooms. Through an accident to ft lending lady's skates the procession which formed m the passage, waa kept waiting, but very goon after the half hoar had chimed the procession was m motion and as the first ha f d< zan oonples entered a hum of aatiafaction mingled with some applause resoundid through the hill Mr J. 0. Rosa, manager of the Rink, as Sir Walter Raleigh m brown velvet oosfcnme of the orthodox style, led In Mlaa Manning, who looked charming m the Winter Qaeen m white, with swanadown trimmings and f holly leaves. Mr Bertie Baea as a Bailor m " Pinafore," looked the part, and Mlsa Gf. Manning as one of the "Three little gitla from eohool " waa petite and looked the role admirably, faking the other ooatumes at random from our seat In the gallery, they m»y be briefly doßoribed Mias Moas, Swlas girl j Mr Strange, Undergraduate Mies JShnry, &" Trlcolo," Frenoh Ensign, a very pretty costume Mr J A. Oliver. Ooartier of George 111 Miss «rabb, " Old Mother Habbard " Mlsa Jaokaon " Prinoeos Ida " Me Scott, " Hamlet " Mlsa J. Shury, "Little Red Riding Hood," i ooßtame at once becoming and effective. MrOurtla, "Turk" Mra Reatell, " Graoe Darling " This was one of the beat costumes In the hall Mr Olark, Midshipman Mr Zander, " Masaniello " Me H. Moore, " Dake of Mackikyaok " Mr D. Moore, •« His Little Brother Bill " Mlsa Bell, " Red Croaa nurse," a quiet yet very eff active costume Mlsa Guaaey Shury, "Nancy Lee," a maratime costume pretty and noticeable Master Williams, "Don Giovanni" Mlaa Ada Elatone, "Princess de Voulloux " MrMatthewß, " Prlnca de Vonlloux" Mies X, Leggett, " Seaside," a ooat'ime of navy blue set oft with aaa weed, basket with seed weed, and shells m hand, blue sailor hat to match oostame. Original and deolded Mlsa Ray, " Zlngarl girl," usual Gipsy coatame, light blu) and red Mr Grabb, evening dress Mlaa Olark, "sailor girl," navy blue and white trimmings- White straw hat Mr Death, han tarn an iVlr Moss, footman Mlaa A R usta Olark, " Oloely," a bright and becoming costume Mlsa Hardier, Neapolitan dancing i?lrl MUs Oralg, "Ivy," a decidedly neat and original costume, pink with ivy leaves. Ivy fan and white tulle veiling. The tout ensemble moat appropriate and' m exoellent taste Mr Ref tall, Bailor Mlbs Macpheraoo, "Oh Fair Dove Oh Fond Dove," the fineßt costume m the hall . Exoollent m eff :ot and well carried. Whito predominating with dova on shoulder. Ruby velvet collar, wide white sieves Mr Simpson, Oonrt dress Mra Ourtla, lawn tennis aostume, extremely neat and appropriate Mr Jameson, clown, a capital get up Mr Hart, jockey Mr Field, Algiers pirate Mlbb Permaln, "Little Battercap " with milk pail. Wide straw hat and scarlet wrapper. An exoellent arrangement of color m whole costume Miss Patching, "Dolly Varden." Certainly a favorite costume at fancy dress carnivals. Misa Patching, however, displayed muoh taste m the arrangement of the ooetume, Mr T. ParmalD, Australian gold digger. Orthodox shirt sleeves, olay pipe, and sheath knife Mr Curtis, Military uniform. MrGrubb, Olown Mr Harpraveß, Cricketer Miss Wllkle, "Little 80-Peep," with shepherd's orook Master R. Elotnn, American Middy Mr Donovan, Olown Miss Hayos, Sailor costuma Mr Weston, Brigand A gentleman In full Highland costume made an effective figure, the tartan and plaid suiting the carriage of the wearer. Orioketers, footballers, bandsmen, military men, stockmen, groom?, M*orl chiefs qnd tennis playera mingled In profusion, while " Uncle Toms " and " Old Aont Sallies " were not wan ting Altogether there could not have been leas than a hundred poraona on tho floor In fancy costume of aomo sort or another. Mr Reynolds, fr^m Mr W. Zinder'a establishment, was preaent, to give those who required his eorvioos the final touoheaup. He waa responsible for the dreeslng of sorao of tho beat of the gentlemen oharaotera.l-and proved hlmrelf no mean art latin tho dtegglngrrooml The character of Jonathan Roberta m convict garb, plentifully spriokled over w.th broad arrows and anoh " batterfliea " was taken by a youth of a grave demeanour. Hla ocmtume <ras not of the gay and fascinating order, but it served lt» purpemo, and its sombre huo proved a contrast to the general bright and lively surroundlpgs. The ladles characters were all well sustained, and ft was not out of the way to poo a charming and pert mias from eoliool coquetting with a brigand or a dusky and fearsome looking pirate. Swisa and Neapolitan girls wore mated with downs, buahmen, stockriders, etc , and the Milkmaid swung jauotlly round with the Prince of Denmark or the Duke of some such plice an Mackokyßck. Gipsy Qaeeus, darkhaired tflngarla, faaoinatlng Tricolors, Nanoy Lees and Dolly Yardena' mingled m the crowd, and the variety, of dazzling costumes were not without a fine effect. "Fair Dove," "Frenoh Ensign," "Ivy," and " Seaside " were perhaps tho most original' coßtumey. The antics of the clowns caused great amusement, and the ceaaoleaa whirling of the rollers to those Boated on the stage was like thp poshing of a mighty wind th»oG£" the forest. When tha hour of 10.30 had arrived flkatep woro dispensed with and dancing pumps eubstlluted, and tho floor whs* onoo more filled with animation, though of a i^sa Whirling oharaotor. For several houra the spirit of the danoa was maintained, and then the party broko ap, All things considered tho carnival was tru^y a aucacss. Tho hall had been tastefolly decorated, and tha fljor vigorously " sandbagged" to mako it cfter as little resistance aa po3albla to iv» T"!!?"; Wo were nnable to obtain tho mimea of the whole of the costume skaters, with the characters they represented, but we thiuk that taken altogether there was oaaae for congratulation that matters passed over bo amootbly, and the three hundred spectators had plenty of variety for their money, while the skaters had good amusement and an opportunity to distinguish themselves for theirs. The Grand Maroh and Polonaise was well gone through, and we heard on all sides com- 1 pllmentary remarks anon Its effectiveness ' apdbanntjr,