Marked Balls.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 17, 29 October 1874, Page 4

Marked Balls.

Masked balls are becoming very j fashionable in London. One of the most successful given this season was that by Lady Marian Alford. which was a mist extraordinary affair. The Prince aud Princess of Wales were there, and «very one in the West End. To prevet mistakes it had been arranged that married women should wear red feathers in their hair, and unmarried ladies white ones; but no provision was made for distinguishing married men, so that some really melancholy mistakes occurred, since the men a'l wore dominoes which hid the face. ' In more than one instance it was reported that both husbands and wives flirted with each other unwittingly with great ardor till supper time came and masks were removed, when disclosures of great interest took place, and sundry sarcastic remarks were made. On the whole the: ball proved more agreeable to. the hostess than to some of the guests. The. season in London was brought to a close;with one of the most attractive entertainments we have ever had to chronicle. We refer to the fancy dress ball of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess" of Wales, given at Marlborough House on a recent evening, to about suo guests. Instead of the incongruous mixture of costumes usual on such occasions, the Prince and Princess arranged their fancy bail so as to produce the effect of historical pictures* the costumes of each period being introduced in separate dances. For instance, a quadrille was called the Vandyke Quadrill; the costumes oeihg of the reign of Charles the First, the -Prince of ,Wales, in a magnificent dress of tbat period, leading out the Duchess of Sutherland in the opening dance. Another quadrille was arranged after the pattern of a pack of. cards, the Princess Louise being most appropriately selected as the Queen of Hearts. A Puritan Quadrille introduced the. grim followers of Cromwell where the originals would never have been found — dancing in a lively quadrille. Perhaps the prettiest fancy of alLwas.a Fairy Tale Quadrille, 'in which the favorites of the "nursery, "Cinderella,"; *' Beauty and the Best," &c, appeared.. Nothing more graceful could well have been imagined. An Italian Quadrille was remarkable for the splendid Venetian costume of the Princess of Wjdes.