FANCY DRESS BALL AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1754, 2 October 1883, Page 2

FANCY DRESS BALL AT TE A W AMUT U.

A fvvc'Y dress rink ball was held in the Public Hall on Wednesday evening last. ( A ha go number of invitations weie issued, to which fully one hundred ladies and gentlemen responded, the majority of whom were in fancy dress. The room was piettily decorated with boughs and flags, presenting a veiy gay appearance. Kinking commenced at 8, and was kept up for two ' hours. To the spectators the picturesque ! driiiscs of the .skaters as they flitted by, presented a very charming and striking effect, and so thoioughly were some of the gentlemen disgui.scd that many were the surmises as to their identity. A cunt jestei uith hi.s cap and talk led round aj pretty Norman peasant girl. A gentlemen of the period of ( rcorgd ill. in a powdered wig, and a smart cavalry man in his buliiant uniform, a holy friar and a shepheulot.s, a French jester and a flower ghl, a bhowman and a Sprinish gip->y, skated round toofcthei, bosides numbers of others, the contrast in the costumes making an effect that was novel in the extieme. The skating of a jolly tar and a lady diessed as Nancy Lee was much admned. The ladie*.* di esses were very handsome, as were also some of the gentlemen's, notably, Romeo, gentleman of George 111. period, and some of the cavalry uniforms, various corps bjing lepresented. Dancing commenced at 10, and was continued till 12, when the company adjourned to the supper room, where an evcollent repast was provided. The tables under the superintendence of Mi.s Oailey, were very tastefully laid out. After supper dancing was resumed, and I kept up till daylight, when the guests separated, having thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The ball was the niost brilliant affair of the kind ever held in the distiict. The committee exerted themselves to make the evening pass pleasantly, and certainly they succeeded thoroughly. I forgot to mpntion that the members of the rink club were the promoters. The uiusio, which was excellent, was .supplied by some members of the Te Awamutu Band, under the leadership of Mr Sibley. As some of the guests forgot to bring thoii invitations — upon which their impersonations wero to be endorsed— l have been unable to ascertain the names of all who attended. The following is a list of those whose names I obtained :— Mr Winstone, c\ oning dress ; Mrs Winstone, evening dress ; Miss Mandeno, evening dress ; Mi (4resham. evening dress ; Mrs Gresham, lady of 10th century ; Mr Grierson, evening dies.s; Mrs Grier»on, French peasant of 18th century ; Mr Benge, court jester ; Mrs Benge, Myosotis (or forget-me-not) ; Mrs Rutherford, evening diess ; Mr Innes, evening dres> ; Mrs limes, evening dress ; Mr Wilkinson, cavalry officer ; Mrs Wilkinson, Helen McGregor; Mr B. Lewis, ci ickcter ; Miss Lswis, Sorpolette ; Miss M. Lewis, Bo Peep ; Mr Storey, evening dress ; Mrs Storey, evening dress ; Miss Stoiey, Dolly Varden ; Mr C. Storey, evening dress ; Mrs Parker, evening dress ; Miss Leighton, evening dress ; Mr White, N.Z. Aitillery; Mrs White, Dolly Vardeu ; Mr E. Farrell, evening dress ; Miss Farrell, Germaine ; Miss Emily Farrell, Serpolette ; Mr Carley, Officer Midlothian Yeomanry Cavalry ; Mrs Carley, Rose of Lancaster ; Miss Carley, Esmeralda ; Miss Maud Carley, Fairy; Mr Stichbury, Gentleman of George 111. period ; Mrs Stichbury ; Mr Evinson, Man-o'-war Sailor ; Mrs Evinson, Nancy Lee ; Mr Nicholson, Bullfrog (in the "Rent Day ") ; Mrs Nicholson, evening dress ; Mr Burke, evening dress ; Mrs Burke, evening dress ; Miss Burke, evening dress ; Mr G. Finch, evening dress ; Miss Finch, flower girl ; Miss Devin, evening dress ; Miss A. Devin, Postmistiess General ; Mrs Andrew, Swabian Peasfuit ; Miss Grace, Couit Lady, Louis 15th period; Miss Hodson, Annie Page (Merry Wives of Windsor) ; Miss Macky, evening dress ; Miss B. Macky, evening dress ; Mr Wright, Friar ; Mrs Hunt, evening I dress ; Miss Hunt, evening dress ; Miss Hunter, evening dress ; Miss Philips, evening dress ; Mr Taylor, evening dress ; Mr Grice, evening dress ; Mr Parker, evening dress ; Mr Burdett, sailor ; Mr Rigg(very) old fanner ; Miss McWard, Evangeline , Miss Costello, May Queen ; Mr Thompson, Garibaldi ; Mrs Ehnsley, Flora McDonald ; Mr Leighton, French jester ; Mr J. Scott, Sergeant Auckland Light Horse ; Mr Lonigan, Officer South African Contingent ; Mr Ruddy, mounted constabulary ; Mr R. W. Roche, St. Jacob ; Mr Baunatyne, Greek ;Mr Ford, , evening dress ; Mr Swain, Bargee ; Mr Martin, cricketer ; Mr Hammond, xtomeo ; Mr Bennett, showman ; Mr Cranshaw, evening dress. If tho contrast in dresa was striking during the rinkmg, it was still more so when the guests were dancing. Only a few comparatively could rink, but all could dance, and the scene presented, when looking down from the gallery on the motley assemblage, was very picturesque ;. costumes of centuries ago mingling with the dresses of the present day. I pictured to myself the look of astonishment which would appear on the face of a gallant, of bygone centuries, could he be awakened from his long sleep, and brought to gaze upon the strange scene,.<"To him the dress/of our times wquM app^a* flfl ab.au.rd. as, d.Q sugh representat&Tur ot ihe, fashions of. his time as we see appear to us. , Everyone who was there;ha^ a gleagant recollection of ,a^ very ,ejfi,jnYj*ble evening^ ***<| *k i* J° heLhoped w& sh*li soon "KaWan ppporcuniw' of ''again en,-, joying rouraely^ , in/^/BimjflTw 1 manner f ~