Puck — January 8, 1879 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PUCK. THE BALL IS UP! Tue Ball is Up! It is the light fantastic toe of Terpsichorean Tammany that gives it the initial lift, and it will probibly be the ponde- rous hoof of the Benevolent Protective Order of Hat-checks that will raise up its feeble kick toward the end of the season, Puck, as his readers well know, makes a spe- cialty of keeping abreast with the times. This it particularly behooves him to do in matters of décolletée etiquette. Therefore he takes a sincere pleasure in set- ting before his readers a full and thoroughly trustworthy programme of the coming ball- season, giving more information of the inten- tions of the fashionable world than the fash- ionable world itself possesses at present. In so doing, Puck may be obliged to violate a few secrets; but it is his firm intent to let his readers have the news at any cost. They will probably be glad to admit that they have al- ways had the newest and freshest quality of news at his hands—and that the said news has been about as variegated in point of style and veracity as the average human being can stand it. Pucr’s list of balls begins with one which is decidedly more of a political than a social event, and in that character receives full and red-hot notice elsewhere in the paper, Tue TamMany BAL will take place about the middle of neat week —the place to which Tammany retired at the last elections. The place will probably be either the large hall of the wigwam, or the ro- tunda of Castle Garden. Mr. John Kelly (a modest but industrious Irish gentleman, who may be remembered by some of Puck’s readers as the backer of a Mr. Schell in the city elec- tions of last fall) will preside in person. He may be knoen by an emblematic violet in his buttonhole, and a green ribbon in his hair. The floor committee will be composed of Messrs, Michael Sheehy; O. Geoghegan; P. Malloy; Jos. Baxter; B, Magee-Magaw; P. Rooney. ‘These gentlemen will all wear green waistcoats, That is, during the first part of the evening. So much excitement has been created by the announcement of the great Tammany féte that the rush for tickets issomething unprecedented. It quite exceeds the rush for polling tickets last November. We had almost omitted to mention that the ball is given to celebrate the victory of Gene- ral Andrew Jackson at New Orleans. ‘his fact need create no alarm, however. General Jack- son is quite dead enough to make it safe. Evening dress will be de rigueur at the Tam- many Ball, and we are officially requested to call the attention of the guests to the fact that red shirts must be left at home. Tue Coox’s Batt is generally regarded as one of the grandest achievements of combined gastronomy and sal- tation—a Terpsichorean chef-d'ccuvre, in fact, Consequently we are glad to give place toa communication from M. Félix Deliée, who in- forms us that “The Société Culinaire Cosmopolite has joined the Société Culinaire Phitantropique, to give onty One Granp Cooks’ Bat, wich will take place at the Academy of Music, on the 4th of February next, with grand-supper at Nillson Hall, for the benefit of the Widows and Or- phans of this Society.” We not only insert the statement of M. Félix Delite, but we beg leave to offer him the as- surance of the distinguished consideration with which we have the honor to be his very humble and obedient servitor, and to express a wish that the Widows and Orphans of the Society will tuck in to the dinner designed for their benefit, and that the society itself may take as lively an interest in the proceedings as a widowed and orphaned society possibly can. We should also present our compliments to the gentleman who acts as amanuensis for M. Félix Deliée, and whom we must congratulate on his mastery of the English language. This is M. Hildevert Vivien, whose name at the first glance might suggest that he is a sort of Gallic equivalent of Mr. Hildebrant Montrose. But we feel sure that M. Hildevert Vivien is a young and faithful disciple of the art of Savarin and Soyer, and we, children of the Pumpkin- Pie, born to the Buckwheat-Cake, salute this distinguished foreigner, and wish him a good digestion, and his own bill of fare to satisfy it with, May his gastric secretions never grow less, Dressing—not stuffing—we need hardly state is imperative at the One Grand Bal of the Société-Culinaire-Consolidée - Cosmopolite-Phi- lantropique - Voltairéenne - Classique - Ferrugi- neuse-Cosaque-Particuliére-A bdominale- Denti- frice-Pompiére. Tue MartHa WasHincTon RECEPTION, This event, which may almost be considered a national one, usually comes off on the 22d of February. It is the day on which Mr. George Washington first saw the light—what light is not stated. It certainly could not have been Edison’s electric light, but anyhow we suppose it was the light of other days. The Martha Washingtons, at the Reception will have a good deal of tea to sell at a dollar acup. It is cheaper than at Delmonico’s, but then you don’t get the cup thrown in, and the waiter gets the loose money instead of St. John’s Guild. Martha Washington was the mother of her country, an only but quite big enough child to take care of. Go to this reception, get your cocked hat and knee breeches, stuff your calves, see that your wig ’s in order, and that your girl's patches and hair are properly fixed, and then you'll have done your duty and created a sensation, Tue Cuarity. It is a grand thing to describe a ball in glow- ing language, to picture the moving throng which ever and anon changes its configuration with kaleidoscopic beauty and richness. It is a still grander thing to be invited and to go down three or four times to supper with wine @ $4 a bottle, and have nothing to pay. If your acquaintance is a large one, and you purchase or otherwise a ticket for the Charity, you will have a pretty good chance of doing both these grand things. One will be a sort of food for the mind, and the other drink for the body. “Charity, sweet charity, what miracles are committed in thy name,” as Mme. Rowland and Oliver remarked on a certain occasion which shall be nameless, But we haven't the space to switch off into poetry—so shall come down to hard facts. A number of society young men who take Puck asa model in every- thing, have written to us to know if they are justified in adopting Puck costume for evening dress. Of course there is no special objection to their doing so, but we think the most fashion- able dress would be—blue drill trousers with clay piping down the seams, white shirt with solitaire oyster, saddle rock shell, green tie and diamond pin, top boots not to reach above the knee-joint, and a tolerably thick ulster, Don't carry a crush hat, but keep your stove pipe on. You'll then know where it is, and no other fellow will be able to walk off with it, The top boots, if they. have thick soles, will enable you to vary the monotony of ordinary dancing by doing a break down at intervals. If you seea pretty girl and she refuses to dance and to go to supper with you on the plea of not being acquainted, you are quite justified in carrying her down, Tell her you know she’s fooling, besides: “faint heart never won fair lady" and Demosthenes said action, action, action. The Nursery and Child’s Hospital may benefit by your generosity and enthusiasm—recollect that you were once a child in a nursery yourself, and that you may have or have hada child in anursery. Then dance and sup at the Charity, Tue Lreperkranz. This enterprising and flourishing society is going to give a ball, to which masks and fancy dresses will be admitted. Tradition says that it has done the same thing several times before, but tradition is very often a sort of Eli Per- kins, so we'll shoot it, and only speak of that which we do know. The habitual trippist on the light fantastic toe without corns will, on presenting himself, with a legal ticket, at the en- trance to the Academy of Music on the 31st of February, gaze on ascene of surpassing beauty. ‘The don ton, the upper ten, the Faubourg St. German, as it were, take this entertainment un- der their special auspices, and they say in the words of the sweet singer of Michigan, Trish, or Scot, or whatever you be, ‘We are all of us Deutsch in our welcome of thee. With such a liberal invitation it needs no words from us to induce waverers to buy their tickets for the Liederkranz. There they will find sweet eyes looking love to eyes that speak again; and in many instances that is all that is to be seen until the masks are removed, which is at the witching hour of night, when church- yards yawn so wide that grave robbers have an easy job of it. Armed and gaily costumed men of the Middle Ages—not necessarily middle aged—will be conspicuous by their presence. Laughter unnipped in the dud will float through the air, and the sweet strains of intoxicating music will descend into the innermost recesses of those who are in possession of a soul. Go, young man, and may you never know how much more sharper than a serpent’s scales it is not to have been there, Tue ARION is usually a Brobdignagian, comprehensive and more democratic sort of Liederkranz. It will not be held on the 4thtof July, This is relia- ble, but we can’t give the exact date. The managers are in treaty with Vanderbilt for the use of the Grand Central Depot for the pur- pose, Gilmore's Garden being objectionable in many respects. Remarks on Liederkranz will apply to Arion. CeRCLE FRANCAIS DE L'HARMONIE. What choice polonies are to paté de foie gras, and Schloss Johannisberger to Piper Sec are the balls given by the natives of la belle France to those that our worthy German citizens take under their roomy protective wing. The guests of the Frenchmen are somtimes inclined to kick up a harmless row, and the ladies to kick higher—in fact, some of them a good deal higher both here and at L'Amitie, which is a Grand Bal Paré et Masqué, given by la Societe de secours mutuels de. gargons de Restaurant de New York. We do know the date of this event—and will be serious for once —it is January 13th. Tue Benevotent Protective Orper or Hat Cuecks are not going to be left out in the cold; although they let their guests remain there sometimes. The prominentest Elk has given an extensive order for several thousand new and improved hat-checks. The manner in which this recherché entertainment is conducted is so well known that is would be wasteful and ridiculous excess of superfluity to describe it. comicbooks.com