For the fourth time in their social history, the Mih-ho-loong Company, on Tuesday night, gave their annual Bail at the Club, and though the occasion passed off with all the success which has attended previous ones of the same kind, the fact that it was the fourth, leaves us the less to say regarding it. Mih-ho-loong an event so conspicuous, however, among the winter reunions of Shanghai, that it merits more than a passing notice.
'A lovely night, clear and exceptionally mild, succeeded' the wet weather of the previous two days, and rendered it unnecessary, for the protection of visitors, to mask by a hideous mat projection' the fine fagado of the Club, which was therefore simply and gracefully illuminated with fringes of lamps leading to the brilliantly lighted hall. 'The suite of rooms devoted to public assemblies was apportioned in the usual way—the ball-room and buffet on the left, and the ladies', the card, and the supper rooms on the right of the landing. The ample front verandah, which from the excessive cold on the night of the Masonic Ball was then unavailable, was now, screened by the traditional pink and white, turned into n pleasant withdrawing room, much resorted to by dancers anxious to escape from the heated ballroom.
The "hanging committee," working under the experienced direction and approved taste of Mr, Groom, transformed the bare walls into a gallery of decorativeart. The larger division of the ballroom was chiefly devoted to designs recalling the military organisation of the Company; while the other exhibited its intent, asa department of the Fire Brigade, to combat our warmest of friends but most ruthless of foes. The former aspect was blazoned forth in a magnificent star of burnished weapons, in the centre of which crouched the fire dragon which the Mih-ho-loong may be supposed to have caged within this circle of steel. On this occasion, happily, it did not escape from its captivity, as it did last year, to harry Hongkew and require its red-shirted guardians to prematurely desert their pleasure and turn out in pursuit. A fire was not included in the programme, and though a pleasing sense of excitement appropriate to the public assembly of firemen was thus wanting, it was perhaps more agreeable for the firemen. Other emblems of the constitution of the Company were familiar to the guests,—the hatchets and trumpets, the trophies of peaceful contest in which its members had excelled, and the flags of many nations and many hongs to which those members belonged. The slow steps of Spring were hastened to bring forth garlands of greenery, which toned the too pervading brightness with their fresh and grateful colour. Every detail, in t, appeared to have been carefully considered.
About half-past nine the guests began to quarter of an hour later the musicians broke into the opening waltz, and in half-an-hour the ballroom was all arum: The balance of partners more neatly approximated than is usually the case at Shanghai balls, and as consequence there was more dan¢ and fewer men absorbed in cards or crowding helplessly around the doors. We believe the number of ladies who wore present is estimated at between sixty and seventy. The Mih-ho-loong red of course predominated in uniforms, and this pro-valent fashion was in some cases affected by the ladies, a compliment to their entertainers which the latter no doubt fully apredated. The toilettes of the ladies exhibited a charming variety and taste; and afew gentlemen in Naval and Rifle uniforms helped to dit minence of civil two hours spent in winding through the maze of quadrilles, the gay whirl of the waltz and the giddy gyrations of the galop, supper was signalled and the ballroom was for a time deserted.
In the supper room a diversion from the old plan of laying out the repast had been made, by giving the guests an opportunity of forming themselves in coteries at a number of small tables, instead of becoming seated promiscuously at a common board. The new arrangement had thus the advantage of enabling people to enjoy this most social of meals in a social way but large as the room was, the amateur servers who waited on lady friends found some difficulty in manoouvring to the sideboard on which the good things were ar-to fulfil the orders they had re-However, after a little bustle, the desired tid-bits were secured from the rich and choice collection which had been under the superintendence of ins, the Club steward, and were done justice to as they deserved. In about half-an-hour the ballroom was revisited, and it at one resended to the inviting strains of the "Beautiful Blue Danube" Waltz, which drew from their retirement in the supper room the gentlemen who lingered over the: tables just deserted by the Indies, and who now hastened to seek their partners. Dance succeeded dance with unflagging ardour till the end of the programme was reached, and though the carte wound up with the words extras ad infinitum," the hint was only acted on to the extent of one vigorous and prolonged galop, in which culminated the enjoyment of a most enjoyable evening. At two o'clock the ladies left the ballroom, and in 8 few minutes most of the gentlemen had followed, while others only lingered, after "the last saraband had been danced in the hall," to "drain a last stirrup cup to their true maiden ever." Than they lit a cheroot and descended to where, as the ballad suggests, "the charger was jangling his bridle' and chain," mountet—a jinrickshaw, and were trotted off home,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.