Foremost among the public gaieties of the Shanghai season, has rightly come to be ranked the Ball given by the Mih-ho-loong. That this should be so is doubtless due to the popularity of the members, to their social as well as their warlike strength, to their determination to achieve undivided success in whatever, corporately or individually, they may undertake for the honour of the crack Company, and to the excellent taste and energetic spirit with which their arrangements on the crowning occasion of the Annual Ball are carried out. And we may safely say, that at neither of the previous Balls which the Company hat given, with so much credit to -themselves and pleasure to their friends, have their efforts been more signally successful than they were on Tuesday night.
Shortly after nine, guests and hosts began to assemble atthe Club, and from carriage and chair descended the fair visitors on whose presence all depended. The entrance was reached through a matted porch, which shielded from the keen night air, and which was lamp-hung—As if some mandarin Were holding there his feast of lights." The genial Captain of the Company, assisted by his officers and aides in the stewardship, offered their gallant escort to the ladies; and the gentlemen, having surrendered their wrappings to the ai Pointed custodian, followed to the real of light and happiness above them. Still they came, till in the overflowing rooms had congregated somewhere over two hundred guests, including quite sixty of the fair sex. The first thing to attract the attention of early arrivals was of course the decorations, and here the committee—of which we believe Mr. Groom: must be 1ed_as the guiding spirit, though he had most worthy coadjutors—had sur passed itself. The decorations were not perhaps more profuse than usual, but they were even more studied and appropriate, and on every hand they excited warm admiration. There was no att-mpt at creating an artificial and anomalous bower of roses in midwinter—the ballroom looked more like a vast drawing-room, fit tingly furnished and graced as for a special occasion, than a public assembly room. Evergreens were given a very subordinate but not the less pleasing share in the display, as they formed rich dark fringes along the walls, wound gracefully round the great columns, or appeared in neat and lightly wrought patterns in the anterooms. The most noticeable designs were undoubtedly those that related to the position and duties of the Cor, The centre ornament was the transparent blazonry of a Dragon, and around this illuminated Higure bristled and sparkled radii of swords and. bayonets, both being supported by stands of rifles with fixed bayonets. On one side the military constitution of the Corps was ropresnted by the usual motto of fence not Defiance;" on another its peaceable aspect was se' forth in the pithy legend. "Say the word and down comes your house." Heraldic devices, monograms, and banners were occasionally introduced, and the flays of a hundred hongs judiciously grouped. Here again were hung hatchets, there speaking trumpets, while the equipment of the ruck further contributed a Indder and some of its handsome lamps, and. a coloured photo of the aforesaid Truck also adorned the walls, Conspicuous for its effect in producing a tasteful tout ensemble and lending a light and warm appearance to the room, was the hanging of white curtains across the verandah spaces which were unused, and behind the various 7 emblazoned in red, while this effect was heightened by the bordering of "pillar and flame" on the panel under the ceiling. Passing to the occasional refreshment room, we are next struck by a rich display of cups and plate placed on a stand at the head of the room—trophies won by mom-bors of the Company. on Race, Contes and Rifle Range and River. The place of honour is occupied by the handsome Municipal Challenge Cup, held at present Mr. Glass, but this is surrounded by many others not less worthy of notice. The front verandah and the inner half of the landing, are fitted up as comfortable anterooms, the usual apartments assigned as cloak, card, and supper rooms, and the accommodation generally is most ample and convenient.
But now the music commences, and quadrille is about to "perform her mazy rites." The company arrange their sets, anda full floor is quickly made up. Dance after dance succeeds, and the commotion of figures, the. intermingling of colours, the life and the joyousness form altogether a brilliant scene, Exquisite toilettes and. dresses of every hue are wedded and contrasted with the diplomatic blue and silver, Naval blue and gold, the blue and yellow of Artillery, the scarlet of the Mih-ho-loong, the handsome uniform of the Rangers, and civilian dress, When half the programme is over, the musicians give the welcome summons to supper, and the company wend their way into the spacious room where a splendid collation is laid out. But scarcely are the guests sented, than a painful rumour circulates—the fire-bell calls the hosts toa very different duty; and with Spartan self-denial a detachment tear themselves from the scene of pleasure and hasten to that of labour. The hatchets designed for ornament are carried off for use, and in a few minutes their bearers are making for the unwelcome beacon which throws its glare against the sky. Fortunately, the disaster is not a very serious one, "and does not claim the whole strength of the Corps there are still therefore a yood sprinkling of red shirts left along the supper tables, to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.