'A greater success than the masked ball which was given at the Club Concordia on Satarday night could not well be imagined. If there was any fault ut all it was that the rooms were too fall for the most comfortable dancing. Bot in fancy dress ball it in better that the crowd should be too great than too small, for confusion and jostling contribute insensibly to the general sense of fun and excitement which comes upon us with the fantastic dresses and mysterious masks which for the time being veil our matter-of-fact identity from ourselves ax much as from others. Indeed it is no mere fagan de parler to say that every guest was load in his or her appreciation of the even jjoyments; and if evidence of this were required it might be found in the fact that th cing which began at 9.0 p.m, was still in full swing at half past four in the morning.
far as could be seen the nearly whole of the Club premises had been handed over to' the merrymakers. Apart from the usual decorations of pot plants and festoons, a number of pretty bower-corners had been contrived for sitting out, and, for an appropriate piece of irony, one room had been converted by means of red lights and hangings into semblance of that place to which "the primrose path" of dancing may lead as if we dance too far along it. The ball room itself was the large hall on the first floor, and downstairs there was ample provision for per, with an equally ample and delicious menu.
Of the fancy dresses worn by the guests there can be only one verdict, that they were uniformly admirable wonderful inventiveness had been shown and success attained. With very few exceptions the disguises employed were impenetrable, and there was much amusement and many surprises when the time came for unmasking. Among so many pretty dresses it is almost invidious to pick out any one for special note, but we must not omit to mention among the ladies a charming portrait of Madame Sans-Gene. Another lady looked well as Boadicea. A feminine Jester, a stately Pompadour, an Elsa, a Marguerite and a fai haired Sibyl in red with black bars on the shoulders also presented a beautiful effect. Many of the lad dominoes were very pretty, in part cular one of violet with yellow ribbons round the hood. Among the men perhaps, the prize would be given to the Sydney Carton, " costume which was wonderfully good; but there was also magnificent Sikh trooper who disputed the first honours very closely, indeed might almost be said to have carried them off altogether on the score of one most successful piece of deception. Alter these we should mention for a White-Eyed Keffir, a Swan, a couple of Champagne Bottles and a Chinese Lantern.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.