Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/286

288 occasionally worn on her arm, was composed of white cashmere and trimmed with red ermine. Another dress that attracted unusual attention, was a lavender silk double skirt, richly brocaded with silver snow drops, drooping in clusters upon each breadth of the upper skirt, (the under skirt being entirely plain,) the waist was high to the throat, with point d'Alencon lace collar, and sleeves trimmed with pink ribbon, enveloped in white tulle; pink ostrich feathers ornamented the hair; diamonds of rare brilliance were added to complete the toilet. Another lady wore a magnificent garnet velvet, made high in the throat, with tight sleeves to the wrist; white drooping feathers in her hair and diamonds in such profusion that they were estimated to have cost nearly twenty thousand dollars. Many other dresses I observed as magnificent as those I have described, but it is useless to enumerate them; almost all of the ladies had opera cloaks to match their dresses. A week or two after the great ball it was announced that the opera would commence, and then came another rush as great as for the ball, and I was as much occupied and amused combing for the one as for the other.

Notwithstanding a great many church members went to the ball, and could sit in the boxes till supper, then return to them again, they would not go to the opera, as there was a great green curtain to hoist up and down, which seemed to frighten many of them. This fear was not with all our first ladies, for large numbers of them did not go to either ball or opera on account of sickness or death in their families. I combed a great many ladies every day for two weeks, who did not profess to be in our first class circle, but