and Mrs. Henry Brevoort and that the date was February 24th. It
certainly was the same one, but he adds that it was generally
pronounced "most successful." This one may doubt, since the results
made masked balls so severely thought of that there was, a bit later,
a fine of $1,000 imposed on anyone who should give one,--one-half to
be deducted if you told on yourself!
Nevertheless, George S. Hellman says that Mrs. Brevoort's ball,
February 24, 1840,--was "the most splendid social affair of the first
half of the nineteenth century in New York."
There was great preparation for it, and practically all "society" was
asked--and nothing and nobody else. It was incidentally the occasion
of the first "society reporting." Attree, of the New York _Herald_,
was an invited guest and went in costume--quite an innovation for
conservative old Manhattan.
Lossing tells us: "At the close of this decade the features of New
York society presented conspicuous transformations. Many exotic
customs prevailed, both public and private, and the expensive
pleasures of the Eastern Hemisphere had been transplanted and taken
firm root.
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