Rae happened to have with her,
made a handsome costume for me as a Spanish lady. I wore almost all
the jewelry in the house; every piece of my own small amount and much
of Mrs. Rae's, the nicest of all having been a pair of very large
old-fashioned "hoop" earrings, set all around with brilliants. My comb
was a home product, very showy, but better left to the imagination.
The dancing commenced at nine o'clock, and at twelve supper was
served, when we unmasked, and after supper we danced again and kept on
dancing until five o'clock! Even then a few of us would have been
willing to begin all over, for when again could we have such a
ballroom with perfect floor and such excellent music to dance by? But
with the new day came a new light and all was changed, much like the
change of a ballet with a new calcium light, only ours was not
beautifying, but most trying to tired, painted faces; and seeing each
other we decided that we could not get home too fast. In a few days
the hospital will be turned over to the post-surgeon, and the
beautiful ward will be filled with iron cots and sick soldiers, and
instead of delicate perfumes, the odor of nauseous drugs will pervade
every place.
I have been too busy to ride during the past week, but am going out
this afternoon with the chaplain's young daughter, who is a fearless
rider, although only fourteen.
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