A JAPANESE MATINÉE.
BY EMMA J. GRAY.
The members of the Senior Class in the Frotinbas Institute wished to give a complimentary entertainment to their friends. There were many informal suggestions and discussions as to the character of the entertainment, and had not a class meeting been called, such a condition of affairs might have been kept up indefinitely. But the meeting decided matters, for then the different suggestions were formally examined, weighed, and voted upon. That receiving the most votes being a Japanese matinée.
The question now settled, committees were appointed to complete arrangements, so that at the time of entertainment there would be neither balk nor anxiety.
To the girls were given the important duties of decoration and refreshment, the boys declaring that "girls had a knack at such things," and therefore there was not the slightest use of their blundering awkwardness.
While the boys on their part promised to furnish sufficient and clever amusement. And when the day of days at last arrived, for everything is sure to come in time, and too soon sometimes, no sky could be bluer, nor sunshine give heartier welcome, for it was a perfectly delicious atmosphere. As a consequence, therefore, the new gymnasium, in which this pretty entertainment was held, was crowded to its utmost limit. Such a wealth of charming girls and manly boys! There were older people there, too—mothers and fathers, whose love for their children made them sure to come and see how they did things, and, indeed, to be quite honest, we must not fail to mention the dearest of dear little people, whose chubby dimpled hands would clap with all their baby might, and whose gleeful laugh, whenever their big brothers or sisters would particularly delight them, would spread contagion through the entire audience.
All the girls looked quaint and interesting in Japanese costume. Some of these had been hired, and others made at home by the nimble fingers of the wearers. In order to learn how to do things, the girls carefully examined the portraits of Japanese women, and also received many ideas from a large Japanese emporium. At this place they made all their purchases, even to such small though important items as hair-pins, for, notwithstanding that none of the girls were over sixteen, each had her hair rolled, and altogether dressed in the Japanese fashion. This hair-dressing effected an enormous change, for instead of a cloud of windy curls, long waving hair, or braids, to which we were accustomed, the smoothly arranged and fantastically decorated locks seemed odd indeed, and gave the girlish faces an almost unnatural look, as though they were masquerading after the fashion of their baby sisters when they roguishly look through grandmother's spectacles. But notwithstanding the change wrought by upturned hair, there was no change in their winsome manner, and therefore every guest was instantly won.
The gymnasium had been arranged to represent a salon. The boys and girls hall contributed some of the furnishing, such as bric-à-brac and hangings, the sort that could be most safely conveyed from home, others had been hired, and some of the less expensive articles, for example—large paper parasols, balloons, cotton crêpe materials, and fans—had been bought. The tone of the room was perfect, indicating the thought with which the different articles had been selected and placed.
There was a raised platform, so that the tricks, which were the prime feature of the entertainment, could be seen. This platform was artistically decorated, and chairs, screens, tables, gauze hangings, and all the accessories required by the exhibitors were conveniently near. To the left of the platform there stood an upright piano, on which low music was played throughout the performance.
