The Masquerade Ball

Their duty was to see that the men and maids did theirs, in showing
the gentlemen and ladies to their dressing-rooms. They had both in turn
been astonished, scandalized, and appalled by the grotesque figures that
had passed them. But their manner of expressing their sentiments was
quite different.

Joseph Joy stared, wondered, and shook his head.

Miss Tabby sighed, whimpered, and moralized.

"I feel as if I had been drinking for a week, and had a lively sort of a
nightmare! Here comes another ghoul, in a false face and black gown and
hood! Now, how is anybody to tell what it is? Whether it is a tall woman
or a short man? Gentleman, or lady, if your honor pleases?" said Joseph
Joy, addressing himself to a black domino that just then came up.

"Gentleman," answered the unknown.

"Pass to the right, then, if you please, sir! Here Alick, show this
gentleman in the black shroud to the gentlemen's dressing-room."

A trembling darky came forward and took charge of this terrific
personage.

"Ah, my goodness! no good will ever come of this!" sighed Miss Tabby.

"No good? Yes there will too!" answered Joseph Joy, who was fond of
contradiction. "All these bare-necked, bare-armed, and bare-legged
people will get the pleurisy and be laid on the flat of their backs for
three months, when they will have the opportunity of meditating on the
iniquity of their ways! And won't that be good?"

"Yes, it will; and I hope it will be sanctified to their souls," sighed
Miss Tabitha.