Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/407

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Chapter XLII.
Home-made Masquerade and Theatrical Costumes.
The White Man of the Desert.

In 1876 quite a large party were returning from New Orleans to St. Louis on board the largest of Mississippi steamers. Every night was devoted to merriment, in which all joined, passengers and officers. One morning, large posters, made with colored chalk on brown paper, and hung at both ends of the cabin, announced a grand masquerade as the programme for the evening.

As a rule, masquerade costumes are not to be found aboard Mississippi River steamers, yet, that evening, when the band struck up a march, every stateroom door opened, and from each doorway issued some queer or fantastic figure. One costume in particular was so simple, and yet so complete, as to be noteworthy. A boy had taken two sheets from his

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