…" The gentlemen who take the place of ladles are mostly young men, from twenty to twenty-five years old. They poise themselves with feminine, grace on their hips, in walking about; scatter their, coquettish glances right and left; and when fatigued with dancing fan themselves with their lace-handkerchiefs. But an hour, later the company has quite another aspect, because of the advent of its—"ladies" is here written but "gentlemen" is meant,—in ladies costumes, duly accompanied by male escorts in evening-dress. These newcomers conduct themselves exactly as would their really feminine colleagues at a dance—with decorum, style, and the effort at being 'charming." The so-called "Baby" (really a young fellow) halts in embarrassment at the door of the hall, in spite of the encouragement of his escort, an elderly gentleman of distinguished appearance, whom one easily recognizes as an ex-officer of the army … Tripping in with downcast eyes, quite as a young girl going to her first, ball, comes forward the "belle" of the evening, at once surrounded by an assortment of cavaliers who pay "her" the most flattering compliments. Much more self-conscious is yonder elegant, almost queenly, apparition in black silk décolletée, with a Rembrandt hat on "her" curling blond wig. "That is the "Baroness", remarked a gentleman sitting at my table. Under that name, in fact, is styled a well-known young actor of the city, who as—lover—on the stage fascinates all girl-patrons of the theater employing him. In a simple but "Parisian-chic" style are arrayed two other "ladies". They understand also how to keep their admirers at a distance … A Paris-' like coquette, but tall as a grenadier, enters the dance, amid a general acclaim from the guests. This is the so-called "Handsome Emily" (in real life a barber of Berlin named Emil F.) who throws himself, smiling into the arms of a graceful young partner; and so begins a bacchanal galop through the hall …"
The same reporter described how, toward two o'clock in the morning, this remarkable exhibition of uranianism reached its climax, with the advent to the ball of representatives of the real feminine demi-monde, in a high state of curiosity and rivalry. ("Jahrbuch für Sexuelle-Zwischenstufen," for 1900, page 470.)
The preference for dressing like a woman, even to feeling oneself at ease only in woman's dress, has been
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