Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1838-07-17
miscellaneous.
ME DEAD DANCERS

A paragraph copied from a French
Journal describing the death Of gentle
man while waltzing, is going the rounds
of the newspapers. The incident re-
minds us of another which is said to have
occurred in this city many years since,
and which might furnish the groundwork
of fashionable tale Of horror.
Miss --, young lady of beau
ty and accomplishments, but Of dispo.
sition singularly perverse and exacting,
was betrothed to a French officer who had
been placed upon the half pay list from be-
ing incapacitated for service by a musket
ball which he received in his breast, and
''.h;ah bod nat heen extracted. Cantain
was an elegant Walter, but ow-
ing to the state of his health he could
never take more than one or two turns
upon the Hoor without being overcome by
exhaustion, and indeed his physician had
expressly forbidden him to share in that
exciting dance. Waiting, though sub
sequently written out o. fashion by the
authors of Salmagundi, at that time
nearly as much in vogueSas at present,
anu MISS VIII duCCLCQ I'd DC d
lady of ton, was one of the first always
TO join the graceful whirl. Partners,
however, were not easy to be obtained
unless when foreigners were present, and
it CHANGED one evening that Miss --,
entered a ballroom just when Captain
Ind waltzed few turns and
overcome with the exercise, was about
retiring from the room. The lady was
provoked at having arrived too late to Sc
cure her lover for the first dance, and with
a want of consideration truly unfeminine,
laid her hand upon his arm to detain him
in passing. Poor monsieur -. though
pale and sinking, had too much of the
| Frenchman about him to resist the ap.
peal. He begged a short respite howev.
er, which was granted, while the careless
girl ratified away with the beaux who haC
clustered around her as she leaned upor
the arm of her silent lover. After F.,
very brief time, a single quadrille only
having interviewed, the waltzlng couple.
were called to the floor, and the thought
less Miss hurried her partner in
TO the CAV circle. The band struck up
The dancers moved, and the slow time
enabled the invalid Captain to get through
the first round with apparent ease.-
He seemed, too, to gather life as the tim,
and the music quickened, and the waltzer
moved faster and faster; nay, his strength
was so renewed, that he soon tired out tn
other couples. The floor was left to thi
single pair; and now 90 e--sftl5- III H.,
whirl around that the musicians III turI
had to follow them with the most rapid ex
ecution. The gaze of the whole compa
ny was fixed on this eccentric pair, wne
suddenly the face Of the lady was seen t
turn almost of purple colour, while tn
features other partner Worked as if affecte
by some hideous spasm. Her eyes role
, with an anxious, appealing look, while HI
became fixed with the stare of maniac
Her arms fell jistlessly by her side-h
seemed to contract like hinges of lro
about her person; which folded in his en-
brace, was flung-with the last move {
the delirious and dying mana corp;
upon the floor. The horror struck spe,
tators sprang to the assistance of the III
fortunate lady but she was already gon
and her lover expired before she could
released from his arm. An examinatic
ofthc officers body was proved that h
death ensued from the dropping inward
upon a mortal part, ofthe bullet he had
long carried about him; and in the suddt
dilirium Of his death agony he had wrong
i some fatal injury to the lady by the horl
v bic compression in which he held her.
h Neo York Mirror.