The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-10-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE DEAD DANCERS.

paragraph, copied from French journal
describing the death ola gentleman while waltz
ing, is going the rounds of the newspapers The
incident reminds us ofanother which us said to
have occurred in this city many years since, and
which might furnish the groundwork of n fash
ionabIe tale of horror. Miss---a young
lady of beauty and accomplishments, but of dis
position singulary perverse and exacuing, was
betrothed to a French officer who had been
placed upon the half pay list from being incapa-
citated for service by musket ball he had re-
ceved in his breast and which had not been
extracted. Captain---was an elegant
waltzer, but owing to the state of his health he
could never take more than one two turns
upon the floor. without being overcome by ex
hausticn, and indeed his physician had expressly
forbidden him to share in that exciting dance.
--Wazing, though subsequently, written out of
fashion Ivy the authors of Salnagundi, was at
that time nearly as much in vogue as at present,
And Mss----swho affected to he leader Of
ton, was one ofthe first to join in the graceful
whirl. Partners, however, were not easy to he
obtained unless when foreigners were present,
and it CHANGED one evening that Miss,
entered ballroom just when Captan--
had waltZed few turns and overcome with the
exercise, was about retiring from the room.
The lady was provoked at having arrived too
late to secure her lover for the first dance, and
with feeling, truly unfeminine, laid her hand
upon his arm to detan him in passing. Poor
too much of the Frenchman about him to resist
the appeal.-He begged short respite, however,
which was granted, while the careless girl ratified
away with the beaux who had clustered around
her as she leaned upon the arm of her silent
lover.
After very brief time, single quadrille only
having sntervened, the watzing couple were
called to the foor and the thoughess Miss
-, hurried her partner into the gay circle.
The dancers moved, and the slow time enabled
the invalid captain to get thro' the first round
with apparent ease.-He seemed too, to gather
life as the time Of the music qTickeped, and The
WALKERS moved faster; nay, his strength was so
renewed, that he soon tired ont the other coup
les. The floor was left to tbs single pair; and
swiftly did they whirl around, that the music
ians in turn had to follow them with the most
rapid execution. The gaze Of the whole coInpa-
ny was fixed upon this eccentric pair, when sud
denly the face ofthe lady was seen to turn al
most of purple color, while the features ot her
partner ,oorked as if affected by some hideous
dream Her eyes rolled with an anxious APP
pealing look, while his became fixed with the
stare ct manic. Her arms fell listless by her
sde-his seemed TO contract like hinges of iron
about her person; which folded in his embrace,
was fiung-with The last move of the deiirous
and dying mana corpse upon the floor. The
horror-sruck spectators sprang to the assistance
of the unfortunate young lady, bat she was al
ready gone and her lover expired before she
could be released from his arms. An examina-
Nation of the officers body proved that his
death -ensued from the dropping nwardly upon
a mortal part, Of the ballet he had long car
red about him, and, in the sudden deliriurn of
death agony, he had wrought Some fatal injury
TO the lady by the terrible compression in which
he held. her.-W Y. Mirror.
=. .a50t'f'or Of s.auery III the 11aaan,as. The N.
Y. Journal OF Commerce. publishes from one of
the Metiio..,rsr missionaries in the Bahamas, dat
H. I'll h..l CO.
had been quite an absence of arrivals from VAS
sau, by which we could learn the proceedings of
the Assembly there. The negroes were very
anxious to know whether they were to he free
tor not. and the whites were about rs much per-
picked. On the 18th inst. about p. M. a brig
hove in sight, which proved to be government
vessel. Immediately the colored people were
running from all quarters to the public beach,
and the whites were out with their telescopes.
At the landing place the beach was covered with
people. A boat reached the shore and handed
.sone papers TO some of the magistrates, who
Immediately announced that all were free Joy
beamed from every sable face, and having in
Obliged in chip hip, huzza," they quietly dis
'persetl to their homes On the LIST of August,
4 preached from the text, "Let all things be done
decently and in order;' and am happy to say
that since the hour of freedom, the people have
conducted themselves in the most pleasing man
ner. They are anxious to be mt work, and many
OF them continue with their old masters"
GRoe. The Etymology of the word grog has
been the subjec, Of much Conjecture. An Eng
iish publication treats this difficult question OF
phiology in the following manner:
''Some trace OF the word to old Admiral Ben.
bow who wore whatit termed grograin Jack
ct, and hence obtained the name of old Grog
In some of his daring actions he refreshed his
men with rum and water, which ever afterwards
retained the title. Others assert that planter
of Jamaica wishing to send puncheon of real
good stuff to George the Second, marked upon
makce Another nnecdote refers to the well
known act of @tapping the governor, Monsieur
Guilluame Rouesel, governor of Guadaloupe
died, and was shipped in cask OF rum for Eu
rope. On the puncheon was painted 'Guilu
anne Rouesel obt. Guadaloupe;' and round the
leaf that was naiied over the bung, the initials
U. r. o. G. On her passage, the vessel wa;
captured by the English; and the jolly Jacks
~hhout knowing the actual contents, soon suck