Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-10-20

ratified against each other rs she moved
The form of this head dress, as the Re
gent afteru ard showed US. was taken from
neathen pictures Of the ancient days oi
Java.
With gentle, graceful motion, slowly
turning, and raising and lowering hel
form BY the elasticity of her knees, she
appeared upon the threshold. and moved
slowly into the hall. which she had hardl,
fully entered, when q second form follow
ed, even to the minutest point the SAM
in dress, then q third. fourth, DC. Sil
girls. each more lovely than the last. thu
floated, as it were. into the hall. and be
gan to the tones of a chime of small bell
their expressive pantomimic dances.
Gently they glided by each other, with.
out touching so much as the hem of ano
TIERS garment. Back and forth swung
the tender and lovely forms, and the beau,
tiful little faces all the time so earnest and
sober, and they shook their heads at each
other so still and reproachfully. and the
golden plates on their heads were tossed
from side to side, striking each other with
a musical sound.
was so struck by the extraordinary
performances of the lovely creatures, and
affected so powerfully in my nervous sys-
tenn by the piercing, bell-like tones of the
gamelang. that 1 rubbed my forehead Sc
veral times to see if / was actually awake.
1 had ventured to breathe. and when the
girls finally glided out of the door, as they
had come in, only quicker, 1t seemed as
if my breast was relieved of a heavy
weight, and l could now once more
breathe freely.
"That's right fine to see for once, apr
said the American who sat close by my
side, first addressing me then the crouch.
ing slave hard by, with an order TO give
him light for the hundredth time
handsome girls, especially the first
heard him, but at the moment hardly
knew what he said. As if was ust ava
kened from wild, fantastic dream,
looked about me but the Europen walls,
the engravings aud the astral lamps, the
curtains and the ornaments in bronze,
brought me forcibly back to the reality
The Indian Bayadercs seemed out o.
place amid so much that was European
cold water was thus thrown upon enthusi
asm, and / would at that moment have
exchanged all that splendor for the sim
plest bamboo hut.
In the mean time the tones of the game
lang were still gently sounding The eff
feet produced by this instrument is strange
l have listened to it for hours together,
feeling that a melody, and distinct rar'
mony lay in its tones, but was never able
to catch it and note it down. now fol
Al a..
which had always seemed to me peculiar
to the Americans, and l may say almost
laughable. refer TO their saying TO me
when playing some simple tune do moi
understand that" They do not under
stand it because they are unable TO bea
the time with their feet to a dance. AnC
now to my shame l must confess that
was in like manner unable to understand
this melody of the native Javans. Ere
auently it seemed to me as if had caugh-
part of the theme, and seized upon some
thing like fundamental chord, but when
l attempted to follow out the musical idea
passages totally different, and utterly in
consequent, came breaking, bursting in
and threw me so completely out, thai
when wished to return to my first idea
it would be entirely gone. In general
learn melody with ease. but l have ne
yer been able TO fix two bars Of this game
lang music in my memory.
The pause in the dancing had lasted
perhaps quarter of an hour, when thu
Bayaderes appeared again upon the thres
hold. Again they glided into the hall a
at first, modestly, and with downcast eyes
and appeared only in the dance 10 becom,
endued with life and feeling. This tim,
each carried fan of peacock feathers il
her hand, and as the tones of the bel
grew quicker and more lively, the dance
increased in spirit; they bowed as i
merely nodding to each other playing will
their fans, now followed, now pursuing
and of a sudden vanished through tn,
lowly door.
The English officer, who sat next tn,
Regent, had, in the meantime, borrowed
his kriss for the purpose of closer eI
animation; it passed from hand 70 hand
and we could not restrain our wonder a
the excellence of the workmanship, boti
of blade and handle, of the steel and gold
The Regent gave a signal, and one of th'
figures, crouching in all the corners of thu
hall, crept on all-fours to receive thu
commands of his master. The Regen
bent down and whispered few words t.
him. and the slave. gliding like a snak'
over the floor, vanished in the back
ground.
Ten minutes had not passed when tbs
slender, youthful form of servant ap
peared in the door and brought five uea
pons, splendid with gold and jewels. A
trst l paid little attention to the krisses
for the figure of him who brought then
attracted my notice too strongly. He drew
near in an attitude of reverence, when h'
handed the weapons to he's master, bu
there was nothing servile in his homage