Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-28

the trlumpnal procession OF AriAdne. Dancing
as one OF the tine arts, now received its virtu al
death-blow. You saw an Infatuated locking fell
low thrown his arm round a girls waist, aud rush
of with her as if he had been one of the troop
OF Romulus abducting reluctant Sabine. Sabi-
ma, however, made no remonstrance, but went
along with him quite cordially. They pursued a
species of bat-like race round the room-jerking,
Hitting, backing and pirouetting without rule,
and without any vestige of grace, until
breath failed them, and the painting virgin was
pulled up short on the arm of her perspiring part
ner. Ghost of Count Hamilton! shade of De
Crammont. has it really come to this !! You
knew, In your day, something about the Castle
malnes and others; but never did you witness, in
public at least, such orgies as British matrons
and mothers now placidly contemplate and ap-
prove.
This, however, called for q reform; and it was
reformed. By what i? By the introduction of
the polka-the favourite dance, and noHwouder,
of the Casinos. View it philosophically, and you
find it to be neither more nor less than the nup-
tial dance of Bacchus and Ariadne. Our
mothers or grandmothers were staggered, and
some of them shocked at the introduction of the
ballet in the opera houses. What would they
say now, could they see one of their female de-
scendants absolutely in the embrace of some
hairy manufacturing him-lnked to him
drawn to him-her head reclining on his shoulder
and he perusing her misunderstanding the most
of a notorious Tomnoddy No doubt every.
thing is innocent, and the whole dance is conduc-
ted-on one side at least--with perfect purity of
idea But, somehow or other, these grapplings,
squeezings, and approximations, look rather odd
in the eyes of the unprecedented spectator; and
We who have seen the icats of Egyptian Amas
almost surpassed in bathrooms, may be pardon
ed for expressing our conviction, that little
nay, good deal-more of feminine reserve than
is presently praetised, would be vastly advan-
tageous to the young ladies who resort to those
haunts which they have been taught to consider
as the matrimonial bazaar.
OF course we do not expect that any of the
fair Bacchantes will give the slightest heed to what
we say. If one of them should chance-tred
and languid as she is from the effect of last
nights polka, through which she has been
hurried IN the nervous embrace of Captain
Fitzurse of the Dragoons-to peruse these
pages, she will set US down as vinegar
ed old Calvanist, who knows othing whatev.
er Of the ways of modern society. We shall
be likened to John Knox, who once took upon
himself the ungracious task of lecturing the
Queens Maries. But neither Mary Seaton, Mary
Beaton, Mary Fleming. nor Mary Livingstone,
ever rushed frantcally through the halls of Holy
rood in the grippe of Chastelar or of Boutwell,
indeed, had such been the case, the hands of the
grim old barons, their fathers, would instructive
~ have grasped the poignard. We abuse not
dancing-we simply contend against its abuse
The effect of it is just this that the most nvete-
rate devotees of the polka have the least chance
OF being married. No man of refinement likes to
see the object of his affections prancing wildly in
the arms of another. Cupid, as the Americans
say, is ga skeary crtter; and very little matter
indeed is sufficient to make him take wing. Let
the ladies take our word for it, that retinence is
a virtue greatly appreciated by mankind Many
ayoung man has entered ballroom with a mind
thoroughly made up for an avowal, and left it
with the determination to have nothing more to
say to the lady whose breath has famed the
whiskers of whole regimental mess. Among the
accomplishments which enter into the matrimo-
NAL calculation dizziness in the polka has but
very subordinate share. We're it otherwise, the
simplest method would be to select partner for
life from the ranks of the corps de ballet 1t is
the domestic graces and accomplishments that
constitute the great fascination of woman; and
these can only be seen and duly displayed in the
family circle
We do not wonder, therefore, that young men,
If they have no better engagement, should prefer
passing their evenings at a club to inhaling the
close atmosphere of ballroom. We cannot even
go the length of saying that we consider them
worse employed: for every well conducted club
has its library, which is not among the least of
its attractions and though study in the strictest
sense of the term, is not compatible with the
place, it is still not only possible, but very com
mon, to employ the club hours in aproftable and
intellectual manner.
ATTEMPT KILL AN ARMY OFFIcER.-An
attempt was made on Tuesday evening, on the
life OF Major Pemberton, at Fort Hamilton, New
York, by corporal named White, of who m the
Major had made complaint for misconduct. 1t is
alleged that White drew out pistol and was about
to fire, when the Major, at bound, knocked it
out of his hand; struggle ensued. and both fell.
The noise drawing the sentinels to the spot,
the belligerents were separated, and the corporal
was conveyed to prison. The Major is badly
wounded
The FIsHERIEs.-The Plymouth IN. CO. Viii
lager of Wednesday says:
The seines the Roanoke are doing pretty
fair bust ness the freshet having subsidized. The
shad are much larger and better favoursd than
those taken in former seasons, and will probably
Command much better prices. The seines on
the sound will soon be in operation, with pros-
pect of doing good business.
SENATOR HUNTER AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
Washington correspondent of the N. Y. Tri-
bune, writes as follows, under date of the 25th
inst. We give it for what it is worth, without
vouching for its accuracy
''Seme days since John Tyler applied through
Caleb Cushing to Postmaster Campbell, for the
Virginia mail route agency for friend, and
Campbell gave him encouragement. Soon af-