New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-20

tinrate In her demonstration that we compelled
IN retreat; as last resource, eutchng at the tails OF
nv coat as went up the cellar steps to the pave
mont. >,
/ not produce much impression upon me l felt thas
Ler reformation hopeless and that she must die az
/ she lived Bat my heart learned over two little chill
/ dIen. who sleeping quietly upon, rather tnsn ID
one Of the beds upon the floor One was girl, ten or
/ twelve years old Her hair was black, and fell IN
cor bed upon her reck and check Her clothing hardly
covered Ter nakedness, and one leg was bare above
her luee Tie ragged rock she had GA was very dirty
sic lerseif needed washing; aud there vas nothing at
/ fractiye about her excepting in her posture. Oae
am vac around the neck Of her younger brother who
was sleeping by her side, if to Proec: him as well
as ioep him wart
Tror this cellar we went directly to the dance houses
Trorsrarouc!es. upon which We're painted" Dancing
"touelt" or Cotllions here, served guides.
We visited lalfadozen places OF this sort during the
evening "a description If will serve for the rest
Passirg through outer shop by pushing ASIDE cur
tain We got admission into the room appropriated for
dauoinq Candies arranged along the walls, and
az tie farther end the fiddler sat upon PLATFORM raised
foot or two above TIE floor. The dancing did moi
cease because Of intrusion AMI they who were set
ting on the bench. which ran round the room. KEPT
leir seats ierdly noticing after the hrs glance.
Tie macs in tie room vere mostly boys. Of a higher
class tlan | expected 10 see | had supposed that
those WHO feGuented these dance houses belonged to
the lowest class OF the boatnen on tne lake Bat tles-
were well dressed and. my companions told me- were
clci h in the shops about town. Tie women were oil
Ill ages from twenty 70 seventeen two or three OF
wLom from some popularity in their face or dress or
Manner. impressed themselves upon my memory. One
wl,m noticed was well nigh twenty -four Her eyes
were beared end her r. eiis n2:med. The falling IN
Of Ler clicks lad made her check bones which were
tirVed with rouge, very prominent and the few front
Zee IA that still remained to her irregular AMI dis
ocored few shreds Of Lnery set on the loathsone-
noss Of her lace. She was maudln with drinA
4 Ella. lrFh LEX
tie nlht before By Ter man., as she called her lover
in What seencd 20 lie . it Of jcalousy Think OF it
that dirty, diseased cr,aa exciting Jealousy for be-
ing too lavish in her iayorsl
a Girl I6 wears old or tLereabous VINO danced with
a cigar in her mouth, also attracted my attention She
vas so yourg and had been engaged usher taic Tor so
hort tine that al expression Of sariey had not yet
written usClf upon Eer face. Her checks were s'i.l
plum p, and ler skin smooth her eyes still sparsied
With wantcnness and around her mouth played the
lines Of unbiidled dCsTe. She Was very dfty, how
ever, and somewhat tipsy.
In Il e sane party. was another girl an American,
wearing froch oil a dark brown color, who alone OF
all the ;enaes in the room cl an and sober. She
lad evidently had better companies, and lived under
better Influences. She was neither wa1;on nor sat-
ated, but locked ashamed ana broken hearted Do
not know whether anything could have saved her,
vhetl or the Of purity, Os and not ~ be reeaned
would lot keep her always down; but am sure, that
words spoken from the depths of loving spirit,
we I'D have found easy access To her heart. wonlr
Nlele eLc Is night very likely N ucI OH
vlCTe else can she 90 y IN the Iccke5sn2s %. con-
plete despair, doing her utmost 70 eice the last p)r
ttn of womsuly feeling remaining IN her breast Oh
all saw flat night. nothing impressed me 50 Painfully
the expression Of safety most of these women bore
in their counteuauccs. UnbridHd IN iagence seemed
to have begot in them ncapablity Of sensual enjoy
mont and could see how YEARLY their lives dragged
ao1 in their business. Yet. they also seemed urged
on 10 drink and swear and to what is worse. by the
sense Of hopcless DEGRADATION Do what we Will
ba oil nh wa
away tie stain that lies upon We must 90 on for
how il il possible for Us to retrace our sep3 There
10 but source Of hope for them; IL lies in the
words, Neither do | condemn thee, which awakened
no cello in tie heart of any for more than eighteen
LILdlod years, Until poet sang
Lin her with care
After visiting these dance-houses, which were ire
euCnltd By whites alcne, we went directly TO " Uncle
.Ned'sr Ills is cellar, where the negr0es c0ngre-
cate in order to dance On opening the door the smell
and the heat made the place almost insupportable
10 ne, until got little used TO them. The room was
low, and lighted BY two or three candles stuck in
brackets against the wall. It filed with negroes
of both sexes no were bufiy dancing when we came
in TIE presiding genius OF the place WAS Que OF the
joiest looking negroes ever Jaw. Big, with broad
ihouders, round belly and twinkling eyes, h. could
not fail to make one good humored To look at him.
There was al negrOs love OF fun and music and society
written in Lis face and expressed in his actions. He
found it profitable, doubt, to give dancing parties,
but it was evident that lie enjoyed them, too
"Who is that white woman, sitting by the stove
Iasksd nv compauiOns "Sle is Uncle Neas WIFE
was the answer "She was once a noted prostitute,
~and lived in style But she sank little b. little and
when sic was so low, that no white man w0ad look
:" al her this black fellow took her to himself
The dancing was kept up with great deal of vigor
II il true Il at there not much room 10 execute
tie command balance, bat the lask in space was more
than compensated BY the activity Of the dancers n
cotili,n patty was upon the floor when we came in
but Uncle Ned stopped it at once upon my expressing
A wish to see bredkdOcm." Heah, John, Harry,
You too Casar show this gentleman de breakdown
BE lively. nreer,m They were nothing 10th, and put
their whole souls TO the dance, which consists n no
thing more than sbufle He who can keep up the
lopcest considered the best fellow AMI takes bs seat
amid the applause of the ookersou.
This was the first place entered where witnessed
ANYTHING Ike real, hearty enjoyment The whites
whom bad evidently TO resort To drinSng IN or
der TO feel any for dancing They were forced, as
thew said ito get the steam up" Even then Il
seemed like work and net like play the men danced
as If thew were az funeral aud the women dragged
themselves most YEARLY along But the negroes,
male and female had no occasion to resort 10 artificial
stimulus. They cane 10 Uncle Neds to enjoy them
selves because they fond OF one anotbefs soce-
ty and u dancing and music. And this Is true OF
them that tkey behaved Themselves with far more
propriey drank less less, and seemed less de-
Graded than any party OF whites saw that evening.
Emerging from this cellar, crossed seSeral streets
and plunged into another, where my guides said we
would fnd another dancing party gathered But the
room was diny lighted by only sing candle, and
occupied by none but its proper inmates. Three
negroes were sitting by the fire, and although some
what timOTCns at first were pacited by my explaining
to them the object Of visit took the candle and
went round The room. II was mere cellar; cell
inn uoa ovcrhea1 or mastering its walls Dirty.