Washington telegraph., 1854-05-03

IL. put VIC Scbulne hO,dlieS vi leTpSlcunre,
There is no room for affected display You
must retain your selfpossession, for the
movement is brisk but with lfpossesso,
there is no fear of awkwardncss The reel
is called; the sets are formed. three couple
in each. who generally agree to dance togeth.
er. The music commences and of they
bound. In rapid succession. we have the
chase. the hey, the figure eight. right and
left. cross hands. down the middle, grand
round. cross again, and off the whole party
darts again to recommence the intoxicated
reel. Has your glove came off ? then dance
ungloved, for you have no time to put it on
again; the hands must move as briskly MS
the feet And as your pace euickens with
intense light, halk how the fddlers sympa.
thize with yourjoy Their stamps become
quicker-the music plays with accelerated
time. and bows and fingers move with rap.
idity which Paganini might envy but could
never hope to emulate. The powers of en-
durance are taxed to the ut:ermost, and set
after set retire exhausted The last set left
generally contains some unlucky wight OF
middle age, who ventures once more, to en-
joy the luxury of the dance. Now. how
wickedly do his young compan ions. (bis part
ner the instigator.) persevere How eaily
do they strive, by keeping him on his feet,
to punish his presumption, in venturing
among them. But they know not that men
Of certain age possess powers of endu-
rance beyond their tender years. and after
protracted contest, find that they have
caught tarter The company looked on.
all parties deeply sympathizing, and the
young are, at last obliged TO acknowledge
themselves vanquished.
The reel is the offspring Of the genuine
love Of dancing. There are none Of the
auxiliary motives to learn its movements.
No room for the qualification of vanity in
the display Of graceful motion-no prurient
fancy to be gratifed by the privilege of en-
circling the waist Of handsome girl, and
feeling her tresses kiss your cheek at every
step you take in the whirl of the volnptuous
waltz, or in the lascivious movements Of the
Scottisch, which we once heard friend
blunderngly, but happily, call a Souise.-
1t is scene Of perpetual motion and good
huuor. No solemn face may venture on it,;
for laughter, gay and unconcerned is its
proper accompaniment. No soft noihings
can here be whispered. for the duties of the
dance require your constant attention /; no
graceful insouciance can lie tolerated, for
the comfort and happiness If others depend
absolutely upon your own good behavior, no
less than upon theirs. Many persons think
ing it too faiiguing, have fancied that the
Virginia reel might be happy substitute for
it. But'this is long and langu;d. It's like d.
luted spirits substituted for pure champagne
1t langni>lied. and in the phrase Of an In
dictment laneuishingly did live. until, at
last, it died of its own stupidity.
The evenings entertainments was always
concluded with the 'Boulanger,' dance
whose quiet movement seemed to come in
appropriately. in order to permit the revel-
lerS to cool off before exposure to the night
air. 1t was matter Of no small Importance
to secure a proper partner for this dance,
because, by an old custom. whoever last
danced with lady. had a prescriptive right
to see her home. And this reminds Us of
another peculiarly of Pinevilc life, viz :
that though every family kept carriage,
nobody ever thought of returning from a
ball by any other mode but On foot No
carriage was ever seen in the streets after
dark The servant, with the lantern, mar
shaled the way and The lady, escorted by
her partner, was conducted to her home
Aud, as the season drew to close, how
interesting become these walks. how many
words of love We're spoken. how many hearts
saddened by the discovery of the hopeless.
ness of an attachment. how many persons,
now living, whose destnies depended upon
these walks. To many dancer the bou-
langer was season OF consciousness, of ap-
prehension. Of delight rcined in. Of hope
and of fear; and there are numbers still
living. in whose recollections a certain dance
Of this description viii remain inhexibly
fixed
Besides regular and occasional dancing
parties, riding parties would be got Up to
promote intercourse between the sexes; for
you must know, gentle reader, that love be-
came an epidemic in PiEeville, Just like the
fever, and that its exaccrbations was always
greatest when the season was drawing to
close. The proprietor of plantation in
the neighborhood, would invite the Young
people to drive there on some afternoon, and
partake of the luxuries of plantation life.
Then every young man fastened to secure
partner for the drive ; and, at :he appoint
ed hour, each in his gig. (for in those days
gigs were, and buggies wete not the hap
ny party would set off, bound on enjoyment.
The amusements, on such occasons, would
be such as spontaneously suggested them
selves, but all was apt to terminate in the
dance. And sometimes it would happen
that the eager lover, grasping at his oppor-
tunity. would pop the question on the out
ward drive, and if refused, tie luckless
wight would have TO endure the mortifca-
tion of homeward drive, fete-a-tete with
I u-l,., LII .a;aa.eaA