Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-05-23
Spirit Of tge 9ge 8aIeigb, nortB Carolina. :

into their friends" The stimulative weed ex.
cites these ladies', and they unbosoul them
selves to each other during these interminable
clippings. and spin the longest yarns, and open
the darkest pages, and betray the most con6-
Dental secrets, and dip, and dip, and dip!
Dippers' are of gregarious habits, of
going in herds, communicating by signs, and
bound together by long unbroken Chains
They will face any dlngRr tc meet an ap-
pointment, and would go through a brush Gre
to rub any of their teeth and wag their heads
and dip. Woe be to the absent dipper in
such dangerous times! Woe be to her if the
community cannot furnish a murder, or a run
AWAY match, or a jealous husband, or a flirting
wife. or II monster Of some kind, to be served
up for their entertainment for they will sure
ly dip into her. They will trans6x her with
their hickory sticks, and she may perperhaps
roam over the old North State an exeommuni-
Gated dipper forever more!
Sometimes we fad a small but Spartan
band of dippers cast into a hostile and anti
dipping community, in which public opinion is
against dlpping--husbands are against dipping
and wives are against dipping. Under these
unfavorable circumstances, they 1.-THE dippers)
organize into societies. They establish a kind
Of Free-M tsonry, and coneealing their boxes
and mops, never fail to abuse their darling
practice, publicly and yehemently. Of course
they resort to signs, and telegraph their rem
devious upon their pretty fingers with great
ingenuity and skill OF course. they meet
mid ihsiilng adventures and hair breadth
'scapes, and then--such royal dips! Dipping
the brave, persecRted dippers-into every
thing! Dipping into the so-and SOS and the
everyOodys with a vengeance! Dipping into
enemies and ~friends-dipping into families
and States dipping into trials and difficu!
~ties-probing the sorest wounds with these
mopped sticks--brandishing their formidable
weapons more and more NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and prOmiscuously--until. having exhausted
the gossip of neighbors and friends, they turf
against themselves and relate such domesti
and matrimonial troubles as would arrest eve
~ mop for reflection"
In this feeble manner, dear readers, we en-
deavored, wears ago, 10 describe this singula
custom as it appears to the naked eye. Yo'
must Judge for Yourself the merits of our e
fort. Before you W. lay the fruits of on
mind if they please you, our reward is OF
taiLed. 1T may b. more rational To dip tina
to write, fer aught we know. 1t certainly
much more lady like to take an innocent di
than it can ever be manly to take Il drop tC
much. Therefore. we advise the ladies'
North Carolina to dip on us long az their hu
} bands drink on. There have been mar
weapons ased against old king Alcohol, b
$ we never heard Of any one attacking him wi
a mop stick. There may be virtue in a hick
b ry stick-who knows? Try it, ladies' of t
/ old North State. Go right ut him with 20
terrible mops, and vow by your snuff boxes
rub your teeth us long as he handles yo
: husbands brains. And so long rs dice-hox
rattle, and fortunes are staked upon the tn
of q card, or a drunken wretch goes reeii
lie home at night, in the whole length and hreat
5. of the old North State, we, for one, shall
ut the ladies hold on to their mops!