The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-07-17

street, substantially DullG OI5rle anu GOiioia
Al ing of four low stories, the company rooms 0
d the first floor, all but the ball room, which wa
s on the ground, and parttioned eff the kitchen
d so the dancers got knowledge of what the
Al tmiah bit expect for supper but it was a know
IT fact shat Lady Tracy spared no expense o.
IS wax candles, cut flowers, and the best chalk
s ers.
o CATER setting up the night before, and do2
n ing most of the day on our chairs, we got on
e curls as dry and stiff as heart could wish N,
If aunt said she never saw heads in better orde
g after the washes, the dressing, the ringing. =
L The last went most against my conscience, bu
d it had to be done, and when it was done | tel
It certain nv mother would not have known me
{ Our toilets were pronounced complete by hal
h a dozen old friends who gathered in to drinl
= tea and admire us. Our chairs We're called
9 and for the first time in my lite went IN {
} sedan to meet good company L need not tel
you what hustle there was in Old Vale street
ball in those days upset not only the neigh
borhood, but the entire town. The chairmeu
f pushing, and occasionally fighting with their
poles the cluster Of heads thrust cut at every
window and door; the crowd of inferior people
f in the street making as much noise as they
could, and pressing on to see everybody that
stepped from chair; the flare OF links and
torches, and the general uproar, would have
been too much for my rustic senses, but for the
GREATNESS Ui Lug OCcdSJOuJ dHu JEG bPpSi III o
presence ofmy aunt and cousins. With them
passed over the carpet extending from the
gutter in front of the house to the hall door,
guarded by men with torches and slaves, to
light the company and keep off the mob,
through the row of servants within, who an
uounced US to the ladies Of the family at the en-
trance of the ball room.
They were lady Tracy, Miss Tracy, Miss
Agnes Tracy tall, bony, plain women, every
Il 10 oh,
and thanks to the rouge and gummed curls no
body could have guessed which was the oldest.
[ had never seen them in my life before, yet
the whole three gave me stare Of amazement,
| which | am sure they did not mean, for the
Tracy's were well bred people; but they re-
covered their composure the next moment, re-
turned cur courtesies-I fear mine was awk-
wardiy made-and gave US the usual compli-
nents and thanks for being so good as to hon
or their house with our presencei on which my
aant assured them that the honor was done -
and with all the ceremonies Of good breeding,
we were shown TO our seats on one of the lines
OF chairs and sofas ranged against the wall,
where the ladies sat- and the gentlemen stood
| by till most of the company arrived and the
dancing began.
! Ny aunt presented me to all the Tracys in
Gliding Sir Edward, who came to make his
compliments AS soon as we were seated. lie
Toned voting man, but very thin, Ike the rest
Of his family. His hair was cued in the frs
! style, his shoe and knee buckles were set with
diamonds, and his ruffles were OF the best point.
Ills manner was polite; and he might have
been called handsome, for his features were !
better than those of the ladies'; but there was
some thing sad and sour in his face, which l
thought very strange for youag man and
baronet he spoke little to anybody, and had 4
heb it Of lpoLriDo ~ phf1lIv Dlouf hi and
afterward heard my aunt and cousins saying
among themselves how very much Sir Edward
was altered by his travels, for all the grand DO
ings he had seen and shared in. For the pres
eHt they congratulated him on looking so well, |
and wished him many happy returns OF the day.
did my best to follow their example, but the
stare the ladies gave me had not quite gone Oft
my mind when he came up, and Sir Edward
first look fairly threw NE off my balance. 1t
was u gcowI of uncommon blackness as if he
had suddenly caught sight of somebody who /
had done him a serious wrong but 1t passed as /
quick = as lightning. / don't think my aunt /
and cousins noticed it at all, they wer9 so oc-
cupicd with their own MANNERS and the incom- /
ing company
was duly presented; Sir Edward spoke to
me as he did to to the rest but in 4 lower tone,
then Went TO do his devoirs to other ladies', but
from all ends Of the room | could see him
sealthily watching me. The thought of that
made me unhappy, in spite of the gay dresses
and the fine people who filed the room. All
the elite Of Gloucester were there my kindly I
aunt and cousins took both pride and pleasure |
III pointing them out to me it was not thought |
rude in my young days, but rather sign Of
distinction. They showed me Lady Sarah IN
diamonds and brocade; how black she was and .
how we'll her hair suited the cued curs They .
also showed me tall handsome young officer, |
they called Lieutenant G, and supposed (
to be an admirer Of Miss Agnes Tracy. There
were gIeat many more notables, whom have /
forgotten They introduced me TO some, but
none Looked at me as the Tracys had done -
and felt quite treasured when Cousin Alice
whiepered: do you know, Sophy, that Sir
Edward has lost his heart to you he looks at
you from all quarters. Methodist as your moth
er is think she would get over the ball for
such conquest.
"Of course I was hattered By TIE fact of Sir
Edward looking at me from all quarters, las any |
country girl Of seventeen would have been.
had not lost my heart to him. I am certain it
never could have gone that way; but be was |
the great man of that socety-which seemed |
to my inexperience the grandest in the world
the owner Of an estate, and baronet It was
no fancy of Cousin Alice he did look at me
from time to time, but not as if he wished to be
observed. | couldn't help looking at him in
return from behind my fan, the only way prop |
er Tor a young lady but when my attention |
was diverted by the entrance of a great Glou- /
cester lady and her seven daughters-they !
were all immensely large women, but nave |
forgotten their names-Sir Edward was sud |
denly missed out Of the room. I saw his moth |
err looking for him; l heard ny aunt say, |
''What has taken him off? But in minute /
or two he was there again, making compE- |
meuts. receiving congratulations, and casting
watehful, stealthy glances at me. Under any
other circumstances, ] would not have liked
them l did not like to think Of the fierce |
froWu he had cast on me at first sight, but |
my experienced cousin had assured me OF |
CONQUEST and it was with futter Of girlish |
vanity that l SAW the young baronet after |
leading Lady Sarah and some Of the more dis /
tiHruished guests through so many minuets, ap- |
proach and request the honor of my hand for /
the next. There was nothing i'll natured and |
envious in my cousins; Alice adjusted my tuck
er Grace whispered not to forget that prefer
red the Minuet de Meclenbouyg. Ny aunt gave |
Dermission for me to dance, which Sir Edward /
asked in due form; and to my own great
amazement and greater pride, was conducted !
by the bowling baronet to the clear space IN
the midst Of the room where the dancing went
+ on.
"AIinuet would be thought dull business
for young folks of these days, but they did not
derange The cued curls, or put ones sack out
Of the proper folds they did not take up much
room either; The clear space have mentioned
was a chaked strip in the center of the ball
room, extending from the entrance door TO one
on the farther end which opened on the orange
ryan old fashioned kind of greenhouse, with
steps leading down to the garden, for the ground
on which Tracy House stood was a perfect SLOPE
/ The orangery was well kept, and specially uec-
Grated for the ball, the shrubs and plants being
so arranged as TO form kind ofarbor,wlth two
tables in tone with Sir Edwards birthday
presents, set forth in full display, and the other
/ furnished with light Refreshments for the laales
who went there to get cool after dancing, and
survey the gifts, which, being mostly fTom the
! Tracy 8 rich relatives were thought well worth
seeing. mention these things that you may
tnndaTs+and what followed In the meantime /,