The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-02-21
CG2HaEc&.

and the merry games which We're iuin'ged IN,
when the parties before described were aSscE-
bled there, were such as none but io@g-taced
Puritanism could or would have ccu>ured, per-
haps a bapdred years ago in pyim New England.
These games or plays We're such as delighted orr
forefatherS in merry England at Christians time;
esBlind Mans Buff" ''Hroverbs; ;" "Con2ariSon ;"
teFhi-t. Man y Move the. Kitchen Furniture :"
sgsGmany others too tedious to mention. All
entered into these pastimes with 4 hearty zeSt,
and a,philauthropist would have looked on with
compiacency at so much healthful gayety and
happiness, The freside in the drawing room
presentedan attractive spectacle as its light was
reflected upon so many mrthful faces, WHICH
plainly said, away duh care" The am0sementS
here were agreea5ly intersper2e5 at times by the
INTRODUCTION Of such refreshments as piun-cake
With the most degl;f0! grape wines and cordiaS;
or a recess would be lid for whilst we adjourn
ed to the dining room to partake of egg-uog, the
feathery ligAtness and pungencV Of which were
most agreeable to. the palate. Here the games
would Ee resumed with change OF programme,
more appropriate to the locality, until the late
ness of the hour a6monished US that even plea
sure could not be pursued with im?rnity without
rest, and We would separate into little parties,
each party taking its way to some remote region
of the spacious mansion, TO his or their sleeping
apartments, preceded By a candle bearer who
was to induct them into their comfortable and
even luxurious quarters. But the laugh and jest
did not cease with this breaking up OF the geil-
ersl company for in The privileged retirement
of their own cha:nbcrs the young men gave way
To Iarestrained mirth at each others expense, IN
mfrthful taunts and provoking laughter, and the
xnsd-cap fun would run riot in both departments
as-the ringing silvery-toEed laughter echo!ng
along the corridors from the young ladies de-
partment gave abundant testimony.
: One night three young gentlemen had been
assigned to one of the Statebcd chambers, Which /
contained two coucheS, and after proonging
their fun aud frolc to an indefinite period, pre-
pared themselves for rest and slum6eF, and one
Of them pfunging into the couch allotted to MN
for his repose, foand that the trcacherouS Stats
had been tampered with by the orders OF certain
Inischiefloving young ladies, ,aad he found MINI
self Sinking pregipitately 10 the floor; but TINS
was net ali for those ardheared, cruel, unre-
Ienting yoang ladies, who so loved to play these
practical Jokes, had ordered sprigs-or branches
of the prickly-holly BUSH cedar and petteS, to be
placed under the bed coverings and the unioFtu- /
nate occupant found himself tortured IN ms IN
voluntary and yielding grave, from which nc
scrambled fraHtiealy, rushing out into the MD
die of the room, in 'the trailing garments OF the
night" as Longfellow has it, scratching and rub
bing his tortured body and exclaning IN the
most ludcrouS manner. Simultaneous with these
frantic and lUGicrouS actions and eXclamanonSt
there was suppressed litter heard OUTSIDE the
door in the gallery, proceeding eVlCently from
these miSehievoUS elves, those beautiful noyaenS
Of fifteen, who were at the bottom of the whole
,,tbo Of ha
victim as these tapnting,, provoking sounds
reached bis ear at that crisis = And yet to- have
looked at those two girls fwho werefas approach
ing young lady-hoed) with their mild, anla0te
looks and manners, and unusual beauty, 8No
-.o.,ia hnz-a SIlnDoSed them canahle Of such wan
ton cruelty. But even Lady Mac6eCI
tia Borgia are supposed by some writers to have
possessed that mild, soft beauty which is ex-
pressed IN golden hair and blue eyes with tair
complexion .- 49,.
The unfortunate victim Of the hoEy-bushes and
pettles might have been justified in exclaiming,
Ebeautiful fends!" Butt will leave them TOR
the present. The next morning the guests were
not assembled in full concaYe at the breakfast
table as some slept very late, and the breakfast
was served to struggling parties OF two or three
or sometimes one at time. The hostess con-
cluded to perpetrate a joke upon the two young
cfEcers who we're inmatesewith5 the writer IN one
of the state bed rooas, and. as they were oota
irery.la in coming down to breakfast ana came
Beparately when they did come, she Intor'eed
those of US who preceded them that she would
serve their coffee to them without sugar ana 70.
test their. .politeness or make them commit them
selves, would ask them in hospitable manner if
i was sweetened to their liking. Each one in
turn assured her it was sweet enough but could
not we'll avoid making a rather wrY face .as-the
confession was extorted frcm them, whereupon
rest of as burSt. out into a geReraEvlaugh az
their expense; when they.were told of the ruse
that had been. praetised upon,them. y--'%'r y
During September, 1853, when our command
was passing through this State toggoto Ghattanoo-
ga to. meet the enemy, one Ofthe above mention
ed Young officers and the writer obtained short
furlough to come by home. During that period,
and lust before their arrival the young people at
Bracebridee had been amusing themselves and
their friends in getting up charadeS and tQ6tcamG
y;uGrat for hch the front rooms were admirably
adapted as has been mentioned in aformer article.
They were assisted very materially in these amuse
ments by young lady from Florida, an oldfriend
and acoGaintance of the family who was also a
native of N, but had left the place at ~an
early age only to return on occasional visits.
This Young lady, whom shall call Stella, from
her general brightness and intelligence, was quite
an acquisition in the charade and sableau.
making She understood stage effect admirably
and her own performances and the groupings of
the rest of the characters were very fine The !
charades and Gableaux were enacted in the draw
ing room Whilst the small select, audience. were
seated in the sitting room opposite across the
wide entrance, and as both rooms opened with
wide folding. doors the spectacle was thus viewed
to an advantage. The "lady chatelaine" of
Bracebridge. who was rather an invalid at tina:
time, was reclining on lounge in the sitting room
dressed in most becoming style in a white morn
ing robe or dressing gown, over which she wore
a white meriDo opera cloak trimmed with a wide
border Of blue silk whilst at her throat the dress
was elasPed witt a very large Jet cross brooch
set with gold fIagree> work Tbe>interestiug lau-
guor of the invalid, the very becoming attire and
the graceful reclining position upon the lounge
was itself q tableau, as ore Of the male guests
remarked who was desirous of paying, compli-
ment to the hostess. There was only one draw
back to the evenings entertainment, and that
was the absence OF one Of the Young ladies of the
household, the eldest, the young lady with ohe
Grecian name formerly mentioned, whose presence
was necessary to the complete and perfect en-
ieyment of the social festivities at Bracebridge;
for her amiabe character rendered her univer-
sally beloved by her family circle as we'll as her