The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-12-25

with an air which said, " l know, old
fellow, you're in the retail trade, but,
hang it! Ina not bit proud. " Brown,
ones, Jordan. Hathaway. and Rob
Inson, and their families. came in !
their carriages, ana other people OF /
less consequence ca me out from town /
In the 800 train. But why should l T
particularize?
When Parkins had remarked that /
it was fine evening, but 1t looked /
ike snow, exactly forfy-seyen times. /
that being the number Of separate ar
rivals up to that hour, a close. OBJ /
server might have seen a bead OF
Precipitation start out on his manly
brow-and might have pondered long
for the cause without discovering 1t.
Not to keep the reader IN sus peuse,
the reason was this. The musicians
bad promised to come out on the $3.50
train. The last arrival of Parklns
guests by that train had already been
In the house ten minutes, yet the har
mouious, baize bag bearing trio were
nowhere to be seen. Parkins wiped his
forehead and looked around 10 his
wife, She was serenely talking about
the price of -four with Porringer, the
heavy grocer. Parkins approached
with anxious countenance.
Eli Ali My dear. "-Parkins
made it point to appear as amlable
10 public as She really was at heart
" Don't you think that those. ali
those flute and violin people must
have got left? There's Pamela. Pa
mela, my dear, what has become of
those musicians? really, lit
would be very serious joke If they
weren't coming after all !"
Then Miss Parkins explained that
the musicians had taken the wrong
road aud so had arrived at the rear of
the house, and had just come in by the
back way.
Oil ahl That's it, said Parkins,
greatly relieved, "Then | think, my
dear, we'd better have EN- right in +"
So presently there was a little bus
tie at one of the doors Of the drawing
room, aud there appeared the tail,
lean man who played upon the flute
and hagelet, the short. dumpy man
pale man why played upon the violin.
There was lull in the conversation.
and everybody looked at them, but
the votaries of the art of making
melody, being used to that. sort of
thing, did not mind it Ia the least,
but began to unpack their instru
ments with as much care as if they
were unrolling murnmie5 which had
been embalmed ever since the build
ing of the great pyramid. Then the
pale man began tuning the violin,
which gave out series of plaintiye
squeals, as if it was very tired from
the work of the night before, and
wanted to be let alone.
Will gentlemen take their part
ners for cotilllon?" said Parkins,
now In a high. state of excitement.
Mr.. Brown, will you take partner?
Mr.. Fox, will you set the example p
And away he went stirring up his
guests.
A faint blush lighted up the cheek
of Mr. Fox and played over his high
| forehead, like an aurora bOrealis.
| Making a desperate effort, lie pro-
posed to lead out the fair Pemela.
| She did not dance. While Mr.. Fox,
in very unhappy and undecided
| frame of MUD, was looking about for
partner, all the eligible young ladies
within reach were whisked off one
after another. from under his nose,
and there was nothing to do but to
retire to the wall, lean against it in
an elegant and apparently un7
| concerned attitude, and finger
his large watch chain. Sud
denly appeared young Townsend, who
had all at once been constituted a
master of ceremonies. See here, old
fellow, you're going to daaee, aren'5
you? Come with me and I'll get you
partner. And before Mr. Fox
quite recovered his conscious
ness of what he was doing.
he found himself standing up
on toe side OF a set, with a short
| young lady In an azure dress, who was
! talking very fast to him about those
/ delightful people, the Parkinses. The
| pale man laid MS chin affectionateiy
on his violin; the tall, lean man drew
long breath and went through a
protracted process of fastening his
| lips to the mouth Of his flute; the
short dumpy man assumed an atti-
tude as if his harp was his long lost
brother, and he was about to EN- brace
him. and-twinkle twankle jingle
jangle, the music began. The pale
man called the changes. and they
danced with perhaps little more an
| limitation than some people consider
necessary, but they all enjoyed it, and
even Mr.. Fox, who had looked for
ward to this moment with terror for
weeks, found himself getting along ia
mously. His little partner talked to
him SO steadily, whenever the changes
allowed it, that when be lead her to
seat. he faneied he had made
himself intensely agreeable. although
in reality he had hardly said a
word. / should like to tell how Mr..
Fox danced with this same lady four
or five times; how young Screed, the
! lawyer, es5ayed to do the polka re
| dowa, and gave it up after he had
nearly wrecked his unhappy partners
chiguon by humping her against pso-
pie; how two or three couples at
tempted the valencienne. OF the
eaviare, or whatever the latest i'm
portation was called, and when they
had got on the floor discovered that
they didn't know it, aud went away
| discounted | should like 10 de-
scribe the : Virginia Reel" they had,
when Parkins danced with Mrs. ALL
sop q AdtAOu NtAO hStS ACu al nun
dred and eighty if she did pound.
but was as light as cork, and how
they both went bouncing down the
centre and up again, to the delight
and admiration Of the company. But
| must pass over these things and
over the supper too, which was a
triumph for Pamela and the cook,
since all the confectioners in town
furnished were three pyramids and
the ice creams.
Behold, then, the company assem-
bled in the large upper room before
the mysterious green curtain I'm
agine, if my request is not too bold,