The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-13

the Exchange Hotel on Friday evening
was as brilliant an affair of the kind that
Richmond has ever boasted of. All pre-
parations were made by the proprietors
of the hotel and the managing committee
of young men of our city to make the
affair worthy of the occasion, and their
success was perfect. The evening of the
party had been anxiously looked forward
to, and with fears as to the weather, and
ioy was given to many hearts when it came
with a clear sky. As glad as they were,
however, the evening had far advanced
before the guests began to arrive, and it
was fully 10 o'clock before the ballroom
doors were thrown open. We might in
vain attempt to give an adequate idea of
the brilliancy of the scene when this was
done. To grand march by Kesnich's
fine band, the couples marched in, and
under the direction of the committeeman,
formed themselves into sets for the dance.
Beauty reigned on all sides, and wherever
the eye rested it would be dazzled by it.
Light and laughter, mirth and music,
youth and beauty, were all mingled in the
enjoyment of the occasion. Soon the
dancers were arranged, the music struck
up, and away they fitted in blissful forget
fulness of all save the dance. Flushed
cheeks, and smiling faces, merry music,
and the shufling of feet told that the hop
was in full blast, and every eye seemed
lighted up to contribute its portion of
gaiety to the happy occasion. The dance
continued until near about midnight, when
supper was announced. The couples
wended their way to the diniDg-room,
where the liberal hands of the proprietors
of the hotel had laid out for them sump-
tuous repast. Plenteous fare was there,
and pleasant and youthful hearts to share
it. The tables groaned with the weight of
good things, and the fair ones who crowded
around them seemed able, with their deli
cate appetites, to do but little towards re-
lieving them. But after they had left, the
discontinue to provisions and Tightening
of the tables was truly astonishing. My
but how the gentlemen do slay eatables
after the ladies disappear. Do the ladies
do likewise? We would like toknow.
The scene in the dining room, while
equally brilliant, was more pleasing than
that in the ballroom. The chandeliers
shed full, warm, and comfortable lustre
upon the well-flled tables; the servants
flew from place to place like magic; young
gentlemen We'd with each other in their at
tentions to those who most deserve them
in this world; smiling faces beamed on all
sides; and the merry laughter of young
people rang through the hall +; all mingling
to render the scene fascinating and agree
able. After supper the dancing was re-
sumed, and kept up until dropping eyelids,
pale cheeks, faded flowers, and torn dresses
warned the youthful jewellers that there
was a home to return to, and that the hop,
like the rest of the good things and plea
sures of this world, must come to speedy
end.
This party was one of the most success
full and brilliant that We have ever wit
messed in this city, and this we may justly
attribute to the kindness and hospitality
of the proprietors of the hotel and the etti-
cheney of the committee. These gentle
men had everything most admirably ar
ranged, and from the beginning nothing
went wrong. The universal opinion OF
those who were present is that the Ex-
change Hop was grand success, and the
hope of all is that they may only be spared
to attend another one half so pleasant and
agreeable.
The following named are the gentle
manly members of the committee, who
knew their duty well and performed it
gallantly: Messrs. W. D. Coleman, Alex
ander Cameron, DR.. E. G. Booth, NJ. j..
Dimmock, Captain A. W. CARRIER, James
NJ. Wise, l.. D. Crenshaw, Jr., E. D..
Christian, Jr., II. T. Miller, S. S. Camp
bell, J. II. McCaw, Philip Haxall, Page
Mccarthy, S. II. Pulliam, ". G. Barker,
T. NJ. Binford, W. II. Burgwyn, }. Z.
George, J. W. Archer, E. L. Parker,
Hamilton Martin, n. NJ. Wilson, Polk
Miller