Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1869-03-20
WN JEFFERSON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. SATURDAY, MARCH 90 1869
Round Dancing.
From the Richmond Whig.7

"Tempora mutanlur, et nOs mu;am in Ills"
With his maxim. a. being at once the
most truthful and most appropriate, be.
gin. That the times have changed, the
chaotic confusion of our pniliicsi world
bears terrible witness, that We hsve chan.
ged with Them, the present slate Of socle-
~ allesls. Chiefly is this alteration IN
the manners OF Virginians seen a, balls,
which nov no longer deserve better
name than that they so often bear OF
chops"
Some one OF Us uniniliaied in The "new
regime" Of society, enters a ballroom,
drawn lhither by The magnetic attraction
OF bright eyes, lovely faces snd graceful
forms. He hears tie vnlupiuous music as
it floats on lhe perfumed air; he is for
moment bewildered By The brilliant glare
ofhghts, and the myriads of iairy-llkc
creatures gliding past. He looks Hound
for some familiar lace, but vision meets
his eyes which. for a moment, sPpsls
him. and sends he hot blood 10 hls cheek.
Approaching him he sees 8 sylph, clad IN
robes Of ilosting white, the bare neck aud
srms more perfectly moulded, more pure
ly fair than sculptured Venus. TIE un-
duIating, plant figure moves in unison
with The music. But horrible That
slender waist is encircled by masculine
arm the rich. brown curl- are resting on
the shoulders OF her partner She rls"s
her flushed face as she passes, and he
sees the creature he has worshipped IS
"woman. yet spirit, too" brought in
an instant rom her high pedestal IN his
heart, broken idol, a WOmdl bereiI Of
her greatest charm.
"And what left the poet here
For Greeks blush, for Grace tear
Msitens, DO you not remember the
time when, If lover, whose honor was
unsulied a. his heart was pure and true,
il he. in chivslrous devotion, might touch
the rosy lips of your soft, white FIN.
gers. he felt himself most honored
above msnk ind And nov, oh grie'ous
uGih
Our loveiest and our iaireSt ones"
are whTled around in The arms Of men
whose hearts are as stained as their nous
Iaches, and whose acquaintance dated
back to zone" short minute ago.
Bur, in this deeenerscy, woman is not
worthy Of all blame. Every result can
be traced 10 its cause or causes. and. IN
this instance, they are the blind following
OF fashioos and lhe degenerscy Of our
men. At The North, as here, the extr6m IN
isis OF fashion are the moneyed arislocra-
cy or rather those whose only claim TO
position in society is rheir purse. lnila-
tors of Europta1 fashion and isstne:s they
introduced round dancing. That there is
a deficiency OF charms when laslness is
resorled to, is so true that II may claim
the Credence Of an axiom. How strange,
then, that knowing this, and iha, knowing
round dancing is opposed 10 Irue refine
meni, ladies', bolh,. North snd South,
should have taken the anleciion. They
who womld not yield one inch in any qres.
ton Of superiority, yet tacitly confess
their inferiOrty by adopting 'hI' disgrace
10 geniility.
Dancing in the old way, such as quad
rifles, reels, ETC., was one Of the greatest
privileges a woman possessed. II reliev-
ed the IediUm Of sitting quietly for hslf a
night. and was only exercise enough TO
bring roseSte int to her cheek. Ii gave
tie young people an opportunity Of form
ing new acqcsiDtsnces, and by a con>lsn;
change of partners. prevented young la
dy b,ing dissgreeabIy nonopolized. La.
dies Of Virginia, have those days 1ed for
aye
There is class of men whose interest
il is to keep up a corrupt sis,e Of society,
else they would be treated with the con.
tempt they merit, would be fashionable,
who neither deserve nor shall obtain far.
tier notice. Bu, gentlemen who still re-
tain love for purity in woman, who
would blush 10 see their sisters threading
the mazes Of the round dance, will Yet
spend hours enjoying the same pleasure
with other mems sisters, as dear 10 their
brothers as his are TO him. To such. |
say, carry your principles further. and
stop round dancing yourselves. Not
withstsnding the talk ol"wonsn's rights"
tie majority Of women are not Of the
class styled "strong minded" end these
look 10 man for gulLsnce-'ook to him az
possessing "mind which will elevate her
own" (how Of en- without grounds for
such theory y and will Vlrginlsns, who
so long "have borne without abuse the
grand old name Of gentlemen" who. so
long sheslhed IN the srnor Of honor. have
won themselves a niche IN the Temple OF
Fame, will they at this late day ; in place
OF eleysiinq the minds and characters Of
our ladies', sci Them an example which
will forever cast clouds over their honor :
TO all. both ladies' and gentlemen. we
say, cast it TO the wind'. Sill, let the
names OF our ladies be synoDiDoG with
purify and Ioveliness. else how will they
appear by the side Of the chssie danes Of
former years !-those whose character.
have Stood The prismsIic touch OF Time.
and The test served hot to show what glo.
riOus coIors and shsdings formed the per-
feet whole.
II for no other reason than the honor
Of oUr beloved State, "s,op IT," Behold
Z 1 4