Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-14

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The young lady struck up "Bon-
been sounding in my soul from that day to
nifty to make ninny Of myself over any
new air that struck my fancy, and this one
did to the very centre. When any other
fellows could not remember the name
they would call for ssPhelanss" tune.
sound it to this day on my flute, OF saw it
on my fiddle-for be it known 10 you, fell
lows, that though cannot play for compa-
NJ manage, as old LangdOn said, 'sto do
my own fddling.D So l saw away some
times on "Bonnje Ann" and think Of 'GLang
Syne." Our other principal families were
Mr. BerTyhill's, Judge Gundy's, Mr.. Por-
ter's, Mr.: Lylle's, Mr.. Nichols, Mr.. Andrew
Hayes, Of. Miniek's, DR.. Shelby's and
some few other that do not now remem-
Der. Some of us went oftener to one place
and some to another. For instance, Pope
went ofener TO Mr.. BerryhiIl's than 1 did,
/ and l went oftener to DR.. Robertson's than
he did. When visiting, our evenings were
spent in conversation, with music, and,
very often, with cotilIon or reel improVis-
ed on the moment, the young ladies giving
the music; and in pleasant promenades.
|
| we now call "fastj" our fellows free and easy
too, but at that day would have been shocked
! beyond measure to see any other fellow put
his arms about his sweetheart's waist and
whirl her jerkingly round and round the
room. We had not then gotthat high up in
! the scale of extra fine civilization. In fact,
| when we went TO hand our partners to
| their places, or turned them in ssthe balance
| al r-ar nj 70
than the tips of their fingers. You are sorry,
| some of you, friends, to find out that am
| such an incorrigible old fogy on a given
/ question. Admitted. 1 hate round dances.
/ consider them an abomination, and shall
| die in that faith. My own daughters, how
ever, may say for the consolation of any
that may be scandalized by this hard,
plain manner Of speech, listen to my TRADES
and my arguments, and then go off pirou-
| citing with the rest, When there is drift
in ocean it sweeps over all opposing forces.
| am honestly afraid the drift in this age
and country is sweeping dear woman, chief
| ruler, under God, of manners and morals,
! from the mooring of that which constitutes
| the chief source and secret Of her power; l
mean womanly reserve and modesty. A
| dear friend, who is now no more, said to
me: "Phelan, l love to see in woman the
icicle pendant at every point" l don't say
| that exactly, for am but too easy to thaw
myself. 1 do say, however, and Kill me for
| it If you will, until they care no more twain,
but one fesh," hands off, gentlemen; hands
| of!
| While on the subject of dancing, it strikes
me toinquire whether they keep up the an
nual Fourth of July bran dance at Hayes
| boro, eight miles from the city? They had
| done so for years and years at tie time |
allude to, and they made famous prepare
tons for the fourth of July, 1928. John
Bell and Felix Grundy, the candidates for
Congress, were to address the people there
that day, aud did so; about the first politi-
cal discussion l ever heard. suppose that
there were between l 800 and 1000 people.
A big shed, and extended with bush arbors,
| to hold sets, as far as the music could be
heard, the ground made smooth and cover
ed with saW-dust. Buck CressWell and
| went out dressed in deer skin
moccasins trimmed with beads, IL
dian fashion, and there we had a
glorious day Of it. a storm of rain came
on in the evening. BE and were escort
ing home two young ladies named Good
rich, and our whole party got fairly drench-
ed. If they had kept up the old annual
Fourth of July bran-dance at Hayesboro,
think would 60 in moecasins the next
Fourth of July, and lead off in an old Vir-
GINA scamperdoWn, Just to. see what differ
ence forty-fYe years makes in mans
dancing.
Among other pleasures which we may
call social was taking our partners and
sweethearts, now and then, to the theater.
In that day Nashville gave a good,
hearty support to the legitimate drama.
have seen in Nashville as fine acting
as 1 ever saw, and 1 have seen the best,
and think myself something of
Judge of good acting. We used to
have here then the elder Edwin Booth,
with his unmatched Richard III and
Iago, Forest in Lear and Macbeth, Cooper
in Virginius and Damon, Hackett in Fal-
staff and Nimrod Wildfre, Caldwell in the
Stranger, Ludlow in DR.. Pangloss and Cap
tain Flash, Miss PlaCide in Desdemona and
Ophelia, Mrs. Hartwig in Lady Macbeth,
Miss Riddle in "Little Pickle" with high
land fling. Half the College used to be half
in love with Miss Riddle. She was very
pretty.
"Her's the subtlest spell by far
That set so many hearts rOmancing.
| She was our rose, our gem, our star,
And when she danced,-Oh heaven, her
dancing!
1 deeply deplore the decadence of the
| legitimate drama. If there is higher in
tellectual feast than one of Shakspeare's
! best tragedies, or one Of Sheridan's, or
George COleman's best comedies, well per-
formed, L do not know it. Oh, how
much higher, how much purer, how
much more wholesome food for the heart
and mind than the popular opera, the
spectacle" as they call it, some
! thing whose whole merits consist in its
gorgeous display to the eye, or the Black
Crook, where the dividing line between the
| decent and the indecent is lost in haze.
! Old fogy again, you see-not up to the
times; the acknowledged privilege Of an old
man. "LduddtG tempOTiS dCti." Think of
it, this was fOrty-hye years ago! Perhaps,
| if live five years more, and get ready for
my golden wedding" with the "Limes," in
| Nashville, l may yet come out in full suit
of the grand new ideas Of this progressive
nineteenth century. .r-.-
In that day we ran, we jumped three
! jumps, went half hammer, boxed and
! wrestled, played shinney, cat and town ball
| on the campus, and cards on the sly, with
| side shows of marbles and 'smumble the
! peg" among the smaller boys.
Going 10 the river to battle i'll summer
season, was also one of our most delightful
and commonest pastimes. But, ali! the
mention Of the river and bathing awakes in
me the memory of one Of the darkest days
| that ever cast its shadow over my young
life. Il got me suspended. Why! dear me,
whispers some good lady in the gallery
suspended ?-was that old gentleman who
now looked as grave as "-ate post" sus-
pended? What did he do to deserve such
disgrace? Its a long story, friend, and 1
won't infict it on you. Suffice it to admit
your worthy speaker with two other delin-
| quents, "the Judge" VIM. Overton Of our
class and Orman Claiborne,a freshman from
Mississippi, whose name we always as
pirated and made him "Hoss Claiborne"
tho same gentleman who many years after
| had an office of honor with my
friend Gov. Foote, had "a ftlrlough" from
college duties for one month. They had a
batch of us up; and We concocted a story,
about half truth and the balance-well, no
matter-and we we're all to tell the same
story, and stick to it. The Faculty sus-
pended US, they said, on our own showing,
but we found out afterwards that some the
fellows had thrown stones at one of the
DrOfassOTs who was anvinU us ont at sOma Of