Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1873-04-19
A Javanese Dance.

! The evening the regent conducted us
to the private palace, in which his family
reside. Apologizing tor his wife's alb,
sence by reason of indisposition, he
placed us in the centre of spacious and
lofty hall, softly lighted with tinted
globe lamps, and graced with a curious
medley of portraits of European cele.
brities-among them the Prince OF
Wales, the Queen of the Netherlands,
Jenny Lind, and Lola Montez. We
were the only gussts. A band of twenty.
five native musicians was stationed on
the porch. Hundreds of the peasantry
Bandong crowded the guard in front.
The musicians played, in low tone, a
recitative accompaniment. Soon after
this began, four "bayaderes, one after
the other, glided into the room, with a
movement in harmony with the music
They were apparently eighteen years ot
age, and had that golden" complexion
which in the East is the highest type
of beauty. The regent explained that
the bayadere' amusement was derived
from the ancient Hindoos The cos.
tune of the performers has the same
origin. 1t consists of a long, scant
scarlet skirt, fastened above the waist,
and falling in folds quite over the bare
feet. A stiffened band of scarlet and
gold, ten inches wide, is drawn tightly
about the waist, fitting just under the
shoulder-blades, leaving the arms and
shoulder-blades, leaving the arms and
shoulders entirely bare. The mOnturt
was a FURNISHED helmet. Wondering At
this barbaric magniffcence, Mr.. Seward
asked the regent whether the helmet
was gilded. He quickly answered in
Javanese, that not only the helmet, but
also the heavy girdle, the bracelets, and
anklets, were of solid gold and added
in English, california. Three ballets
were performed it was not difficult tC
understand hespirit Of each. The first
gay and joyous, represented nuptial
ceremony; the second, energetic and
vigorous a battle with ambuscade, sur.
prise, struggle, and victory; the third,
deep-toned and measured, a funeral.
pageant. The dancing consisted of slow
and varied postming and extravagant
gesticulation, te~the broken and imper.
ecttime of the wildmusic The "baya.
deres" were not the only performers Of
the evening. There were two dwarfs,
the eldest thirty years old, well pro.
portioned and agile, and counterpart
of Tom Thumb. In the other, the
peculiar Malay figure and features were
exaggerated to absolute deformity The
regent took especial delight in this ius'ts
nature, and laughed immoderately y at
the little creatures big head and handy
legs. We, who at home are more panied
than pleased by the exhibitions of Gen
eral Tom Thumb and his Liliputian
wife, could not symathize here with the
barbarian prince. 1t was with difficulty
that we suppressed or disgust when the
pitiable dwarfs We're put forward as
harlequins in the historical pantomimes
which the "bayaders" We're executing.
Dwarfs here remain the same impor.
tant personages they were in European
courts three hundred years ago. We
ought to have mentioned that the Radhe
Adepathe maintains seven of them.
The performance of the night had a
very pleasing interlude. While the
artiStes were resting in the intervals,
the guard at the door opened the way
to chorus of peasants. They executed
a grotesque dance, which gave unbound.
ed delight, not only to ourselves, but to
the unbidden native spectators outside.
In the midst of this diversion, two chill.
dren of the regent, girls of four and five,
and very small, came in with their at.
tendants, dressed in queenly satan robes
and jewels. He presented them to us
with manifest pride, and, although they
trembled during the ceremony they
performed their little parts with all the
formality of women. -SeOard'S 7ropels
A CELEBRATED singer, Madame LII
Rochois, was giving to younger com
panion in art some instruction in the
tragic character of Medea, which she
was about to sustain. Inspire yoursell
with the situation, said she, fancy your
self in the poor woman's place, If yoU
were deserted by lover whom you ad
mired, what would you do? The re
ply was as unexpected as it was ingeni
ous: II should look out for another.
LITTLE Jenny T., is five years old
Her uncle gave her doll. Jenny cher
ished her doll with all mothers care
The other day she was nursing it oI
her knees she started suddenly, th'
doll fell, and the head was broken off
Jenny was overcome with grief at thi
misfortune, and looked aghast at th,
poor headless doll; then raising he
eyes, she said, with sigh of resigna
tion, "Another little angel in heaven.
INTEhnECr in weak body is like golt
in spent swimmers pocket,--the rich
er he would be, under other circum
stances, by so much the greater hi
danger now WassOn.