Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-08-27
Communications.
Saratoga Letter.
RIVAL QUEENS.

South The buildings are in decay. Ana
there is no A. T. Stewart TO embellish the
grounds and adorn them with palaces Iike
the "Grand Union" Its natural adyanla-
ges are superior to those Of Saratoga, and
when the South shall have money TO lavish
upon her idol, she will be the peerless OF
the Northern Queen.
Saratoga was never more beautiful or
popular than now. 1t Is the joy of the rlch
and the poor of the learned and the inlet
tered. Hero millionares may spend their
thousands per week, and here the hard
worked school teacher and the stinted
preacher for 81 orss per week, may see all
the glories and get all the healing virtues
that abound.
HOME AND COMPANIONS.
Your correspondent, with some one hum
dred others, finds a charming home in
private boarding house near the center OF
the town. AT one time eighteen Of the
guests were cergymen of various sects.
Each morning the parlors are filled with
company assembled for worship. a Uni
tartan lady from Vermont, or Catholic
lady from &c. Carolina presides at the pi-
ano, while Blptists, Methodists, and Con-
gregatonalists join heartily in songs OF
praise to Christ.
The Baptist clergy are quite well repre-
scented in town. Drs. Arnold and Good
speed of Chicago are here. SO also is Dir.
Anderson of Brooklyn, DIR. Corey of Utica,
Dir. Hopper Of Bridgeport, DIR. Eaton OF
Keene, and Reys. f. b. Palmer of n. j.,
J. II. Pratt Of Syracuse, and Jas Goodman
Of Chicago.
IN THE TIGERS CAGE.
a father was calling his son to account
for some youthful vanity. The son defend
ed himself by alleging that his reprover in
his youth had been guilty of the same in
discretion. The father admitted the inn
peachmeut but declared that he had seen
the folly of such a course. The young
hopeful closed the argument by declaring
that he wanted TO see the folly of it too.
To see the folly of gambling, like DIR. Guy
Ter and others, we made visit TO John
Morrissey's Club House. The furnishings
surpass any we ever saw. We were es-
pecially struck by the decorum which pre-
vailed, and by the appearance OF the men
who ihronged about the tables. a dea-
Not an oath or loud voice was heard. Men
stood or sat at the tables, and lost or won
generally LOST five, ten or fifty dollars,
and rarely a word escaped their lips. And
they were not the typical gamblers we ex-
pected TO see. They were not tall, black
eyed, black -moustached, bare-throated,
ferce-loOking men. They might have
been taken for a section of the Bankers
Convention which has been in session here.
They were mostly young or middle-aged
men, smooth-shaven and not 1ashily dress
ed. The presiding genius at the gaming
tables, who raked in the money OF the bet
tiers SO steadily and passed it back so scan
lily, was a gray-haired, thin, pleasant-fa-
ced man, whom almost any one would
guess" was a New England deacon on his
way to prayer meeting If they should meet
him on the street. Morrissey himself was
sitting in the parlor OF the "Club House"
conversing cordially with several most re-
spectacle democrats from northern New
York, who would not care to have their
names given. Truly "Politics makes
strange bed-lellows." 1t is said that Nor
rissey does not gamble. Why should he7
u
house. 1t pays better TO rake in the piles
Of others than to have your pile raked in
by others. We came away impressed with
the idea that gambling is Il more serious
evil, and is palronized by a better class of
people than We supposed.
GARDEN PARTY HOPS.
The Grand Union has just Introduced an
English novelty. The beautiful grounds
OF the Hotel were covered with croquet
sets, and swings, with carpets for the chill
dren, and floors for dancers, with refresh
ment-tables, and scattered seats. The win.
dows and balconies looking upon the
grounds, from three sides, were hung 10
gayest cOlors. The children were arrayed
in their brightest dresses, and older PEG.
pie did not wear their Quaker suits. There
were hurdle and sack races by the boys
and dancing under the trees to the liveiest
of music. On the whole it was quite
novel affair. We agree with John Paul
however, that these afternoon hops are a
great improvement on the midnight dan
ces in close rooms, especially for children.
If children must be hoppers let them be
grasshoppers and go to bed early. Dancing
seems 10 be the rage and passion of Sarato
ga. When the Shah Of Persia saw the
Prince of Wales come painting and perspi-
ring from dance he said TO him, "Why
don't you have your servants do your
dancing? We think as we see the wilted
collars and limp dresses of the Saratoga
dancers, that tho Shah's question was most
sensible and pertinent. Aud we never
saw the Jolly of dancing as we have seen it
here in some of the so-cdlled Ground dan
ces." In our Academic days we puzzled
over the question OF squaring the circle.
The question which puzzles us now is,
whether the tendency is for round dances
TO become square or for square dances to
become round? We suspect the tendency
is downwards, that the inclination is to clip
corners, that "parlor dancing" when it is
finished brings forth the moral death of
round dancing But we are on dangerous
ground, ground where many faithful
preacher has been tripped and upset. Dis.
erection is The better part of valor. We drop
the pen and flee to Martha's Vineyard.
He who writes and runs away
Lives to write some other day."
l.. J. NJ.
Saratoga Springs, Aug. 9th, 1875.
NEW PUBLICA TONS.