, 1876-03-10

UaT.
N1c Fork Tribune.
For tho first timo iu this city aince Washing
toms dny, u il is believed tho gcnuino ,n1,.trt
d. Ii cour was danced Tuesday night ut tho
Academy Of Music in tho cause Of charity. 1t
opened tho ball, Is It dill in tho dars Of tho
illustration Of tho mir.uot by twonty Or moro
young people, wlo h1vo been practicng its
tntricacics diligently for siio last month. What
paeacs current by tho nnino Of the mnuee In tho
dancing academies Of thib and other cities III
ousJ q quadriIlc with tho flavor OF tue stately
osd-time dapco whose name 1t has appropriated.
Properly, tho minuet is dinccd only III couples,
as arc tho galop aud waltz aud otbor round
dances of tho prUecnt day, tho cheaper curraDcy
which has dttven ont Of .leo tho better Hterling
colonial days. Thero lives in Germantown,
PennByavauia ailves-haired old lady, boru over
2 hundred years ago. namet 1lTs. Margaret
DoggB, who, at ono Of tho conttlT private as-
Bemh!aEcs Of that era, led sha minuot with Waefi-
ington, and FROM her it IL possible to learn tho
manner OF tho genuine n,i'tn'e de Ia cour without
sesostlag to tho libraries. Ths occasion wns q
teo-pa1tT Ut abont twenty guesta, OF which
evening . satin dress with Long trail.-so long,
in fact. that in entotiug tho house it WAS neces-
shry for her ma!dB to come bohiud and lift it %
ehe walked. Her hair was arranged in front
her shoulders, and was Ill powdered. after tho
pretty colonial fashion. Washington led her By
Tho band 10 tho door. Tho music was slow and
diguilcd, Almost cho.sl In It's cbnrncter. After
q. profound sriutation to the company. thrco
s'ow stops forward wc1o taken, followed by an
equally grnye salutation 70 each other. At this
point modern socigty girl would llayo laughed,
but thero was no laughing with the dtgnGed
NAshlngton. After tho reverence the young
lady Was led 10 her plnce by tho baud. There
then began o series of slow, graceful ovolutons
BY which the imaginative old French masters
who perfected this dance tntonded to represent
the varying relations OF two uewly-formod ao-
quniutances to each other Ill good society. At
tiIleh tho patspers Worc ten PAGES apart. Ihoy
would pass each ether gracefully but Eravety
two or tl.ee times as though reluctant to meet;
then advance slowly With q snile, and Join
hauds; then coquetiishIy retire, still facing and
absolutely turn nway from each other; nt.lnlato-
j. however, advancing with sn'ito and joining
both hands, and returning to their places. It
NAs III this manner that tue mlnuet W8s danced
at the Academy Of Music.
The memory Of this old amusement has been
kopt nlire through various Causes, an1 at times
tho danco has socmed on tue point Of returning
to public favor. Thirty yekEa ago In the Capl-
tails Of Europe there wore decided symptoms of it.
1t was danced at Vienna and at London a,t, oiso.
tl.ls country 1t las been taught at baltimore. In
Western New York. ut boston. ThIaaelphia,
Now York, and elsewhere. About ten years Aso
cotorie OF young people enterpzibingly Ut
additional charm to Tho private entertainment of
wealthy GeptlemAn Of this city. Something by
tho nams Of the nnuot iB daucod In the hcade-
mica OF instructions hero every winter, sud ouly
QUO Of tho features Of tho evenings pleasures at
an asselnblagc Of young dovosoos Of fashion on
Fiftlsayenno. Two Yosrs ago, something by tho
name Of the 1ninuet was also brought ont upon
the Stage, ag will bo remembered by everybody
who saw 't:rAe School for scandal" at Ito Filth
Asenua Theatre. That sterling dsama uAa
illuminated By g dance having solne OF the et6p8
Of tho miuuot and followed by the rapid gayotte,
fnsioua whlrl that sometimes waa allowed 10
supplement tho gEayer figures az tho later iig
concluded the quadtlle It will bo soon, there
fore, that for thirty years theirs has boeu Hou,e
promise Of revival Of tho fayotite dance Of our
great Grandmothers; aud. waiting lika Electra
IN the I'D tale for tho return OF Ureates IN olI
Tue glory Of hi. anciont name. the daacing.
masters OF the county hAyo bson anticipating
for years that the noxt seaaon surely would 6e8
the installation OF tho minuet u 8 positive
feature Of private gatherings for amusement IN
good society. Until tho present Moneht how.
oYor, nothing {las been visible Of tho wando1or-
cest4iuly noshtngl really to justify tho hopes OF
tho Professors.
II would not be strange, however. II society
iu ono OF its whYward freaks took up the old
dance again. Tue great grandmothols Who are
still surviving SAW the En'nuot depart With pow
dercd hair, long trains, and oll-faahiono1
country gentlcmeu. Tho tiules are again chang
inK'-in fact hhvo changed ln grand soclal a.
6e.nblAKes toilets arc woral tlat do not coulport
well With ranla moslon aud do not appear 70
their best advantage IN tho fsyorito dances Of
society. The spirit Of tho ago csostcs = pasuion
for the waltz. Ealop and sedowa. A. It Il put
by Qrafulla, who surveys tho bathroom with
Veterans eYe, "oyo1ythipg IL now yoloopade."
It cannot long remain so With tho fashion Of
Wearing elaborate aud beautiful costumes at tho
ball And 1t III questionable whesher tho dignity
and proprety of grand balls ~ good society
t,x.1 T,rcratAf hy fBiHtf0iuCluN
such dAucss az tie u,,nuot. and vhetAor they
would not really bo moro enjoyable