Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-28
Il. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor
THE DANCE OF DEATH.
What Prompted Mrs. General sher.
mans Recent Letter.


A letter of Mrs. General Sher-
man, which was published in the
LEDGER of yesterday, warmly ap-
plauding the motive and execution
Of a San Francisco work entitled
" The Dance of DEATH" by William
Herman, has had such wide circu-
lation in the press that perhaps our
readers may be interested in the
following extract from the work
itself, purporting to describe "the
dance of DEATH" " to-wit, the ball
room waltz:
But harkl the music strikes up ;
the dancing is about to begin. You
and do not dance; we withdraw
to an adjoining room and take a
hand at cards.
The hours 90 swiftly by and still
we play on. The clock strikes two;
the card-players are departing. But
the strains of the distant music
have been unceasing the game
does not flag in the ballroom. You
have not seen a dance since your
youth, you say, and then only the
rude gambols of country-folk ; you
would fain see before you 90 how
tAe danes and damsels of gentler
breeding acquit themselves.
The dance is at its height; we
could not have chosen better time
to see the thing in its glory.
AS we approach the door Of the
ballroom the music grows louder
and more raviShing than ever; no
confusion Of voices mars its deli
cious melody; the only sounds
heard beneath its strains are a low
swish and rustic as of whirling
robes, and light but rapid and in
cessant shutting of feet. The dull
element has gone home those who
remain have better work to do than
talking. We push the great doors
asunder and enter.
Hal the air is hot and heavy here:
it breathes upon us sensuous gusts
of various perfumes. And no won
der. A score of whirling, scented
robes stir it into fragrance. How
beautiful But you look again, my
friend. Ah, | forgot; these are not
the rude country folks of your
youth. You are dazzled, bewilder-
ed. Then let me try to enliven
your dull senses with description
Of what we see.
A score Of forms whirl swiftly
before us under the softened gas.
light, | say a score of forms-but
each is double-they would have
made two score before the dancing
began--twenty floating visions
each male and female-twenty wo-
'men knit and growing to as many
men, undulate, sway and swirl gid
Oily before us, keeping time with
the delirous melody Of piano, harp
aud violin.
But draw nearer. Let us see how
this miracle is accomplished. DO
you mark yonder tall couple, who
seem to excel the rest in grace or
ardor? Do they not make a picture
which might put a soul under the
ribs Of Death? Such must have
been the sight which made Speusip.
pas incontinently rave, go, admir-
able; 0, divine Panareta! Who
would not admire her, who would
not love her, that should but see her
dance as did? 0, how she danced,
how she tripped, how she turned,
With what a gracel Felix qui Pan
areta frniturl 0, most imcompar.
able, lovely Panaretaw Let us take
this couple for a sample. He is stall
wart, agile, mighty; she is tall, sup
pie, 1.-THE, and how beautiful in
form and featured Her head rests
upon his shoulder, her face is up
turned to his; her naked arm is al
most around his neck; her swelling
breast heayes tumultuously against
his; face to face they whirl, his
limbs interviewer with her limbs;
with his strong right arm about her
yielding waist, he presses her to him
till every curve in the contour Of
her lovely body thrills with the
amorOuS contact. Her eyes look