The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-08-30

A MOONLIGHT Observation-Disclosures OF
TERPs1CHoRE.-The Terpsichorean Club
had its second rural entertainment in the
grove near Fort Defiance depot on Tuesday
night, which, like the preceding one, was
very brilliant success. Superintendent Wood
ward, OF the Valley road. had placed two of
the most elegant coaches of the company at
the disposal of the party, and the command
was assigned, OF course, to Capt. Smith,
whose deserved popularity among host of
acquaintances makes his presence and super
vision indispensable to the success of plea
sure party. By o'clock the youth and
beauty, in pairs, began to congregate about
the depot, and soon the cars were filled with
the enthusiastic and merry crowd. A suffi :
Gent number of chaperones in the persons
of staid mammas and middle-aged aunts ac-
companed the expedition to enforce an OBJ
servance of the proprieties, and IN this they
were ably assisted by the powerful double
reflector Of the locomotive, which, being re-
versed, poured its full flood of searching
light through the remotest corners of the
coaches, and blghted the very first blossom
of Irritation. The run to Fort Defiance
was made in very few moments, and soon
the glare of coal oil, and walked briskly
through the grove to the platform where the
varied hues of the transparencies met and
mingled with the tenderer radiance of the
stars. Here the shrine of the light-footed
goddess had been erected, and high en-
throncd sat Kountz and his compeers, who
greeted The votaries with a burst of melody
such as f1oated over fair Helicon "when the
gods were young" and Apollo and his golden
hair and harpstring were the reigning fea-
lures in polite O)ympian society. Not
moment was lost in preliminary tuning or
extending Of feline contents, bat the legiti-
mate work of the evening was at once en-
tered upon with s'zeal and fidelity.'' The
removal OF busters from the exquisite pro.
portions Of many of the gentlemen disclosed
number of spike-tails and even lavender
kids Of pale and delicate tint. which sudden
development of full drcss'' had quite de-
pressing and lowering influence on !sone of
the bob-tailed or long skrted members of
the party, and they were at once consigned
to back seats and the square dances. These,
however, were very fairly interspersed, and
the round dances were by no means a mono
poly. The scene at 10 o'clock was pictu-
rescue to degree that beggars the stylus to
point. The exquisite charm of the sur.
roundings-tiie dense green OF the forest
and the myriad of twinkling lights-the
long train lying near, with its windows
dimly Illuminated and cleaning like huge
cobra among the verdure, and the moon
lifting its full and astonished face above the
eastern mountains, as though marveing, too,
at this specta Gle Of fairy splendor--all made
picture far above the pen Of the groyelng
local to paint. The perfection of the dane
ing, the beauty of the ladies, the incompara
Bile grace and glowing knishtliness of the
men, and the generally celestial and alto
gether incompatible and indescrbable ex-
cellence of everything makes one feel that
somehow or other this meonlit grove is the
very place of all places where the pious
Stauntonian would want to 90 when he dies.
At l. o'clock the scene was still picturesque,
but not in a high degree sentimental. The
moon and the transparencies now poured
their united effulgencc down Oh eager and
hungry groups and rifed lunch baskets.
The icy stateliness OF Clara We're de We're
thawed out in the presence of a chicken leg,
and the chivalric poise of Sir Arthur fell be-
fore the seductions of a foot and half OF
beef tongue, while they elbowcd each osher
like peasants in the rush for the biggest
piece
Again vas the light fantastic resumed,
and now the chaperones called for slawls
and began to yawn. The music still pulsed
on the air, and the walters whirled IN their
dizzy rounds. The moon climbed higher
and the dews fell softly, but the tide Of bliss
flowed on and couldn't be stopped. Pa
thetic cries from sleep-heayy chaperones
went up for Captain Smith. "Oh, do blow
the whistle, Captain, and take us no me,''
was the plaintive cry of many mothers
heart as the hours crept on to the beat of
oDiauHo HlueiC anu liie IhoiHiiiS Stitf uurileu
brightly. AT last the summons yearned for
by the mother and hated by the daughter
broke upon the air, and the shrill scream of
the locomotive mingled with the sympho-
MES OF Kountz. Slowly the reluctant dancers
went their way back. and the train moved
briskly away. Three o'clock found the
grove deserted, while silence and night were
permitted to hang their vestments around it,
and the old Fort church. whose ancient,
gray and ivy covered walls had all these
hours been echoing back the unhallowed
notes OF fidlling, was given over to its
solemn rest