Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-03-01
Our Society Letter.
ROCKVILLE, Feb. Goth, 1873.

ROCKVILLE, Feb. 26ih, 1878.
Mr.. Editor u went TO the Galhersburg
dance il had been so long since attended
real large party that nothing shor! of a
deluge could have kept me away. When
got there went skipping up fight of stairs
aud suddenly stepped into large room brill
lianlIy lighted, and the floor MS slippery as Il
glacier. Two or three times during the night
was in danger of breaking my precious neck,
and once was whirled around By a terps
chorean giant aud sent flying up against the
wall with sufficient force to leave me breathless
for an hour. had not been long there before
the hall was inconvenienlly filled With the in
viied guests, and one of the floor managers
called ont with voice that could be rivaled
only by the locomotive whistle OF an express
train, "Take your partners for q quadrile
My partner quickly led me on the hoor aud
| was soon galloping-for you know | can't
dance-through the lively figures. generally
lrot, but soon found out that if | kept up
with the music there would have to travel
with a faster-what good chance for ''Valen-
tine to make Il sarcastic pnn-gait. The music
was Just splendid so enlivening and exciting
that it would have made a paralytic dance
And how some of the young gentlemen did
enjoy it, Their clumsiness wouldn't permit
them to keep up, and, poor fellows, they
would nearly break their hearts trying 10 fol-
low their partners. saw one Of them tear
every ladies train in the set with him, trying
TO catch his partners hand, which she held
out like a ianializing will-o-the-wisp in front
of him, as she fitted around the floor. 1t was
the first good laugh have enjoyed for some
time. And | laughed, not like some persons
who laugh al dances by turning on the full
capacity of their lungs TO attract attention,
but with one of those quiet, inward satisfnc-
tory laughs that bubbles up from the heart
with a sort o. gurgliug ecstasy
! suppose there were about hundred per-
sons present and nearly all of them dancing
so you can readily imagine the jam there
must have been on the floor. Outside of this
Que drawback everything was as pleasant as
one could wish The floor managers, MesSrs.
| Suter and Hunter were as kind and attentive
as they could be, and managed The floor with
a skill and success that deserved a great deal
of praise As is generally The case the dancers
from Rockville far out-numbered those from
any other section, and like true devotees Of the
charming amusement, were always found re-
spending to music. Jamestown and Gath
ersburg furnished, suppose, as many as they
could. There was not quite as much beauty
MS | expected to see, but, nevertheless there
were several very pretty young ladies in the
room. II was the general opinion that Miss
jenkins, of Baltimore, very handsome blonde,
stylishly and handsomely dressed, would have
won lue Cake II one nau Ueen VOleU 10 the pref
,iest lady. | should have voted for LENA,
and believe there was one Young gentleman
with whom nobody else would dance except
myself, would have voted the same ticket
Whether ! would have received any more votes
don't know. Next to Miss jenkins and my
self, Misses Chopper and Riggs, according TO
my estimation of female beauty, eclipsed any
one else in the room. If any lady dsagrees
with my opinion have very correct looking
glass that will lead her until she discovers
her mistake.
About twelve O'Clock nice sandwiches and
that very delicious and invigorating beverage
called coffee were handed around A percep-
ible change was at once apparent in the
spirits Of all, and the dance was renewed with
increased vgor, and was necessarily continued
until morning. | returned home about six
o clock, feeling sleepy, but well satisfied with
the nights entertainment. ! never attended
II party where found more real enjoyment
and it was well worth the loss of night 8
rest.
I've come to the conclusion that Gaiihersburg
is good for dances, Mechaniesville and Brooke
vile for lectures and festivals and Rock vile
is good for going to all three places because ii
has nothing OF the kind at home.
LENA