The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The BEGINNING # ha socjoi scoSoa. 7He trSh.
sonaGie 0m'Stn'em 1t ne Copi'h 4 cDm.
pOHHd IF many simples, bur chjgly danc("g
GencyaLs Grant, !She,moa, 0nd BoaksaS dqac-
erS. VIE, ho@, ,chea ~here, dnR uhy Mey
at aimee.
tFrorn oar regular Correspondcnt)
With tie ncginnlng OF lhr New Year, the
social season tt, it is called, will hc fairly open
III Washington Many members OF Congress
who have been home during the holidays all
re- urn with their families and many others,
unconneGIed with official or publ life hut
l. whom wealth brings the uI,als, vii! come
from distant cities and towns to enjoy the ga.c.
ty anu excitement that It season at the Capital
affords; ana which Viii continue from the first
OF the New Year 10 the 2Glh Of February, the
commencement Of Lent.
Much may be said tor and against the way
/ which thos, wno set the social fashion
spend their time. Our way Of pretending to
enjoy ourselves is not peculiarly American,
hut like Jar4u,s' melancholy, Il compound OF
many smples, French English, German and
Hcathen-of which dancing is the chief. In
Washington nearly Z, cry body and her husband
dances IN spite OF age, mites and rhulno.
G,m. General GRAFT, On more than oneoccasipn
during his presidency was seen 10 tread
the measure with ease and grace. General
b INKS goes thr' ugh the square dances with
gait halt military nut with technical skill
that has for its explanation that long before
he WAS Governor Of Massachusetts,, Speaker of
the House Of Representatives, or General in
the Army lie was Il teacher Of the terpsicho.
2 N art. General Sherman, barring u slight
rh lnctisln which give, him peculiar string.
hat gait, Ii be always seen in the hall room,
ID always " h young and pretty partner.
! am told that he is also proficient in those
round d tnces against which Mrs. Sherman
one year ago welded her pen, but in the mat.
ter OF round dances do not speak from obser-
valol. 1t must not be supposed thu there are
u" ulgnitied exceptions. There are some who
do not dance, at least not publicly. never
heard of Dir. Evalts dancing. Judge Senator
David Davis is too heavy to dance, but speak.
G Landau Is not
believe thai the American habit Of dancing
comes no, from passionate love of the amuse.
m ut, but Il peas s,d in because no great lead.
els OF ton have the genius to invent any thing
b Tier Ia do. Among the elite of European
'its the men are accomplished, while the
women are domestic and slightly accJm.
pllshcd. With liz women have all the accom-
pli>hmcnts and men are valued only for their
capacity, that is their ability TO make money.
The result Is that in every social circle, while
the ladies may be able to contribute music and
TO talk intel gently. and even brilliantly, on
variety of su, jecs, the gentlemen, with their
uIilitar an education, are unable to- hold ihc
fpl upon which all real conversation depends
There may oi course he delicious intcrchangcs
of kindr, thoughts between two hearts that
b al eli, etc. hut thcst. ntcrrh, nges are socia.
bic only to limited an6 exclusive degree,
concluding in prolonged ,nomatupes, and
they belong To The province oi romance, NOT To
the domain of legitimate conversation The
dancer Is man or woman of action rather
than of Ide t.. and dancing j. Il common dem.
orralic plane To- which the eiheraly minded
can condr>cend and on which Tie heavy Wit.
ind Il coarse stimulant Ia that aesthetic If,
which lis not quite extinct in even the grosse,l
men and women. 1t is needless To despair IN
TINS morn ne Of new year IL Cause The world
has not Jeen reformed in day, and we will IL
less disposed 10 take a morOse and gloolay
view of modern amuscments when We remem
Ter that our f"Tctahere' ideal of happiness. u
few centuries ago was 10 fight all day and
drink ali night. CAS-.