The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-01-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.


THE BEGINNING OF THE SOCIAL sRAsoN.-
THE FASHIONABLE AMUSEMENT AT TIN
CAPITOL.-A COMPOUND OF MANY SIM
PILES, BUT CHIEFLY OF DANCING .-GEN.
ERALS GRANT, SHERMAN AND BANKS Aa
DANCBRs.-WHo, HOW, wHEN, WHERE,
AND WHY TEEY ALL DANCE.
To the Editor Of the Morristown dAsettsi
With the beginning of the new year
the social season, as it is called, will be
fairly opened in Warrington. Many
members of Congress who have been
hSme during the holidays will return
with their families, and maay othera,
uaconnected with official or public life,
but to whom wealth brings the means,
will come from distant city and town to
enjoy the gsyetY and excitement that
n season at the capital affords and
which will continue from the hrst OF the
new year until the Goth of February, the
commencement of Lent.
Much may be said for and against the
way Ia which those who set the social
fashion spend their time. Our way Of
pretending to enjoy ourselves is not Pc
culiarIy American, but like Jacques
melancholy, a compound of many sam.
pies, French, English, German, and
Heathen-of which dancing is the chief.
In Washington nearly everybody and
hex husband dances, in spite of age, dig
mites, and rheumatism. General Grant,
during his presidency was seen on more
than one occasion TO tread o measure
with ease and grace. General Banks
goes through the square dances with q
gait half military, but with a technical
skill that has for its explanation the fact
that long before he was Governor of
Massachusetts, Speaker of the House Of
Representatives, or General in the Ar
my, he was teacher of the TerpeschO-
FeSn srt. General Sherman bearing .
slight rheumatism, which gives him q
peculiar stringhalt step, may be always
seen in the evolutions of the ball
room, and always with a young and
pretty partner. am told that he is also
q proficient in those round dances
against which Mrs. Sherman one year
ago welded hsr pen, hnt in the matter
of round dances, l do not speak from
| observation. 1t must not be supposed
however that there are no dignified ex-
ceptions. There are some who do not
dance, at least not publicly. never
heard OF Mr., EFaFts daRGilg. Judge
Senator David Davis is toe heavy TO
dance, but Speaker Randall is not.
/ believe the American habit OF dane
ing comes not from 8 passionate love Of
the amusement, nut is persisted in be-
cause no great leaders Of ton have the
genius to invent sHY thing better to do.
Among the elite in European cities the
men are accomplished. while the women
are domestic and slightly accomplished.
With us, women have oil the accom-
plishments and men are valued only fog
their capacity for success taat 10 for
their ability to make money. The .e-
suit is that in every social circle, while
the ladies' may be able to contribute
music and to talk iptelligently, and even
brilliantly, on variety Of subjects. the
gentlemen, with their exclusively utili.
tartan education, are unable TO hold the
foil upon which all real conversation de-
pends. There may of course be deli
cious inteTchanges of kindred thought
between two hearts that beat, etc, etc,
but these interchRnges are sOciable only
to limited and exclusive degree, con-
cluding in prolonged OnomAtopsS, aud
they belong to the province Of romance,
not to the domain Oflegitimate converse
tiOn. The dancer is man or woman Of
action rather than of ideas, and dancing
is common democratic plane TO which
the etherially minded can condescend,
and on which the heavy witted find a
course stimulant 10 that esthetic life
which is not quite extinct in even the
gFessest Of men Rnd women. Il 10 need
less to despair in this morning pf P new
year because the world hiss not been re-
formed in day, and we will be leas dis
posed to take a morsse and gloomy view
Of modern amusements when We remem-
Der that our fSre-fathsrs' ideal Of happi.
pess, ? few centuries ago, was to nght
~ day and s9llHEk arllHnk MI aighss 70