Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-01-07
lFrom Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

" AZ Sss Dohs AOON'
The only event since the adjournment
Of congress has been the LIST of January,
1880. 1t was marked by the usual recep-
tions official, non official, diplomatic and
military. Every man arrayed himself In
his best clothes and called on the ladies'
wherever they were prepared 10 receive.
The ladies were all dressed most exquisite
ly. and many of them stood under gas
lighted chandeliers, with the blinds of their
parlors closed. Instantaneous photographs
Of the tableaux Of presentation on that
day would be interesting to those who de-
light to study modern manners. and who
discern in bows, and smiles, and dress.
and attitude, the material that is the basis
Of SO much psychological dissertation in
the modern novel.
With the beginning of the New Year the
social season, AS it is called, will be fairly
opened in Washington. Many members
of congress, who have been home during
the holidays, will return with their fami-
lies, and many others, unconnected with
official or puplic life. but to whom wealth
lends means, will come from distant city
and town to enjoy the gaiety and excite
ment that season ut the capital affords.
and which will continue from the first of
tho New Year until the commencement of
Lent.
Our way Of pretending to enjoy our
selves is not peculiarly American, but,
like Jacques melancholy, "a compound of
many simples,' French, English, Ger
man and heathen-of which dancing is
the chief. In Washington nearly every
body and her husband dances. in spite of
age. dignities and rhe umatism. General
Grant, during his presidency, was seen on
more than one occasion to tread measure
with ease and grace. Gen. Banks went
through the square dances with gait
half military, but with a technical skill
that has for its explanation the fact that
long before he WAS governor of Massachu,
sets, speaker of the House of Represen-
talives, or general in the army, he was a
teacher in the Terpsichorean art, General
Sherman. barring slight rheumatism
which gives him peculiar jerking gait,
may be seen in the evolulions of the ball
room, and always with a young and pretty
partner. am told that he is also pro.
ticient in those round dances against which
Mrs. Sherman welded her pen, but in the
matter of round dances | do not speak
from observation. Unjust not be supposed,
however. that there are no dignifed ex
reptons. There are some who do no,
dance, at least not publicly. never heard
of Mr.. Evarts dancing. Judge Senator
David Davis is too heavy TO dance, but
Speaker Randall is not. | believe the
American habit of dancing comes from
passionate love Of the amusement, but is
persisted in because no great leaders of
ton have the genius to invent anything
better to do. Among the elite in European
cities the men are accomplished, while
the women are domestic and only slightly
accomplished. With us, women have all
the accomplishments and men rs rule
are valued only for their capacity to make
money. The result is that in every social
circle, while the ladies may be able to
contribute music and to talk intellgentlv,
and even brilliantly, on n variety of sub
jects, the gentlemen, with their exclusively
utilitarian education, are unable to hold
the foil upon which all real conversation
depends. The dancer is man or woman
of action rather than of ideas, and dane
ing is II common democratic plane to
which the etherially minded condescend,
and on which the heavy wtted find n
coarse stimuant to that asthetic life
which is not quite extinct lin even the
grosscst Of men and women.