Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-26

room was neither papered nor plastered. The
| brown color of the native pine showed in all
its virgin innocence. But there was an abun-
dance of candles. Candles, candles every
where, spluttering, kissing, making them
selves into puddes of tallow An immense
lantern was suspended from the ceiling two
others hung over the front door.
There were some wooden benches arranged
about the sides Of the room, where sat the
expectant guests The orchestra" sat in
the upper part of the room. It consisted of
one man and a fiddle. A bucket of water
stood on the floor beside the orchestra, with
a tin cup on the floor within easy reach.
Jim whispered 10 me as we entered the
room 81 reckon we'd better make up with
Jake. He won't like it if we don't"
Jake 2" / asked, 'who is he ?"
'The fiddler" Jim replied, at the same
time leading me up TO the orchestra. The
form of introduction was the one prevalent
in that primitive region. It consisted of a
sort of flourish on Jim's part, accompanied
| by an incoherent rumble of words that might
have been Sanscrit for all one could under
stand.
To this formula the gallant Mr.. Robinson
responded by peculiar kind Of a shuttle with
both feet, and declaration THAT it's as good
as going to niger supper to see ye here to-
night" This was intended as highly com
plimentary remark, though to the uninitiated
it might sound rather horid
Jim and l now took our places on the
benches. "Mr. Robinson" gave his fiddle
preparatory tuning up. Then called out
Take your gals for big square !" Jim
nervously remarked "Mebbe we hadn't bet
ter gine in till next time" agreed with him
as TO the propriety of waiting and then gave
| myself up to the pleasure of watching my fell
low creatures tread the may"
Mr.. Robinson's manner of calling the fig
ures was unique He would say "Scrape
to your partners Now cirkylate round this
hall Throw yourselves to pieces Dosy-
ballynet Bally-netty all Cirkylate around
| this hall Grab your partner tighter All
lemonade Allemady left Now cirkylate
around this hall once more and swing the
gal behind you !"
These calls were all delivered TO the tune of
''The girl left behind me, which tune was
being vigorously evolved from the fiddle"
The guests were now all on their good be-
havior.
'Just you wait an hour or two," said Sary
Jane to me, ''and ef you don't see some Of
them fellers git up and git"
just at the close of the cotillon young la
dy entered the room. She paused at the
door in order to make her presence manifest,
and then cried out in very audible tones
Law sakesl l hope nobody don't think
| I'm comm late to make a stir!" OF course
everybody then looked at her, as she fully in
tended them to do. She wore light green
dress, very short in front. In fact It was alb.
| breviated to such an extent that her stockings
were plainly visible, as they coyly peeped
| over the tops of her shoes. But the back
| breAdths of her dress elongated themselves
| into train. This train gave a superior ele-
| gance to her attire, shared by no other lady
| present. She fully felt the importance of
that trail as she swept up the room with a
| band box in her arms.
Stopping directly in front of Jim and me,
she asked in stage whisper where the dress
ing room was. The request reached the ears
of our host. Don't be putin on airs, Rim
| dy," cried he; ''you know amt got no sich
| a French condition to my house as a dressin'-
room. You'll have to do like the rest of 'em,
an yank of yer things in here" After few
preliminary giggles, and oh, she nevers, the
| fair guest retired TO a corner of the room be-
hind somebody and made the desired altera-
tions in her toilet. She emerged presently
| with huge scarlet bows pinned on various
| parts of her dress skirts one on her hair and
another with long streamers futtered coquet-
tishly from her shoulder.
"Thst there gal is Clorindy Baker" whis-
pered Sary Jane. "She's been shinin' up to
Jim for "a long time. But she's madder'n
nopS cause ne 1etcneu you.
II such was the case, anger did not impede
Clorinda's power of locomotion. Her long
train went floating through the mazes of the
| dance like light green comet. The futter-
ing ribbon streamers were as conspicuous as
the plume of Henry Of Navarro. Here, there,
everywhere. Down the middle and up again.
Ladies' chain and grand right and left
Where the battle was thickest, there waved
the ribbons.
Clorinda's escort was Abe Crocket, from
Sandy Ridge. His "get up" was pronounced
the height of elegance by the popular voice.
'Abe is the fanciest dresser in the whole
kit of boys" remarked Sarah Jane. He wore
a suit of ready made clothes, scarlet cravat
tied in an immense bow, and large breast
pin, very white and shiny, but which the
most superficial observer could not mistake
| for a diamond. His hair was plentifully oiled
and brushed up in a curl at the top of his
head, and the bottoms of his pantaloons
were rolled up in what was considered a very
dashing manner by the aborigines. How he
did dance Every skip was foot high from
the floor, and this, found, was the requisite
| for good dancer. This was equally tr-e of
the ladies. Clorindy Baker bounded like ~.
| India-rubber ball. She looked with scorn
upon my method 1 head her whisper to
| Abe Crockett, "Pd be ashamed up on the
| floor, eff l couldn't do nothing but slide round
| in that there lazy way"
Determined not to be outdone by anybody,
/ essayed few bounces myself. So admirn-
| bly, did l succeed that Abe told me he knew
town-folks could be as spry as anybody eff
they'd try. And a still greater honor was in
| store for me- At the conclusion of the cotil-
| lon the ''orchestra" came en- masse and asked
me to sling myself in Virginia reel with it.
l saw by the manner of the behOlders that it
was considered a great honor to dance with
Mr.. Robinson.
| 1 wish could do full justice to that reel !
| The orchestra and l stood up at the head of
the long line. Robinson called, the fiddle
screamed 'Ole Virginny never tire" How
we 'do-se- doed" and ''threw ourselvesaway ="
How we balanced and swung, and went up,
and down, and across and through all the
other intricacies of that dance How Robin
son screamed stamped, sung and danced, and
then had time and thought enough left to
| give my hand tender pressure whenever he
| considered the exigencies of the dance re-
| quired it.
| Some of the gentlemen grew so warm with
| the vigorous exercise that they took of their
coats and vests. Our funny Sam also re-
moved his collar and cravat He declared it
was a sight hotter'n a Fourth of July oelebra-
ton, with the fireworks thrown in. And he'd
a great mind to take of his boots and go it
| barefooted.
This witticism was received with great en-
thusiasm. 1t also elected from hts Duloinea
the usual 'Now quit Amt you ashamed,
| Sam Hawkins? ?"
When the reel was concluded, we sat down,
breathless, to supper. had the honor of be-
ing led by Mr.. Crockett to a quiet nook be-
hind the stove. To save room the stove had
been moved close to a window, and the pipe
was run through a broken pane of glass.
There was corner thus cut OF from the
room. And in this comparatively retired
spot we ate our supper The edibles con-
sisted of ham, chicken, doughnuts, and mince
and pumpkin pies As triangular piece of
| pie was passing down Abes throat he inform
ed me (between the gulps) thai Cheeseman
had hired the Widder Bateman and her
daughter Hammer Mari, to come and bake for
the shindig. That's Hammer Mari over there, I"
| 4. ..as,tg., - a d,,m