The Northern Pacific farmer., 1881-08-04
THAT DANCE AT CHEESEMAN'S.


and looking over the brown fields. with the
rain blottin ont the distant hills, is not an
exhilerahng employment.
So thought one February afternoon
but what else was thers for me to do?
was away in the country, staying, at a
tavern, to use the vernacplar of the in
habitauts.
The rain was increasing. White mists
were rising from the sodden earth.
Even the brown fields became dim
through the shades of the fast coming night
So. now that "Othello's occupation was
gone" turned away feom the window with
sigh
At this opportunc moment Jim Hawkins.
the tavernkeeper's son, came in.
jim was the country Adonis. He was six
feet high and broad in proportion. With
such physique, who can wonder that all
the maidens sighed for him?
But Jim was bashful. The very futter of
apettlcoat was terrifying to him. So I
wasa little surprised when he oame in and
stood before the fire IN the attitude Of a
man who has something to say. l looked
at Jim with quite degree of interest. 1t
was mildly exciting, after my long hours of
loneliness, to meet fellow w-being. So
mentally forgave him for having his panta-
looms tucked in the tops Of his boots, which
were redolent of the stables. Jim looked
at the hoor, the ceiling, in the fire, any,
where but at ME. Then suddenly clearing
his throat with q stento,ian hem" he
plunged into the subject on his mind. Il
thought, meb be, seeing you must be lone
some-h- -e-m!" His voice failed him for
minute. He took off his hat He had
neglected this triaing for,nalitv until now
--gazed rehectively into its depths, found
his lost ideas, and continued, And might
kind o'-like-to," A second suspension
of the voice now took place. This time it
was alaruing. Thought he was strangling.
But presently he came to the surface again
Thought. mebbe, you'd ike-to kind O.
go to Cheeseman's dance to- morrow night.
Without having the faintest idea of who
Cheeseman was, where he lived, how he
looked, or what he did, nevertheless rose
to my feet and accepted with eagerness.
Go to Cheeseman's dancer" OF course I
would. l assured him that never in the
whole course of my existence, had gone
anywhere with the delight / would 60 to
Cheeseman's Tomorrow night. In fact my
thanks were so warm that Jim became
alarmed and fed before them.
The next evening at twilight We might
have been seen-ln fact We were seen en-
route Tor CheeSemaD 8.
Our vehicle was q Studebaker's wagon.
There were three seats in it. Jim's brother
Tom sat on the front seat with his girl.
His cousin Sam sat in the middle seat
with his girl while Jim and sat on the
back seat over the axle.
Tom confined his attention to the horses.
His girl was evidently accustomed to his
saciturnity. She observed to the rest of us
that Toms bein' so still was no discomft-
ment to her, for she could talk for two.
And she soon proved her ability.
Sam considered himself great wag. He
said to me during the first five minutes of
our drive:
Il reckon I'm Just the biggest mischief,
when get started, that you ever seen."
And his efforts for the remainder of the
time Was to make good his assertion.
AS for me the ride was one prolonged
agony. Every jolt of the wagon almost
parted my soul and body, and no man could
describe Jim's sutferings. So great was
his horror of sittingnear me, he perched
himself on the extreme edge of the seat,
at the imminent risk of being preclpitated
in the mud. This modesty called forth
= continual fire of remarks from the funny
Sam. He declared he want afraid of no
gall" Aud exempIifed his couroge by
winding his arm around the wais, of his
Dulcinea and making osculatory demon
strations. Now quit that, Sam Hawkins,
ain't We shamed o. yourself?" she would cry
with giggle. This amused the facetious
youth to such an extent that he made feint
of being ready to roll out of the wagon in
covulsions of merriment. These refled
pleasantries were tortures to Jim; whether
he was afraid like manifestations were ex-
pected OF him, l do not know, but his suf-
fering was so evident that he was an object
of deepest sympathy to me. I was glad We
arrived at the end of our journey.
Cheeseman was bachelor. Cheese
mans house consisted of one large room,
with "lean-to kitchen in the rear
The host stood in the door as we drove
up. Evidently he had been partaking of
something stimulating, for giving vigorous
"whoop-e EEL" when we arrived, he bounded
out to meet us with an eagerness that was
really painful. Tom allowed him to swing
his ASary jane without protest. But
Sam jumped out of the wagon with q NO.
you don't, ole fel, and took his own fair
one with a swing that landed her on the
door step.
In the mean time Jim quickly jumped
from the back of the wagon, and giving me
his hand helped me out before the inebri-
ated Cheeseman perceived his intention.
We hurried into the house. while our
host helped Tom attend to the horses. The
ballroom was neither papered or plaster
ed. The brown color of the native pine
showed in all its vigorous innocence. But
there was an abundance of candles. Can
dies candles eyt rywhere, spiuttering, his.
sing, making themselves into puddles of
tallow. An immense lantern was suspend
ed from the ceiling. two others hung over
the front door.
There were some wooden benches ar.
ranged about the sides of the room, where
sat the expectant guests. Tho "orchestra' -
sat in the upper part of the room. It con-
sisted of one man and fiddle. A bucket
of water stood on the floor beside the or
chestra, with tin cup on the floor within
easy reach.
Jim whispered to me as we entered
the room: II reckon we'd better make it up
with Jake: He won't like it /. We don't"
''Jake?' asked, who is hep"
The fiddler, Jir, replied, at the same
time leading me up to the orchestra. The
form of introduction was the one nrevalent
in that primitive region. It consisted of a
sort of flourish on Jim's part, ACCOMPANIED
by an incohereut rumble Of words that
might have been Sanscrit for all one could
understand.
10 this formula the gallant Mr.. Robinson
esponded by peculiar kind of a shuttle
with both feet, and declaration the Its
as good as goin' to niger supper to SEQ ye
here tonight" This was intended for a
highly complimentary remark, though to
the uninitiated it might sound rather 6orid!
Jim and now took our places on the
benches "Mr. Robins on" gave his fiddle
preparatory tuning up. Then called out:
Take your gals for . big square!' Jim
nervously remarked: "Mebbe we hadn't
better 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 fellow creatures "tread the mazy."
Mr.. Robinson's manner of calling the fip-
ures was unique. He would say: "Scrape
to your partners! Now cirkylate around
this hall! Throw yourselves to pieces!
Dosy -ballynet! Bally netty all! Cirkylate
around this hall! Grab your partner tighter!
All lemonade! Allemandy left! Now cirky-
late around this hall once more! and swing
the girl behind you!"
These calls were all delivered to the tune
of ''The girl / left behind ma. !" which t1lna