The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-01-08


mediate successors but the human side of the
festival, its interests and Its sympathies, re-
man unchauged. Our hearts do not change
with our fashions, and with the return OF
Christmas have again returned all that in our
younger days made Christmas gatherings oc.
ca,lons to be long anticipated and affection.
urcly remembered.
Ness Years. CaiIs.-7He Opening Of tie Ftsh.
.outble .Smsoa-Ho0 they Amuse Them.
SelCcs-" On tcUh tie Dance."
WASHINGTON, Ii. C., Jan. /, 1881.
! The only event since the adjournment of
Congress has been the frs. of January 1881.
1t was marked by the usual receptions, official,
non.oilicial, diplomatic and military. Every
man arraycd himself in his best clothes, and
called on the ladies wherever they were pre-
pared to receive. The ladies were all dressed
most exqulsitely, and many of them stood un.
der gas-llghted chandeliers, with the blinds Of
their parlOrs closed, Instantaneous photo
graphs of the tablcauX OF presentation on that
day would be interesting to those who delight
in studying modern Manners and who discern
in bows, and smiles, and dress, and attitude,
the material that is the basis of so much psy.
Geological dissertation in the modern novel.
With the beginning of the new year the so
clal season. as it is called, will be fairly opened
in Washington. Many members of Congress,
who have been home during the holidays, vii!
return with their families and many others
unconnectcd with official or public life, but to
whom wealth lends means, Will come from
distant city and town to enjoy the galety and
excitement that a season at the capital affords;
and which will continue from the first of the
new year until the commencement Of Lent.
Our way of pretending to enjoy ourselves is
not peculiarly American, but, like Jaques'
melancholy, "a compound Of many simples,'
French, English, German and Heathen-of
which dancing is the chief In Washington
nearly everybody and her husband dances in
spite OF age, dignities and rheumatism. Gen
eral Grant, during his presidency, was seen on
more than one occasion to tread a measure
with ease ard grace. General Banks went
through the square dances with gait half
military but 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, he was teacher of the TerpschOrean
art General Sherman, barring a slight rheu-
matism, which gives him peculiar jerking
gait may be seen in the evolutons of the ball
room, and always with young and pretty
partner | am told that he is also a proficient
in those round dances against which Mrs,
Sherman welded her pen; but, IN the matte
Of round dances, | do not speak from observa
ton. 1t must not be supposed, however, that
there are no dgnihed exceptions. There are
some who do not 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. Neither the pres
ent or coming chief magistrate are dancers
| believe the American habit Of dancing
comes from no passionate love Of the amuse-
mcnt, but is persisted in because no great lead
crs of ton have the genius to invent anything
better to do Among the elite in great Euro
pean capitals the gentlemen are accomplished,
while the ladies are domestic and only slightly
accomplished. With us, women have all the
accomplishments, and men, as q rule, are val
ued 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 inteligently, and even brilliantly,
on a variety of subjects, the gentlemen with |
their exclusively utilitarian education, are un-
able to hold the foil upon which all real con-
versaton depends. The dancer is a man or
woman of action, rather than Of ideas, and
dancing is common democratic plane to
which the etherially minded condescend. and
on which the heavy witled find a coarse stlm-
ulant to that aesthetic life which is not quite
extinct in even the grossest Of men and
women