The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-11-16
Dancing at West Point.

The cadet balls which occur at Wes.
Point three times q week during the
summer encampment have y delicious
flavor of old-fashioned children's par.
ties about them. They begin at eigl.'
and end at ten o'clock sharp. Uncle
Sam provides good ballroom and ter
musicians. and the cadets provide the
guests. The officers magnanimously
stay away, except the superintendent
and his wife. who punctiliously accep'
the invitations rendered them. The
only preparation the cadets can make
is to put on their freshest laundried
white-duck trousers and scrub their al.
ready shining faces. Their trousers are
objects of much solicitude with them.
They rigidly avoid sitting down at the
balls for fear that their knees should
acquire baggy and civilian look. and
it may be said that the military tailor
who makes their trousers is perfect
master of the mystery of fitting.
About eight o'clock in the evening
innumerable white-legged and bohtaii-
coated young men assemble in front OF
the academic building containing the
ballroom, where the omnibuses deposit
the blooming young ladies, who make
the cadets hearts beat beneath their
nicely padded jackets. Having only
two hours dlfeyeling to count on, they
have got tk~,estion of time down fine.
Every danoJfs engaged for, and the in.
tesimal. These boys show in their fresh
faces and 1.-the forms the benefit of regu-
lar hours, wholesome fare, and healthy
discipline. The continual attention of
the riding master, the fencing master,
and the dancing master is shown in their
department. The bad manners of many
society men would need no better foil
than the polite attention to their guests
of these cadets.
Puncfually at eight the band strikes
up, and the whirling begins. Every
thing dances; the bobtailed coats scin-
tillate, the white-trousered legs twinkle,
and the ecstatic young ladies are in the
Elysian Fields. ChaperOncs at these
white balls are Of small account. There
is no danger of couples straying of;
the cadet is engaged for every dance,
and there is little time for sentiment.
The band plays kind of hoppity-skip
pity-jump music that is highly appro-
pirate to the occasion. The fact that the
assemblage is rather youthful must,
however, be studiously avoided in con-
versation. Tie cadets speak of each
other always as men. The cadet ofli-
GERS, with sashes tied around their slim
waists, are considered terrible fellows
among the girls by the rest of the
corps. At the balls, the girl who gets
an adolescent officer with sash is
looked upon as mortal blessed by the
gods.
The two hours slip by like Ii htning.
At quarter to ten cadet with drum
appears at the door of the ballroom.
The band twists "HOme. Sweet Home"
into a queer sort of waltz. the cadets
meanwhile dancing for all they are
worth now in these last few precious
minutes. Then the band slides into
"Take Back the Heart" done as an
other waltz. highly appropriate and
suggestive air. selected on purpose as :,
final warning 10 the young ladies, and
suddenly the drummer, who has been
cycling the clock. seizes his drnmsticks. |
and loud rattle. rattle. bang. whir-r-r
resounds. 1t is like the crack of doom. |
Every blessed little cadet takes his part
ner under his arm and makes dash for |
the doorway. The young ladies, who |
want TO be escorted 10 their Omnibuses. |
are quick in getting on their wraps. and |
in half an hour from the rolling OF the |
drum the girls are tr,lndled off and the |
cadets are snug in bed.-NcW York. Sun. |