The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-11-07
DANCING AT WEST POINT.
The Very Lively Balls which the Cadets I'm.
Joy Three Times Week.

The cadet balls which occur here three
times week during the summer en-
campmcnt, q letter from West Point says
have delicious flavor of old-fashioned
children's parties about them. They
begin at eight and end ut ten sharp.
Uncle Sam provides good ball room
and ten musicians, and the cadets pro-
vide the guests. The officers magnani-
mously stay away except the superin-
lendent and his wife, who punctiliously
accept the Invitations rendered them.
The only preparation the cadets can
make is to put on their freshest laun-
dried whito duck trousers and scrub
their already shining faces. Their trou-
sers are objects Of much solicitude with
them. They rigidly avoid sitting down
at the balls, for fear that their KIN es
should acquire n baggy and civilian look,
and it may be said that the military
tailor who makes their trousers is per.
feet master Of the mystery OF fitting.
About eight o'clock in the evening in.
Vulnerable white-leggcd and bobtail-
coated young men assemble in front of
the academic building containing the
ball room, where the omnibuses deposit
the blooming young ladies', who make the
cadets hearts beat beneath their nicely.
padded jackets. Having only two
hours Of revelling to count on they have
got the question of time down fine.
Every dance is engaged for, and the in
tervals between the dances are infnitcsi-
NAL. These boys show in their fresh
faces and 1.-the forms the benefit Of the
regularhours, 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.
Punctually at eight the band strikes
up, and the whirling begins. Every.
thing dances; the bobtailed coats scin-
tillate, the white e-trousered legs twinkle,
and the ecstatic young ladies are in the
Elysian Fields. Chaperones at these
white balls are of small account. There
no danger of couples straying off; the
cad It is engaged for every dance, and
there is very 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 studiuusly avoided in con-
versation. The cadets speak of each
other always as men. The cadet officers,
with sashcs 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 ado
lescent officer with n sash, is looked upon
as mortal blessed by the gods.
The two hours slip by like lightning.
At q quarter to ten cadet with drum
appears at the door of the ball room.
The band twists "Home, Sweet Home
into 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 M another
waltz highly appropriate and sugges-
tive air, selected on purpose as final
warning to the young ladies', and sud
6enly the drummer, who has been eye
ing the clock, scizcs his drum stick, and
n loud rattle, rattle, bang, whir-r-r re-
sounds. 1t is like the crack of doom
Every blessed little cadet tucks his part
ner under his arm and makes dash fo
the doorway. The young ladies VIII,
want to be escorted to their omnibusel
are quick in getting on their wraps, anc
in half m hour from the rolling of th,
drum the girls are trundled of and the
cadets are snug in bed.