News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-11-13
A VIRGINIA BALL.
A PLEASANT ENTERTAINMENT In THE
MOUNTAINOUS DISTRICTS OF THE
STATE.
A Gathering of the YouuR People from the
Surrounding COuntry-HOw They Were
Entertained

Entertained.
1t is not often that the visitor, says &
Virginia correspondent of the New York
Eoening Post, has the oppoftunity tc
see a real old-fashioned Southern ball,
such as he has probably read Of In
fact, lady who was born Ii the South,
and grew up after the war, told me that
she had never seen one herself. The OPP
portunity was not long ago afforded in
one of the improved log houses of the
locality. The proprietor, bachelor, for
whom niece was keeping house, deter
mined to invite hundred or so of his
young friends to such3an eets etssfsisllnIaent. n
1t was on q farm of several thousand
acres boasting fat and fattening cattle
of the finest quality, and possessing an
orchard comprising hundreds OF the
best varieties of apples that could read
lily be found anywhere. The former
slaves were in some cases still doing the
work of the place. The house was stu
ated about half mile from the ''pike,
and was approached by lane guarded
by q number of light gates. A small
"branch" crossed the fields few yards
from the door, affording the site for the
spring g-house. Behind and on one side
were the numerous struggling out
houses, corn cribs and slaves quarters
of ante-bellum days, and large trees
shaded the house, making the gallery an
agreeable place from which to look over
the rich valley that it dominated. The
house was of two halves joined at right
angles, one being the original log struc-
| ture and the other the more modern
frame building, between which the gal
lery furnished the only communication.
If the family slept in. the frame half, it
would be necessary to lock up the other
part from the outside, if, indeed. it were
thought necessary to lock it at all. There
were separate stairways in each half, of
course, and in one was a square hall
opening into the parlor in which, among
other furniture, there was an upright
piano, upon which the niece and her
friends exercised themselves when mu
sically inclined. In the corner of the
hall stood one of those stout boxes of
plug tobacco seen only i'll shops in the
North, and it was not a mere ornament,
for the host and his friends required an
ample supply of the weed to satisfy
them. A few book shelves added to the
furniture of the hall. In the other half
was the dining-room, and in another log
building adjoining was the kitchen, over
which an ''aunty' of the old school pre-
sided with apparently autocratic powers.
This kitchen was the centre of action
for days before the great party was to
come of. Aunty and niece al6R young
lady friend who haI.sSs
house were making -
other delicacies. Many weIs -
made by the ladies to the store down at
the other end of the valley, and proba-
bly, its capabilities were severely tried,
for there was no railroad within half-a-
dozen miles and no mails oftener than
tri-weekly. Generally the young ladies
went on their side-saddles, galloping
over the pike and bringing back their
small parcels with them. At other times
they took o buggy, and when it was nee
essary the master of the house was
pressed into the work. The dinner
service of such a household is never
equal to an emergency like that now ap-
preaching, and the neighbors far and
wide were levied upon for plates, cups,
saucers, and dishes of all sorts. Thef
miscellaneous collection that was event
ually gathered would have reioiced the
heart of a person struck by the mania
for old china, but here it excited no in
terest.
Finally the great day arrived. All the
forenoon theactivity of preparation grew
IN intensity. There was the ICE cream
to be frozen, and there were hosts of
other last things to be done. When
these had" all received attention, there
was only time for the young ladies to
scurry to their rooms and make their
toilets. Scarcely had the last bow been
tied and the last curl arranged when the
elatter of hoofs told of the approach of
a guest From that moment there was
continued succession of arrivals. All
the black servants that could be obtained |
were needed to insure the proper care of
the horses and vehicles. These were of
all sorts and kinds. Even coaches and |
and omnibuses were pressed into service. |
OF course, dressing rooms for those who
came from as far as thirty miles in car
riages, and those who had travelled long |
distances by rail and six or eight miles
by carriage, were necessary, and engaged
much time, and there was great deal
OF costuming done during the few hours
before sunset.
Company that came from 50 great a
distance must, of course, spend the
night, and there was nothing for the
host to do but to keep up the festiyity
from dusk to daylight. There were
promenades on the lawn under the
Japanese lanterns, dancing, and the usual
doings of parties until eleven o'clock,
and then there was o substantial supper,
and at one a. m. an auxiliary repast, not
quite so hearty, that was sufficient to
insure life until dawn. At daylight tired
men and maidens called up their horses
and had their conveyances made ready,
and the exodus began. 1t was not until
after late breakfast that the ladies of
the house were able to sit quietly down
with the host and discuss the events of
the previous hours. Then every item
was brought to mind, and as probably
the same process was pursued by the
others, the party of Smiths Valley was
pretty thoroughly overhauled before
night again drew its curtains over the
Virginia mountains. There was no
caterer to take The dishes away, and the
of dish-washing and work done
in that line by the household staff can
be imagined better than it can be des-
The party has ever since been
theme for conversation among those
who were invited, and will long be re-
A PLAIN, genteel dress is more ad-
mired, and obtains more credit, than
lace and embroidery in the eyes of the
ludicious and sensible.
AN Ithaca, N. Y. drug clerk in max