The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-12-10
The Midnight Dance.

The Midnight Dance.
A drive Of sixteen miles in the cool
and bracing air of a December evening
along n romantic road brought n couple
Of the 'town boys" to the new town Of
Troy. Only 4 few years back in jour
ncying to the Mines have We refined up
at the little diugy blacksmith shop to
have a shoe frightened or quietly qucnch-
cd thirst ut the old we'll hard by un-
molcstcd by the rumble Of the monarch
of locomolion or tho sharp look out of
the ubiquitous own marshal. This
time the we'll has added to its dignitics
and now is the town well, the black
smith shop fingers as the rusty link be-
tween the gloomy past and the glowing
present. and with difficulty the Shying
stccd could be urged across the Railroad
track running through the hear, of the
town which though hardly out Of its
%Swnddling clothes gives evidence Of 4
vigorous manhood. We had barely in
quircd Of the street urchin, which is in
%digenous to all town soil, where the
metropolitan ~l}otcl'' was. when we
were generously seized by faithful rep
rcsrntativc Of EIgcticlL hospitality, but
now Abhcvillr by adoption, and made as
welcome as only Edgcticld knows how.
A distinguished ~rX-mcmbcr Of our Bar
was accustomed in his life time to say
that Edgcficld was Il mighty good place
to be born in--proyidcl = man leaves
there very early in life. This was jok-
ingly applied, Of Course, to himself, and
the prescription bids as fair to work as
well in the present case as it did in the
first.
This prosperous and w~idc-awakc town,
ancient only in name, has among its or
namcntal attractions 4 we'll organized
Social Club, composed OF the young men
Of the town. The society event Of the
season to the Trojans and their friends
is the annual entertainment given l.! this
Club, where those who can dance find q
"timc to Dance AID greatly arc these
occasions enjoyed. Thursday evening
last was tho time and Whatlcy Hall the
place designated for the celebration Of
the annual ball of 1881, and it may be
safely said that no affair Of the kind out
side Of q first-class city has ever been
more admirably managed in all Of its
details and more heartily enjoyed by
the ladies. for whose special benefit Of
course these occasions arise.
The committee Of arrangements. at
the head Of which was Mr.. a. j. Davis,
assisted ably by 4. q. Youngblood, j.
S. Harris. Il. c. Litcs, J. p. Jay, j. S.
Burnitt and Jno. ChileS, had perfected
every minutiac Of their important office.
The hall was brilliantly lighted and
waXcd to slide the clumsicst, and tue
music by Fishburn's band Of Augusta,
vas equal to the strains of OrphcuS'
lutte, in its effect upon the gay dancers
who were gracefully gliding, INDUCING
joyously in the "poctry Of mo,ion.'
The Troy Social Club had circulated
most cNquiSitcly designed cards Of in
vitation to various parts Of the country
and the adjoining county Of Edgrfeld
and there upon the line of these two
chivalric counties, always famed for
their lovely ONE and for their noble
manhood, upon whose brow fear or
shame are alike ashamed 10 sit, was
gathered this beautiful and gallant as
sembly, which in magnificent display
and graceful case is seldom cXccllcd. It
is enrolling to frail human nature to
entertain even for a moment, the angel
presence of a generous emotion, and
such inspiring occasions present the
lovely scene of stern valor yielding to
nothing in the wide world but the ap-
proving smiles Of the sweetest of wo-
men. Those who pcrchancc waste the
golden hours OF time in fruitlcSs invec-
tive against the devotccs Of the dance
should not lose sight Of this feature.
but rather teach their boys to be brave
and their girls to DC pure and association
in this pleasant way will he mutually
inspiring.
The floor managers were McsSrS. &. G..
Bradley, j. NJ. Kennedy and DR.. W. S.
Kiliingsworth, and the ball was opened
promptly Mt eight o'clock with a quad
rifle which was gracefully danced. "Thc
next set WAS the Lancet" and this in
turn was followed by waltArs, quad
rifles, polkaS, etc, until the card Of
twenty dances was exhausted and the
weary pretty ones at halC-past one
brcathcd a sigh, as the last strains of
Home Sweet Home died away, and the
hall like the nest from which the birds
hnvc flown" was deserted.
The generosity Of the Trojans was un-
bounded and we make for the Abbeville
contingent our most grateful acknowl-
edgments and hope that they will soon
give us an opportunity to reciprocatc,
promising faithfully that there Shall bc
nothing wrong with that liquor"