The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-03-28
PLAYING FOR THE DANCERS.
A Little Woman's Narration of Her
Experiences In Fashionable Houses.

A Little Woman's Narration OF Her
Experiences In Fashionable Houses.
New York SUM-
A modest looking little woman with
a somewhat worn face but an agreeable
and constantly recurring smile,
answered the reporters ring at the
door of a small house in Harlem re-
Gently. She led the way into parlor
furnished with horse-hair chairs and
sofa, ingram carpet, and cheap prints,
and dropped mechanically upon the
stool of badgered piano. She said,
pleasantly:
II advertise in the papers for en-
gagements to play at parties because
there is more money in it than in teach
ing. l know that it is the general i'm
preston that the musician is more or
less looked down upon at party, but
my experience has been just to the con-
trary, with one or two exceptions. At
rare intervals people who are in the
best society and live on Fifth avenue,
send for me. It is usually on the spur
of the moment, when they want to get
up little impromptu dance. On
other occasions they always have three
these people that feel my position most
they are in hurry, and pay me iber-
in the world; for they treat me from
the moment enter the house until I.
leave exactly as they treat their serv-
ants. They never for moment look at
you in any other light than as me-
NAL"
Goldfish aristocracy!"
"I suppose so, and vet all the wealthy
society people act that way. shall
never forget the first time Mr.. -
mentioning the name of prominent
resident of Fiftv-seventh street sent
for me. I had been teaching little girls
and boys to play the piano for several
years, and had gradually drifted into
playing for dancing. had been at it
for three or four months, when one
night a coach drove up to the door and
the footman in livery asked for me. It
was about 8 o'clock. L went down
stairs, and he told me his master had
sent for me to play, for some people
who happened in after dinner. hur-
ried on M tl.1ngs and got into the
coach. l was afraid the footman would
get in too. I was afraid of him, he
looked so much like a policeman. He
lit a small pipe and got upon the box.
It was just beginning to snow, and the
carriage was delightful and cozy. l
began to think that playing for dancing
was very delightful after all. When we
got to the house [ was bit surprised
to be taken in at the base nent-door.
Then the footman told a great big fat
butler who 1 was, and the butler called
me young woman and asked me to
follow him upstairs. I began to feel
wretched. Then was taken into the
small music-room adjoining the parlors
and told to play waltz l had only
caught glimpse of about a dozen
beautifully dressed people who were
chatting in the parlors. [ had never
seen anything so gorgeous in my life
It seemed like fairy land, but felt aw'
fully sad.
81 played waltz, and had stopped
for minute, when the host stumped
into the room and said 1 played toe
fast. He then ordered me to play 8
quadrille. l felt like crying, his man
ners we're so rude. After 1 had played
little while longer one of the daugh
ters of the house found fault with my
selections. One would have thought
to hear her talk, that L was kitchen
maid. couldn't understand how any
one so beautiful and so richly dressed
could be SO cruel.
} 'After awhile they went down to
J supper. I waited an hour. They sen
the footman upstairs to watch me whilt
J I waited. Then they came back ant
, danced some more. At half past II thu
; butler came in and said could go. HI
, had 60 silver salver, on which was ;
} crumpled 50 bill. He gave me this
} and said his master considered it suf
/ ficient, as I had not come till late
/ Then he showed me out the basemen
door. He was very kind, and offered t.
5 get me an extra shawl from the cook
l as it was showing very hard, but
| rushed out, crying like goose. L hao
r to walk all the way to Third avenue il
2 snow that was ankle deep in order t.
get the cars. 7 didn't get asleep til
morning, and suffered for weeks from
the cold. 1 never went again to tina
house, though I've been to many simi
lar ones. The servants are better bre(
than the masters
"Where is it most agreeable t.
!, play?'
In the houses of plain, everyda,
people. There are no nicer people il
1 the world than those who form wha
the English would call the middle clas
4 of New York"
3 How Jim Proposed.
5 The National Republican says tina
&. Derrick Dodd, in his book "Summe