Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-03

MonScying with the May.
Very soon now | shall be strong
enough on my cyconic leg to resume
my lessons in waltzing. 1t is needless
to say that / look forward with great
pleasure to that moment. Nature in
tended that should glide in the may.
Tall, 1.-the, baldheaded, genial, timber
in the extreme, suave, soulful, frolic-
some at times, yet dignifed and re-
served toward strangers, light on foot
ON my own foot, mean-gentle as
a woman at times, yet irresistible rs Il
tornado when insulted by smaller, |
am peculiarly fitted to shine in society.
Those who have observed my polished
brow under q strong electric light say
that they never saw man shine so in
society as do.
| had just learned how to reel around
4 ballroom to 4 little waltz music when
| was blown across the state of Missis-
ippi in September last by a nigh wind
and broke one of my legs whicn | use
in waltzng. When this accident oc-
CURED | had just got where | felt at
liberty to choose y glorious being with
starry eyes and fluffy hair and magniti-
the rink to the dreamy music of
Strauss. One young lady with whom
| waltzed 4 good deal, when she heard
that my leg was broken, began to at
tend every dancing party she could
hear of, although she had declined
great many previous to that. l asked
her how she could be SO Siddy and so
gay while | was suffering. She said
she was doing it to drown her sorrow,
but her little brother told me on the
quiet that she was dancing while l was
sick because she felt perfectly safe.
My wife taught me how to waltz.
She would teach me on Saturdays and
repair her skirts during the following
week. told her once that l thought
| was too brainy to dance. She said She
hadn't noticed that, but she thought
l seemed to run too much to legs.
My wife is not timid about telling me
anything that she thinks will be for my
good. When | make mistake she is
perfectly frank with me, and comes
right to me and tells me about it so
that / won't do so again.
A friend of mine says | have a pro-
nounced and distinctly original manner
of waltzing, and that he never saw
anybody, with one exception, who
waltzed as | did, and that was Jumbo.
He claimed that either one OF us would
be a good dancer if he could have the
whole ring to himself. He said that
he would like to see Jumbo and me
waltz together, if he were not afraid
that would step on Jumbo and hurt
him. You can see what feeling of
Jealous hatred it arouses in some small
minds when man gets SO that he can
mingle in good society and enjoy HIM
self.
/ could waltz more easily if the rules
did not require such constant change
of position. | am sedentary in my
nature, slow to move about, so that it
takes lady OF great strength ofpurpose
to pull me around on time. | had a
partner once who said | was very easy
to waltz with. She moved about with
wonderful ease and u poetic motion
that made my legs stand out ut an an
gle OF 45 degrees when we turned the
corners. Sne told me to trust her i'm
plicity and she would see that | cot
around on time. My feet only touched
the floor three times during the dance,
and one arm has been a little longer
than the other ever since that time.
Most OF the other dancers left the floor
and watched us with great interest.
Finally | asked her if she didn't want
to sit down and fan herself till | could
get her 4 glass OF water. She said no,
She didn feel fatigued at all, and then
proceeded to whirl me around some
more. 1t makes me shudder to think
of it. Every time the old bass yiol
would "zzzt, zzzt, zzzt," she would
scrunch my shoulder blades together
and swing me around like wet RAG.
| then asked if she would not be
kind enough to take me home to nv
parents. L looked her in the eye and
begged her TO remember her father
He, too, was man. "Ah!" said |,
''do not take advantage of your great
strength. Perhaps you have brother.
How would you like to have him fall
into the hands of 4 strong woman and
be kidnapped so that you would never
see his dear face again?"
She then relented and led me to q
chair. | told her that my friend who
had introduced us had not pronounced
her name distinctly; might [ ask her
once more. so that we could some dav
dance again. She smiled joyously and
gave me large. stiff thick, blue card,
and left the room. 1t read as follows: