The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-09-10
AMONG THE CRACK Frs.
A PHASE OF SOUTHERN LIFE, WITH
CUSTOMS. AND WAYS PECULIAR.

Decorum Mt Their Social Gatherings.
Starting u Conversat io;i-.'Fiddlin' Jim"
and His Instrument .-The Last Couple
On the Floor-The Feast.
Dancing among the Crackers is usually
solo performance The reel and breakdown
sometimes include several participants but
the "pas seul" is more popular than the ballet.
AS in "mectin'," the men sit on one side of the
house and the women on the other. The Same
line of decorum Is preserved in their social
gatherings, the men sitting or standing in
cliques Mt one end of the room set apart for
the entertainment, while the girls occupy
chairs or benches ranged against the wall on
the opposite side, maintaining a rigidity of
position, with their arms folded and their toes
fixed OH the same plank in the floor, which
would do credit to well drilled military CON-
pany. The young men are ordinarily pain
fully bashful No girl would dare address
word to one of the youths until he presents
himself before her and makes a remark to
her, or asks question which demands re-
ply, and to do this the young swain must have
time to make up his mind, first, whether he
can sufficiently overcome his bashfulness to
do it at oil, and secondly, what he shall say
when he has made up his mind to say some
thing-a dilemma in which more fortunate
speakers than Crackers have not unfrequent-
ly found themselves. This remark which &C.
casions such deep cogitation varies, of course,
with the taste and character of the speaker.
If he is of sentimental turn of mind he nerves
himself to the emergency, and, standing be-
bo,, tolls ho, hot tbo,. n yOWarful fine
chance o. dogwood blossoms on the creek, and
he'll fetch her some if she wants them"
The maiden, being the first one addressed
replies timidly: "I'm 'bleeged to you, John; l
like dogwood blossoms powerfully"
Another speaker now ventures to select the
object of his admiration, screws himself to
the sticking point, and, possessing mental
organization of an entirely practical charac-
ter, presents himself with the words: Miss
Susan, you amt seen old Brindle lately; she's
got the purtiest calf in the settlement, and
want you to name it."
"FIDDLIN' JIM's" APPEARANCE.
To this implied compliment Miss Susan an
swers with blush:
an pick out the purtiest name knows on,
Sam. Maybe you'd like to name it after
your sweetheart; and with this speech she
significantly glances in the direction OF girl
who is possibly her rival in Sans admiration
Here, as elsewhere, it is the first step which
costs; and as these two speakers have had the
hardihood literally to set the ball in motion,
conversation rapidly ensues, and the revely
is fairly begun. "Fiddlin' Jim" soon makes
his appearances; important personages move
slowly, and, realizing that there can be no
dancing until he arrives, this distinguished
individual CONSUMES as mech time and brings
expectation to as sharp point as he chooses.
Seating himself in the chair provided for him,
he begins to "tune up" This is a serious
operation Oh, shade of Paganini, come not
near this scene! The instrument-which, by
the way, is not Cremona, but none the less
priced for all that's thumped from neck to
bridge and from bridge to end in process of
being tuned. The musician screws up a
string and holds his fiddle" to his right ear,
then unscrews it little and holds it to his
left ear; all this being done with the utmost
gravity and dignificd expression of counte-
nance which plainly says what he has often
declared in words, that she amt nowhar be-
midland in the raul science O playin' a tid-
de-"
Finally deliberate pizzicato movement re-
veals the fact that the fiddle is in proper con-
dition, and an audible and visible excitement
is seen among the young people.
"Git your partners!" screams "Fiddlin'
Jim," drawing three violent strokes of the
bow, and uttering the command with a
marked rhythmic accent on each word
The fiddle" and the terpsichorean tcmpta-
ton have put all bashfulness to flight; the
most awkward rustic can ask girl to dance
under the effect of such inspiration, and
"hands across and down the middle" shake
the cabin to its foundations. The fiddler
plays and looks like one in a sort Of ecstasy.
His foot keeps time to the measure Of the roll
licking tune, while his eyes seem fixed upon
the blue space which peers through the cracks
of the roof as if his soul were floating out,
borne aloft upon his own harmonious strains.
To the cultivated ear it is execrable, it is tor
ture; but "Fiddlin' Jim" has passed beyond
the regions Of criticism into the unalloyed
bliss of one who sees and knows no dscord.
By and by the reel is finished, and only the
champion dancers remain on the floor. Then
begins the tug of war The true Greek is
we'll known and each contestant has his or
her bevy of admirers.
WHO LASTS THE LONGEST.
snow for who lasts the longest!" screams
'"Fiddln' jim" "Who keers if the river is
upg'
This last defiant interrogatory is perfectly
Ineligible to the company, who fully appre-
ciate the serious Inconvenience which enters
into their lives when the river is up. Burning
Rome and swollen rivers, however, do not
interrupt enthusiastic fiddlers and dancers
After startling feats of agility on the part of
the men, and many graceful evolutions on
the part of the girls, most of the dancers are
exhausted and take their seats, leaving one
couple in possession of the floor. These two
are to do honor to the occasion. The fiddler
is now brought back from his divine ecstasy
to the realities around him, and himself be-
comes an ardent partisan, espousing the cause
Of the GIRL of course, who perhaps in her
dancing career has slain her hundreds
"Dance up, Kitty; don't be afeer'd," says
"Fiddlin' JIM encouragingly.
"Brace up, Sam, or she'll flag you, old fell
ler," mutters one of Sans companions, whose
friendship gets the better of his gallantry.
Old and young gaze at the rival dancers
with intensest interest and curiosity. The
dancers grow more and more excited. Each
astonishing feat performed by one suggests
one still more astonishing on the part of the
other. Sans friends applaud, and Kitty's
friends applaud more loudly
"Make his head swim, Kitty" suggests
"Fiddlin' JIM" who sees Sans enthusiasm
beginning to flag. This Kitty proceeds to dc
by turning rapidly round and round, which