The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-03-20


coats; fair ladies with towering Golf
fures, making gay show of silks.
and satins, snowy arms and shoul-
ders, in fine, a glorious scenel
In obedience to signal, the mus
sicians at the upper end of the hall
began stately measure, and each.
gentIeman takinga partner, a.couple
led off and they danced the minuet.
Such swaying and bowling, balancing
and curtseying, and the way the
smiling DANES kept time with their
little, high-heeled slippers was
charming to seel
Gathered about the hearth was an
Older group, seated in high-backed.
chairs, drinking toasts to each other,
the gentlemen lingering theirsnuff-
boxes, from which extracting a
pinch of the rappee, they would
snuff it up their noses, and sneeze
with such evident enjoyment, 1 al
most laughed in their very faces.
Their topic of conversation was but
one-the King. "a true Britonl''
said one. "Ay," said another, 'thus
hath he inscribed himself in his ad-
dress to Parliament; Born in this
country, glory in the name of
Briton.'"
Though huge fire of logs blazed
in the fireplace, the room was icy
cold. Once as a cavalier stood di-
rectly between me and tho fire 1
could have sworn that the latter was
visible through his person. More
over, and I watched them closely at
some length, the flames of the can
dies meier fiickered nor wavered a
hair's-breadth, though frequent
draughts pervadod the room. But
perhaps the contents of the fagon
had put morbid fancies in my brain.
There was young girl who at
tracted me strangely, the one that
led the dance, and at the conclusion
of the minuet, the same courtly old
gentleman, by whom / had been
welcomed, took her hand, and led
her to me.
'sAthanasia," he s:lid,-Athanasia,
AthdnaStd, where had / heard the
name before? "This one pray thee
entertain as BELTS thy fathers guest,
and the Middleton hospitality" then
leaning close he muttered some
words in her ear and moved away.
"Will thou go with me?" she said,
and together we traversed the floor
to the other side of the room, where
she pushed aside curtain, dfsclos-
ing deep alcove or window,
fitted with a cushioned window scat,
on which she sank, motioning me
to sit opposite her.
For some time she said nothing,
and / was silent, so entranced was
/ with her loveliness of face, and
perfection of form.
She was rather tall, and little
slender, though we'll rounded and
moulded, whilst her face was not
full, but oval in shape, and pale al
most to transparency. Her dark
hair dropped over a low forehead
and, unlike the other ladies, was not
coiffured nor powdered, but was
gathered behind in a knot resting
on her neck. Her mouth was small,
the lips full and red, aud her brilliant
black eyes shown with more than
mortal fervor, under brows and
lashes that resembled tracery OF
charcoal on fawless carrara.
She wore dress cut low in the
neck, sleeves extending midway to
the elbow, and the petticoat allowed
her tiny slippers, fastened to her
feet by ribbons crossed on the in
step, to peep from under. A black
velvet band encircled her exquisite
throat, and attached to this was a
locket lying in that depression OF
her breast which was an earnest OF
the charms hid by her bodice.
"Perchance thou wouldst rather
be one of the merry company be-
yond the curtain; if SO we will be
pleased to make you known to our
friends she said at last inquiringly,
and her voice was clear and sweet,
though its sad tone struck me to
the heart.
"Do not trouble yourself for me, .
l answered, "but you must not
deprive yourself of pleasure on my
account. 1 beg you will return to
the dance"
She leaned back wcarily against
the window, resting her head ON her
shapcly hand.
"Nay, friend, thou mistakest me;
for dancing l care not. To assume
a gladsome eountenance, where the
heart is heavy, is but sorry under.
taking. Mirth and melancholy arc