The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-30
SKIRT DANCING In SOCIETY.
Interesting Evening Entertainment
at an English Country House.

Interesting Evening Entertainment
at an English Country House.
London Correspondence San Francisco Ar
gonaut.
Time was, and not so very long ago either,
when the usual evenings amusement at an
Now music" in the British acceptation of
the term, especially as 1t is employed at a
country house when there Is a house party
in residence, has meaning of its own. 1t
does not really mean music in its true sense
as science Of harmonic sounds. Generally
speaking, neither science nor harmony cuts
any figure or has any place. Every En-
glishman and every Englfshwoman plays or
sings-generally both. At all events, those
who commonly form the house parties at
country houses during the winter do. Most
of them play-chiefy the fiddle or cello i'm
these days-but all of them sing. 1t does
not in the least signify whether they have
AT any rate. they used to. AS soon as the
gentlemen Joined the ladies in the drawing
room after dinner almost Immediately the
LADY of the house was heard to remark:
"Sha'nt we have some music?' This was
addressed to no one in particular, but every
one who played or sang took it a
personal request. Everyone who has stayed
at an English country house knows what
follows when the lady of the house says
this. Oh, the banging and fumbling on the
pianoforte, the scrapings and gratings of
the violins, and the varied series of vocal
sounds!
But, as 1 say. this is what used to be.
room with the other men after dinner, the
first night of my visit at Sternfold Park, /
thought 1t was but question Of time when
I should hear Lady Torrington ask the
time-honored question: "Sha'nt we have
some music?" But not bit of 1t. We were
to have some music, it is true. for there
open, but not the sort of music one was
wont to hear We had been seated about
we were to be let off, when heard Lady
Torrington say: Now. Lady Margaret,
won't you show one of your pretty
dancesT'SIt took me a few seconds to
comprehend what was intended; but when
1 heard Lady Margaret answer: Certain
ly, with pleasure, If some one will play
for me-" as she arose and walked to the
center of the large room. and there stood
waiting, it suddenly dawned upon me that
we were to be treated to skirt dance.
talking at the moment exclaimed:
How awfully jolly. Have you ever seen
/ regretfulIy answered had not.
Fancy. Then you have treat in store
the Oldest .earls in the peerage. A hand
some girl, tall and straight, with perfect
figure and softly rounded arms and bust
In short, the sort of boxing girl you would
think a sculptor might well choose for
model. She could not have been over TWEEN
t., and innocence seemed TO slumber
In the pure depths of her dark-violet eyes.
When I looked again another young lady
had seated herself at the piano and begun
to play. The opening bars were OF soft
dreamy sort OF air, slow and faint AL
ready Lady Margaret had begun to dance.
So slowly, however, as IL with sort of
sliding, skating motion that you could not
discover the point even of foot beneath
her long black silk skirt. which reached
to the floor in front and trailed behind in
a train. Gradually her movements quick
ened, as the music did, her body swayed
gently from side to side her arms in
graceful motion describing varied lines OF
| beauty in timeful measure withal. First
her finger tips met above her head and then
dropped TO her sides, where they
! deity gathered her skirts upward. display
ing her small patent-leather pumps and
| black silk stockings just above her instep.
| Then the frill of a lace-bordered petticoat
| came into view. This. in turn, was grad
| ually-almost mperceptibly-raised, to
| give freer play to her lower limbs. which
| were now induleing in series OF little
| pointed kicks. All the time the girl was
| dancing a sort of sliding waltz step-when
| she was not kicking. Her pace quickened
| each second, the kicks became more fire.
| quent and higher from the floor. By this
| time the front of her petticoat had been
| lifted halfway to her knees. the back
| breadths still trailing behind and making
| white background for the black silk
hosiery, whose every movement was thus
| depicted in striking relief. An inch OF
/ two higher stole the petticoat In front, the
black legs gyrated. and kicked. Rpd