The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-24
THE rrMEs-RrcHMoND. vA~ SUNDAY. NOVEMBER a. 1895

gays from other tables. Finally they
have as many as they can carry. exon
child having them sticking In hair IN
gown, In sash. In neck, until all are
like walking nosegays. When all the nose
gays are used up the children dance ".'h
them TO a corner, where they drop tnem
IN great piles. until a iowery neap hes
higher than their heads upon the noor'
vrr.-DRuMsrIcks.
Part OF n Thanksgiving dance Is TINS
indeed, though its name Is signify ms
construed. from the drumstick OF turk
ey TO that OF real drum. small drums
are carried by the men of the party. who
select their partners. handing them the
drumsticks with a deep bow. The part
ner takes the drumsticks from her part
ner and begins to drum with them. FOR
one minute the loud tapping Is kept up.
the orchestra meanwhile executing must
cal taps. then the sticks are held I'm one
hard. while the couples waltz straight
across the room and back with military
precision.
yIu.-FouR-JS-HAsD.
This IS also q variation OF what its
name would suggest. only one gentle
man out of the four dances II, the selec-
ton being made oy a pretty girl, who
runs around the room touching every
fourth man until the right number is OBJ
tanned.
AS she passes the last gentleman the
first one dances down the room, gath
ering up artners-four-in-hand. He takes
the hands OF two in his right hand and
two in his left, they meanwhile keeping
gay steps as they dance down behind
each other. Around the room they cir
chI For the second time they start
around, but just as the first steps are
taken for the second circling around the
other gentlemen rush out, capture part
ners and dance with them TO places or
seats. This is a pretty figure.
x.-ALL AT THE DISNEn.
A figure for all members Of the fam
fly young and old, and it fttingly comes
mean the wind-up Of the cotillon. Inc
eldest of the family-the third generation
start the dance. The grandpas ana
grandmas join hands ana circle around
the middle of the floor. Quickly arSund
them dance the youngest generation, the
children OF ten or twelve. Finally come
the young people. All dance around, the
chains going in opposite directions. After
three circles they drop hands and face
towards a large side table loaded with
souvenirs. All grasp partners and dance
TO an odtime quickstcp galop to the
table. where the eldest generation distri-
butte souvenirs to quick music.
MKT YEARS KIssFs.
This is the exit dance. The gentlemen
select partners and start TO dance with
them in the conventional way. When
the dancing has gone on about a min
ute. a loud smack is heard in one end
of the room, and loud smackins in the
other. IL is the youngsters secreted be-
hind a screen who are doing the smack
ing, but the affect is as magic as II
done by the cotillon fairy of Thanksgiv-
ing.
At the first "smack" the couples drop
hands and the young ladies waltz away
from their partners, throwing kisses
meanwhile. AB they separate further
and further the kissing continues, pretty
hands waiting them delciously towards
the masculine partners, who hold out ap-
pealing hands. As the door is reached
there is a final round Of kisses and the
girls vanish through the door That
ends the cOtillon figures proper and after
wards a supper can be served.
To make the cotllon a success there
must be a talented leader who has prac-
ticed il thoroughly before, and who has
instructed his partner in its mysteries.
Following the leader is easy and the cotil-
lon goes off smoothly.
The great cOtilOn leaders Of to-day
i'm this country are Mr.. Richard T. VIII
son, jr, and Lispenard Stewart, both
prominent in New York society. Another
talented leader was Ward McAlister in
his younger days. Strange It is that the
young millonaires who would be expect
ell TO lead a cotillon best from having
such confidence IN themselves, are no
leaders at all. 1t takes a certain knack
that must be born in a man.
In France the prettiest cOtillon leader
is Count Castellane, though that young
gentleman Is not great society fayorite.
But he leads well. In London there is
no one that can lead like the Prince OF
Wales. But it is several years since either
he or Lord Rosebery have tripped through
the light figures of this fancy dance.
The present leader Of the smart set is the
eldest son OF Lady Randolph Churchill,
very clever young man, and during
Churchills mourning the Hon. Iyor Guest
has several times led.
After all a cotillon Is not such very
difficult thing TO lead. and II one has
carefully prepared the figures before.
it can be tripped through like a parlor
game. CONSTANCE MERRIFIELD.