Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-11
HE SARATOGA HOP.
VILLA. o. HoweLLs DESCRIBES The
GAY FUNCTION

tury. contains the following description
OF that important social function, y
Saratoga hop'
She and the evening were equally NJ
ted for tho event 10 which they seemed
equally dedicated. Tho dancing was 20
BE- ont Of doors on vast planking. or
platform, set up In the heart Of that
fosky court which the hotel incloscs
Around this platform droopcd tho slim.
tall Saratogau trees. and over it hung
the sara,ogan sky, Of nocturnal blue
very rare in our latitude. with the stars
faint in It's depths, and by and ~
white moon that permitted itsclf
modest competition with the electric
lights offulgcnt everywhere There was
. great crowd ~ people In the poftico,
the vestibule and the inner pinzzas aud
on tho lawn around the platform. where
"ihe trudden weed" sent up the sweet
scent Of bruised prass In the cool night
air. My foolish old heart bounded with
pulse II youth ut the thought Of all
tho gay and tender possibilities Of such
= scene
But tho young people undcr my caro-
seemed In no haste TO minglc IN II. We
oldsicrs arc always fancyius youth ina
patient. but thcrr 81 no timo ~ life
which has 40 much patience, IL behaves
a. " IL had eternity before it--an etcr-
nifty Of youth-instoad ~ fow days
and ycars and then the frosty pow. We
who arc young no longer think We
would do 90 aud 10 " We wore young.
as women think they would do 80 and
90 n they wore men, but N we wen
really young again We should not do vt
all what we think.
We should not hurry TO experience
our emotions; we should not press Tor.
ward 10 discharge our duties or repair
our mistakes; we should not seize tho
occasion TO mako u friend or reconcile
M enemy. we should let weeks aud
months 20 by in tho realization uf u
passion and trust all sorts Of contingon.
cics and accidents 10 help us out with
IL confession. The thoughts 81 youth
arc very long. and IT, conclusions aru
deliberate and delayed and often with.
held altogether. II isago which u trem.
ulously eager In these matters gnd can.
not wait with tho fine patience Of na.
tur In her growing moods
As soon even ns was In the hotel l
was impatient 10 press through To the
place whore tho dancing was. aud
whore | mir, Ady heard the band play.
ing. knew very we'll that when We
got there should havo to sit down
somewhere on the edge Of the platform
with tho other frumps and fogics and
begin taking cold IN my dross coat nnd
want TO doze off without being able 90,
while my young people wcrc waltzing
together or elsa prononading up and
down, Ignoring mo or recognizing mo IS
tho ofor o. u fan aud tho question
whether Twas not simply melting. |
have -oon how the poor chaperon fares
Mt such times But they. secure Of their
fun. were by no means DESTROYS to have
Il over or even TO have II begin. They
dawdlod through the thrungod hotel
Office. where other irresponsible pairs
wcro coming and going undcr tho nd.
miring eyes Of the hotel lounRcr-. aud
they wandered up and down the waste
parlors and sat ON tots.a.tetes Just To
try thom apparently. and Miss Gage
verified In the mirrors the beauty which
was reflected In all eyes They amused
themselves with the extent OF the richly
carpctod and upholstered dcsolauon
around them, where only few lonely
and aging women lufkod about ON sofas
and ottunnns, and they fell 10 play ing
with. their compassion for tho plcbcian
spectators at the long vorandA windows
trying To penetrate with their forbidden
eyes TO tho hop going ON Ia the court
far beyond tho intermediary desert Of
tho parlora.
When they signihcd at last that they
were ready for mo 10 lead them on 10
tho dance. would 40 much rather have
eono 10 bed that thoro are no words for
the comparison, Then, when we got to
tho place. which | should never have
been able 10 reach In the world " IL had
not been for the young energy and In.
spiration 81 Hendricks, and they had
put me In u certain scat with Miss
Cages wraps beside mo whore they
could find me. they went OIL and danced
for hours and hours. For hours and
hoursf For ages and ages, while with.
cred away amid mnldering mothers aud
saw my charges through tho dreadful
half dreams OF such state whirling In
the waltz, hopping in the polka, sliding
in tho galop and then cndlesly walk.
ing up aud down between tho dances
and eating and drinking the chill 70.
frcshmenis that IL mado my teeth chat.
ter to think of.
l suppose they decently came 10 me
from timo to time, though they seemed
TO be always dancing, for could after
ward remember Miss Gage taking d
wrap from me now and then, and quick,
~ coming back to shed It upon my lar
again. ! got 40 chilled that " they had
not been unmistakably womsn's wrap.
] should have bundled thon ~ about
my shoulders. which | could almosl
hear oroak with rheumatism. mus
have fallen into u sort OF browse at last
Tor Twas having u dispute with som,
sort Of authority, which turned out tS
be Mrs. March, and uphrniding her will
the fact that there were no womon'i
wraps which would also do for man.
when tho Young people stood arm n
arm before mt, and Miss Gage said thai
sho was iirod TO death now. and thuy
were going.
THE PUEBLO WOMEN.