The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-12-10
THE SARATOGA HOP.
WILLIAM D. HoWELLs DESCRIBES THE
GAY FUNCTION.


lions of the Young and the Not Young.
Mr.. w. D. Howells' novelette, can
Open Eyed Conspiracy" in The Cen
fury, contains the following description
of that important social function, a
Saratoga hop:
She and the evening were equally fit
ted for the event to which they seemed
equally dedicated. The dancing was to
be out of doors on a vast planking, or
platform, set up in the heart of that
bosky court which the hotel incloses
Around this platform dropped the slim,
tall Saratogan trees, and over it hung
the Saratogan sky, of nocturnal blue
very rare in our latitude, with the stars
faint i'll its depths, and by ard by a
white moon that permitted itself
modest competition with the electric
lights effulgent everywhere. There was
great crowd of people in the portico,
the vestibu!e and the inner piazzas and
on the lawn around the platform, where
"the trodden weed" sent up the sweet
/ scent of bruised grass in the cool night
/ air. My foolish old heart bounded with
pulse of youth at the thought of all
the gay and tender possibilities of such
a scene.
But the young people under my care
seemed i'll no haste to mingle i'll it. We
oldsters are always farcying youth inn
patient, but there is no time of life
which has so much patience. 1t behaves
as if it had eternity before tan eter
nifty of youth-instead of few days
and years and then the frosty pow. We
who are young no longer think we
would do so and so if we were young,
as women think they would do so and
so if they were men, but if we were
really young again we should not do at
all what we think.
We should not hurry to experience
our emotions; we should not press for
ward to discharge our duties or repair
our mistakes we should not seize the
occasion to make friend or reconcile
an enemy; we should let weeks and
months go by in the realization Of a
passion and trust all sorts of contingent
cies and accidents to help us out with
its confession. The thoughts of youth
are very long, and its conclusions are
held altogether. 1t is age which is trem-
ulously eager i'll these matters and can
not wait with the fine patience of ma
ture i'll Ter growing moods.
As soon even as | was in the hotel |
was impatient to press through to the
place where the dancing was, ard
where l already heard the band play
ing. l knew very we'll that when we
got there l should have to sit down
somewhere on the edge of the platform
with the other frumps and fogies and
begin taking cold III my dress coat and
want to doze off without being able to,
while my young people were Waiting
together or else promenading up and
down, ignoring me or recognizing me by
the offer~of fan and the question
whether l was not simply melting.
have seen how the poor chaperon fares
at such times. But they, secure of their
fun, were by no means DESTROYS to have
it over or even to have il begin. They
, dawdled through the thronged hotel
office, where other irresponsible pairs
miring eyes Of the hotel loungers, and
they wandered up and down the waste
parlors and sat on tete-a-tetes just tC
try them 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
carpeted and upholstered desolatlor
around them, where only few lonely
and aging women lurked about on sofas
) and ottomans, and they fell to playing
D.. with their compassion for the plebeial
spectators at the long veranda Windows
;. trying to penetrate with their forbidden
eyes to the hop going on in the cour
= far beyond the intermediary desert O.
the parlors
When they signified at last that ihey
' were ready for me to lead them on tt
the dance, would so much rather hav,
gone to bed that there are no words TO
the comparison. Then, when we got Il
the place, which l should never hav
been able to reach i'll the world if it hat
, not been for the young energy and i'll
y spiration Of Hendricks, and they hat
put me in certain seat with Mis-
Cages wraps beside me where the.
could find me, they went off and dance,
for hours and hours. For hours ant
hours? For ages and ages, while with
cred away amid moldering mothers an,
saw MY charges through the dreadful
half dreams Of such state whirling il
the waltz, hopping in the polka, slidin
in the galop and then endlessly walk
ing up and down between the dance
and eating and drinking the chill re
Il. - 4.
ter to think of.
l suppose they decently came to M
from time to time, though they SCENE
to be always dancing, for could after
ward remember Miss Gage taking
wrap from me now and then, and quick
ly coming back to shed it upon my la
again l got so chilled that if they ha
not been Enthusiastically women's wraI
l should have bundled them all aboJ
my shoulders, which / could almoi