Rock Island Argus., 1896-11-20
THE SARATOGA HOP.
WILLIAM o. HoWELLS DESCRIBES THE
GAY FUNCTION.

Dancers, but tho Chaperon withered
Away Among Moldering Mothers-Emo-
tions of the Young and the Not Young.
Mr.. W. D. Howells' novelette, IAN
Open Eyed Conspiracy. in The Cen
tury, contains the following description
OF that important social function, a
Saratoga hop:
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 drooped the slim,
tall Saratogan trees, and over it hung
the Saratogan sky, of nocturnal blue
very rare in our latitude, with the stars
faint in its depths, and by and by
white moon that permitted itself
modest competition with the electric
lights effulgent everywhere.' There was
q great crowd Of people in the portico,
the vestibule and the inner piazzas and
OH 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 in no haste to mingle in it. We
oldsters are always fancying youth i'm
patient, but there is no time of life
which has SO much patience. 1t behaves
as if it had eternity before it-an 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 tn ink.
We should net 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 q friend or reconcile
an enemy; we should let weeks and
months 60 by in the realization of a
passion and trust all sorts of contingen-
cies and accidents to help us out with
its confession. The thoughts of youth
are very long, and its conclusions are
deliberate and delayed and often with
held altogether. 1t is age which is trem-
ulously eager in these matters and can
not wait with the fine patience of ma
ture in her growing moods.
As soon even as was in the hotel
was impatient to press through to the
place where tho dancing was, and
where / already heard the band play
ing. l knew very we'll that when we
got there l should haya-tp sit down
somewhere on the edge of the platform
with the other frumps ard fogies and
begin taking cold in NY dress coat and
want to dozo off without being able to,
while my young people were waltzing
together or else promenading up and
down, ignoring mo or recognizing me by
the offer Of q fan and tie question
whether was not simply melting.
have seen how the poor chaperon fares
at such times But they, secure Of thei,
fun. were by no means desirous to have
it over or even to have it begin. They
dawdled through the thronged hotel
office, where other irresponsible pairs
were coming aud going under the ad
miring eyes Of the hotel loungers, snd
they wandered up and down the waste
parlors and sat on tete- a. tetes Just tc
try them apparently, and Miss Gagt
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 sofa q.
and ottomans, and they fell to play ing
with their compassion for the plebeia1
spectators at the long veranda window.
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 the,
were ready for me to lead them ON I,
the dance. would so much rather hav,
gone to bed that there are no words fo,
the comparison. Then, when we got tt
the place, which I should never hav,
been able to reach in the world if it baf
not been for the young energy and in
spiration Of Hendricks, and they baf
put me in o certain seat with Mis-