The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-12-02
THE SARATOGA HOP.
WILLIAM D. HOWELLs DESCRIBES THE
GAY FUNCTION.

tury, contains the following description
OF that important social function, q
Saratoga hop:
She and the evening were equally hit
ted for the event to which they seemed
equally dedicated. The dancing was TO
be out of doors on q vast plankins, or
platform, set up IN the heart OF that
bosky court which the hotel incloscS.
Around this platform Grooped the slim,
tall Saratogan trees, and over It hung
the Saratogan sky, of {; nocturnal blue
very rare in our latitude, with the st;,rS
faint in its depths, and by and by a
white moon that permitted itself 4
modest competition with the electric
lights efulgent everywhere. There was
a great crowd Of people III the portlco
the vestibule and the inner piaZz&s and
on the lawn around the platform, where
1.-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 III it. We
oldsters are always fancying youth iia-
patient, but there is no time of life
which has so much patience. 1t behaves
as if it had eternity before it--;;n eter-
nifty of youth-instead of q few days
and years and then the frosty pow. We
who are young no longer think we
would do so and SO if we We're young,
as women think they would GO so and
so if they We're men, but if VIC 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 rot seize the
occasion to make friend Or reconcile
an enemy; we should let weeks and
months go by in the realization Of q
passion and trust all sorts OF contingent
cies and accidents to help rs 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 tren-
ulously eager in these matters and cam
not wait with the fine patience OF ma
ture in her growing moods
As soon even as was III the hotel /
was impatient to press through 10 the
place where the dancing was, and
where I already heard the band play
ing. I knew very well THAI when we
got there I should have to sit down
somewhere on the edge OF the platform
with the other. frumps and foSles and
begin taking cold in my dress coat and
want to doze off without being able TO,
while my young people were waltzlns
| together or else promenadlng up and
down, ignoring me or recognizing me by
| the offer of fan and the question
whether I was not simply melting. I
have seen how the poor chaperon fares
at such times. But they, secure Of their
fun, We're by no means GeSirous TO have
it over or even to have it begin. They
daw6led through the thronged hotel
Office, where other irresponsible pairs
were coming and going under the ad-
miring eyes of the hotel lcungers, and
they wandered up and down the waste
parlors and sat on tete-a-tetes just t"
try them apparently, and Miss Gage
verified in the mirrors the beauty which
was reflected in all eyes. They amused
them selves with the extent OF the richly
carpeted and upholstered desol&lon
around them, where only few lonely
and aging women lurked about cn sofas
and ottomans, and they fell to playing
with their compassion for the plebe!aL
spectators at the long veranda windows
trying to penetrate with their forbidden
eyes to the hop going on in the ccUrt
far beyond the Intermediary desert OF
the parlors.
When they sigpified at last that they
were ready for me to lead them on to
the dance, would so much rather have
gone to bed that there are no words ter
the comparison. Then, when we got TO
the place, which I should never have
been able to reach in the world if it mad
not been for the young energy and in
spiration of Hendricks, and they had
put me in q certain seat with Miss
Cages wraps beside me where they
could find sne, they went off aud danced
for hours and hours. For hours and
hours? For ages and ages, while with
cred away amid moldering mothers and
saw my charges through the dreadful
half dreams of such state whirllnS III
the waltz, hopping in the polka, sliding
in the galop and then endless]y walk
ing up and down between the dances
and eating and drinking the chill re-
freshments that it made my teeth chat
ter to think of.
I suppose they decently came to me
from time to time, though they seemed
to be always dancing, for l could after
ward remember Miss Gage taking a
wrap from me row and then, aud quick
" coming back to shed it upon my lap
again. I got so chilled that if they had
not been Enthusiastically women's wraps
T should have bundled them al about
my shoulders, which l could almost
hear creak with rheumatism. | must
have fallen into q sort Of browse at last,
for was having dispute with some
sort of authority, which turned out to
be Mrs. March, and upbraiding her with
the feet that there We're no wcmen's 5
wraps which would also do for 4 man,
when the young people stood ann IN
arm before me, and Miss Gage said that
she was tired to death now, and they
were going.
Differentiated.
'sOstriches swallow rocks to he!n
grind their food. y
eyes, and poor, downrroGden man
orin6s his own food and gives the rocks