The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-27
THE SARATOGA HOP.
WILLIAM D. BOWELS DESCRIBES The
sAY FUNCTION.

fions Of the Young and the Not Young.
Mr. ". D. Hcwells' novelette, IAN
Open Eyed Conspiracy, 4" in The Cen
fury, contains the following description
Of that Important social function, q
Saratoga hop:
She and the evening were equally TT
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
bOaky court which the hotel incloses.
around this platform dropped the slim,
saH SRratogan trees, and over it hung
she Saratog4n sky, of a nocturnal blue
very rare in cur latitude, with the stars
faint in its depths, and by and By q
white moon that permitted itself a
modest competition with the electric
lights efulgent everywhere. There was
great crowd Of people in the portico.
the vestibu-e and the inner piazzas and
% the lawn around the platform, where
the trodden weed sent up the sweet
scent Of bruised grass in the cool night
air. Ny foolish cid heart bounded with
3 pulse OF youth at the thought Of all
the gay and tender possibilities of such
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 II 1t had eternity before it-an eter-
nifty Of youth-instead Of a 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 60 and
so if they were men, but if we were
really Young again we should not do at
al what we think.
We should not hurry TO experience
our emotions; we should ret press for
ward to discharge our duties or repair
our mistakes; we should not seize the
occasion to make a friend or reconcile
an enemy; we should let weeks and
months go by in the realization of
passion and trust all sorts Of contingent
eies 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-
riously eager in these matters and can
not wait with the fine patience of ma
ture IL her growing moods.
As soon even as I was In the hotel /
was inpatient to press through to the
place where the dancing was, and
where already heard the band play
ing. / knew very well that when we
got there I should have TO sit down
Somewhere on the edge Of the platform
with tie other frumps and fcgies and
begin taking cold In my dress coat and
want TO Goze off without being able to,
while ny young people were Waiting
together or else promenading up and
dsxu, ignoring me or recognizing me by
tire o1Eer Of e fan and the question
whesher I WAS rot simply melting. l
have. seCn k9sy tie poor chsperon fares
= sJ.sh til-,eS. Bat Trey, secure Of their
fnL. ware ~ 30 means DESTROYS to have
If oveI or eTca % have il begin. They
-daw 2;si through The thronged hotel
rs5lea, y here 0.5er irresponsible pairs
were coming AID going under the adj
neiriL z eyes q the hotel loGngers, and
t:,eF wandered up and down the waste
parlors and sat on tete-a-tetes just to
Try tl1sn apparently, and Miss Gage
verified Il ice mirrors the beauty which
WAS reflect. IL al eyes. They amused
themselves with the extent Of tie richly
carpeted and upholstered desolatIou
around them, where only few lonely
and aging women lurked about on sofas
and ottOmsns, and they fell to playing
with their compassion for the plebeian
spectators "a the long yeranda windows
trying to penetrate with their forbidden
eyes to the hop going on in the court
far beyond the intermediary desert Of
the parlo-s-
Wien they signifed 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 fer
the comparison. Then, when We got TO
the place, which l should never have
been able TO reach In the world if it had
not been fer the young energy and in
SEPARATION OF Hendricks, and they had
put me- IN a certain seat with Miss
Cages wraps beside me where they
could find ne, they went off and danced
for hours and hours. For hours and
hours2 For ages AID ages. while with
cred away amid moldering mothers and
saw my charges through the dreadful
half dreams Of such a state whirlipg in
the waltz, hopping in the polka, sliding
II the gaIop and then endlessly walk
ing up and down between the dances
ard eating aid drinking the chill re-
fresIsments 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 ! could after
ward remember Miss Cage taking q
wrap frcm me new and then, and quick
" coming back to shed il upon ny lap
sgain. 1 got SO chuled that II they ksd