The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-08
PROVIDENCE. r. Z

| their annual harvest supper. Wond-
| rous tales OF the viands the cook was
preparing up i'm the big house" made
| ones mouth water. and burly laborers
smiled even more expansively than il
| the won't OF their kind as they told Of
the beer ami baccy which were free
20 ali comers
The scene IN the village institute on
| the night Of his annual dissipation was
quaint enough. The long room. decked
with wealth OF green boughs and
piacards bearing somewhat fulsome
eulogies of the virtues of the lord OF
the manor and his family, was ranged
with Tong tables literally groanns un-
der the weight OF the yiands. Great
joints OF the finest beef hams. fowls
ples-and such pies!--lay amid banks
or flowers and ferns. A dozen or more
ruady-faced villagers. with hair oiled
down until it seemed 60 have haen
painted on their heads. their sunday
clothes covered with spotlcss white
aprons. stood ready to act their part
AK walters. A son Cg the house was
az the head of the center table and
the others were presided over by the
steward, haiiin. local ecclesiastical dig
nitaries. ana other mon OF weight and
standing i'm the little community.
While the seats were filed with APPLE
checked lasSes and sturdy men and
bowed and wrinklcd "sranfcrs" How,
they al eat, Pie followed beef. ana
beef gave way to chicken and ham.
ana then huge plum puddings melted
like SNOW fakes I'm the sun before this
onslaught. There was little fallxing.
the rattle Of steel against china and
the cl'nk of glasses were all we heard
untll the wreck only OF the array OF
viands remained and a great. unani-
NOUS sigh OF contentment went up 10
the ratters. Then another hour was
HaN In. n,
serious business OF the evening was
over. Tables were cleared like magic.
dais for the orchestra--a piano q cor
net and a fiddle--was erected. and then
baskstfuls OF scraped candles were
trcdden into the floor 20 prepare FOR
da,~ing.
When all was ready the guests be-
gan 20 arrive-the rector with his
daughters: local worthless i'm morning
dress and pumps: their female rela-
tives. decked in dainty dinner blouses.
which lent a touch of color and fes-
tivty TO the scene. and village maid
ems. whose fnery ran TO little more
than a new ribbon on church going
frocks or a knot OF flowers i'm their
hair. one young man was decked i'm a
painfully new dress suit cut i'm "A
model Of perhaps forty years anti
guilty and he looked exceedingly proud
of his isolation.
i ne 0duttS we're enough. the
young lady visitors had managed 10
coax a few waltzes into the program.
but square and country dances pre-
dominated. These last. with names
such az would strike wonder into the
heart Of "A fashionable young man.
were not without their picturesqueness
They We're generally modelled on ''Sir
Roger" and were danced with a vigor
that was commendabe the couples
from each end of the line--ladies one
side. men the other--down the center,
back again. courtesying and igging
merily for an Interval which would |
suffice 70 rt'hree ordinary dances.
While the young ones danced the |
elders sat and gossiped. and the men |
folk absorbed beer and tobacco IN gi- |
gantic quantities in an adjoining room.
TO the accompaniment OF doleful and !
interninable songs. generally sung |
with the least possible regard to tune.
But they enjoyed themselves. as. did
every one. Enjoyment was the key
note 0f the whole affair bright eyes
and smiling lips testified TO the ha l. |
nesa of men and maidens. and IL was |
with sigh of regret that they at last |
stood 20 sing God Save the Queen" |
and then melted slowly away into the |
shadows cast by the silver moon shin |
ing brightly in the hazy lights shat |
told or the approach OF dawn