The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-27

Whether the farm was to be a
<'model," a hobby Of some old rich
Southerner, or whether it was built
by the owner, whose name was
"Model," I don't know. And how
it ever entered the girls minds to Sc
lect that point of desolation for a
"show down. to their sweethearts,
was always mystery to me.
We tied up at the bank, the gang
plank was thrown out, and then be-
gan our march around the driveway
toward the front Of the building, the
cid sailor-man, Capt. Buck, officiating
and being directing officer. The ne
groes with the guns and the steward
with refreshments brought up the rear.
Lights were started, but the least
noise in that old deserted castle
echoed and reverberated up and down
those great arched corridors, and when
The music began it all sounded like
sudden awakening from centuries Of
chaos or sleep, as if the earth had
reused itself up, with all the roar and
1iseordant noises Of the worlds ac-
tivities.
The girls had furnished us with a
eross-eyed fiddler to play first violin,
a hard featured old sinner, who SEEM
ed never to have smiled in his life,
his eyes so close together they appear
ed as only one, and which, when he
Rocked at you, fairly burned hole
through you. We called him old Cy-
clops. Another old knight Of the bow,
a counterpart Of Cyclops, played bass
yiol. We had brought with US one Of
our own men to knock the bones, and
he certainly was an artist in his
line. We always called him "Chany
of the Bones" Hot Spur and Capt.
Blossum placed the negroes with guns
down the road some distance, as they
said, ''to keep off cowans and caves
droppers.
Now came the word from old Bones,
"Draw your partners for the first
quadrille!" Then the fun began.
Each man drew his sweetheart, Of
course, for the first set. There being
only seven of the,girls, we had to rope
a man in for stag couple. "Recruit'
took the place of girl, tying a hand
kerchief around his arm to distinguish
him as a lady. Connie, being the chap
eron said she couldn It dance, but | saw
Hester shoot her vicious glance, and
whisper something to Dell. Oh! the
girls were in joyous frame Of mind,
and would guy US by calling out,
"Now, Richmond, show your feather,
don't grow tame, or Rockets Will
wake up another house,
The dance was lively from the start,
and at the end Of each set the couples
would repair to the refreshment room
to drink lemonade, and the boys, we'll,
they drank what came handy.
Things went from fast to furious
as the night wore on. I forgot to tell
YOU, the women wore hoop skirts in
those days, and they were an aboml-
nation at a dance. for they were IN
everybody's way. So the girls went
into their dressing room and discarded
them. What a change it made IN
their outward looks, from the cum
bersome hoops to the neat, 1.-THE and
symmetrical forms, their wllloWy
contours, swaying to the rhythm
Of the dance music. Near the end OF
one set Connie came TO the ball room
door. She had shed her crinoline, too,
and was dressed in all the parapher-
MALTA of her dancing riggings, her
little bewitching toes peeping out
from beneath some light lingerie, and
patting time to the stirring strains
of the music, her face radiant and
wreathed in smiles At the close OF
the set a rush was made for the
hand of the little Mother Superior
for the next quadrllle.
From then on the old house rocked.
The old sailor would yell out, 1.-THE
north wind has struck the old house;
throw out more ballast and reef your
main SAIL The girls would call out
at every sally, ''Come down to your
marrow bones, Richmond; Rockets
got the CALI The fddles shrieked
and old Bones ratified the sticks over
his head. The boys were hilarious and
the girls jubilant. Along towards one
O'Clock matters became furious. Then
old Bones sang out, "Get your part
ners for the old VIRGINIA Reel. - This