The Wilmington morning star., 1946-09-04
MORE o
PLANTATIONS
FROM PAGE FOUR
waiting for him, and they passed

TaOG EOOA
waiting for him, and they passed
on across the creek. AS they ap-
preached the old Clayton mansion,
their ears were RECALLED with some
very delightful music, which
sounded ike the human voice &C
companied by some instrument.
On reaching the house, they be-
held The stranger, who a little
while before had been left at the
Neck, promenading up and down
the ballroom performing a plain
tive air on the violin, accompany
ing it with his voice, and as the
different couples arrived they were
highly entertained and wondered
who the stranger could be. The
Colonel said he had hardly gotten
in the room, when Maj. Ashe had
preceded him, came up and
whispered, cousin Sam, he is
surely a music master"
BY this time the party had all
assembled, and ready to begin
the dance. At that time their as
semblies were always opened with
the old fashioned contra dance,
which has now I believe become
obsolete, and each gentleman was
expected to take as his partner for
the first set, the lady whom ne
had brought with him. AS soon as
the couples were all arranged,
occupying in two lines the whole
length of the ball room, the music
struck up, a negro fiddler from
one of the neighboring plantations.
The first couple led off, and as
the figure was not well understood,
there was much awkwardness and
confusion, when the stranger
came forward, and said if any
lady would condescend to accept
him as a partner, he would take
the fiddle and play, at the same
time going through with the figure,
and then call out and direct The
dance so that there should be no
more confusion. They were all
glad to accept his services, and
one of the ladies having consented
to dance with him, he Immediately
struck up a lively air. and led off
with his partner, going through
he evolutions of the dance, never
missing a step or a note. He then
called on the next couple calling
the figures and so on until the
set was completed much to the
qualification of the whole party.
About this time said the Colonel,
Mai. Ashe came up and remarked,
cousin Sam, he is most a%ssuredly
a dancing master"
With such an acquisition as this
young stranger proved to direct
the dance and furnish music so
superior, the frolic went on merri-
ly. When the ladies retired just
before the supper was announced,
the young men, as the custom,
kept up the fun dancing Scotch
jigs, and doing various feats OF
agility. and the stranger entered
heartily into their merriment and
proved himself equal to any o.
them, and on being bantered by
some one, he proposed for a small
wager, that he would do a trick
that none of them could perform.
With that, taking an ordinary
sized dining table and placing il
in the middle of the room, he took
the fiddle and squatting down,
placed a shilling piece under each
ham, and commencing a lively air,
he sprang nimbly across the table,
first on one side and then the other,
keeping time with the music, and
never missing a note, and holding
on to the shilling pieces where he
had placed them. Presently Maj.
Ashe came up and whispered,
cousin Sam, this fellow is I'M
doubtedly a montebank."
After this the young men began
to be quite familiar with the
stranger and a plot was arranged
among them that each one should
invite him in turns to the side
board to drink. But the Colonel
overhearing their plot, and moi
approving it, informed him Of it.
The stranger replied, that he was
aware of their design and would
take care of himself, and never
declining to take wine with any OF
them, he soon had them all very
lively, while himself kept quite
cool. And SO the party passed of
very quietly, the ladies all declar-
ing it the p~leasantest assembly
they had ever attended, and gave
full credit to the stranger for hav-
ing contributed so large a share
toward the entertainment Of the
evening.
He remained in the Rocky Point
and North East neighborhood for
a considerable length Of time, be-
ing heartily welcomed at the hos
pitable mansions of all the gentry,
ready at all times 20 join in the
sports of the young people, and
being full of %ancedote, proved no
unwelcome companion at the fire.
side of the elders.
The name of the hero of the old
ColoneIs story was Tom Martin.
After becoming familiar with the
Colonel he related his history as
follows: