Year: 1874

In London, in order 10 ''get on" one
must be very great or famous, or must
dance. Unless a man is a very decided
catch and an object to the "mammas,"
or is enough Of lion to make him ft
for exhibition, dancing is about his only
utility. The average London man Of
society thinks dancing a very slow
amusement He is either athletic and
prefers hunting and yachting, or he f.
dissolute, and simple pleasures pail npon
his jaded appetite. As rule, too, the
important young men do not dance. The
greater a man IL the more is he careful
to abstain from anything which will
make him entertaining. His dullness
is always in proportion to bis distinction.
The same holds true with regard to con-
versation or to any other sort Of contri-
button to the amusement Of others. He
is only agreeable and clever from whom
fortune has withheld better gifts than
talent or the power Of pleasing. He on
ly would be witty who is without solid
advantages. A talking man" is in
danger of being snubbed, and nobody
can help plying the ridiculous fellows
who sing at the afternoon "musicals."


To be sure, all young people dance.
How would golden youth" be possible
if there were no "ballrooms2" But
when men get toward five and twenty,
those who can afford not to dance desert
the balls for the concert. saloons. Young
noblemen and eldest sons will spend a
few moments at the parties, and, as a
great favor to the hostess, will walk
through quadrille with the prettiest
girl in the room. But how can one who
has at hand the can-can and the casinos
find amusement in anything 80 puerile
as the waltz? Who cares to talk 10 hum
drum cousins when one can drink bad
champagne with painted woman ia a
gilded cafe near the Haymarket? II Is
only cadets, clerks, in the treasury,
youths with no particular expectations,
who dance. Among the diplomatists,
attaches waltz; a counc ilor or secretary
may under protest. knew one exces-
sively light-headed envoy who would
dance now and then, but who always
took care to dance badly.


The talk Of the young men concern
ing balls and parties is, however, to be
taken with a considerable discount
They are "bores," and this tone the
poorer young men catch from the more
fortunate swells. A clerk in the foreign
Office, when asked him his destination,
said, "To this-ball" OF course, the
young man was exceedingly glad to
have gotten a card, but he shuhled off
to "this--ball1 with the air Of a mar
tyr. .....-


Still, dancing young men are scarce
enough to make ladies who give partie,
anxious to get them; and il ore is GO
ing to a ball, though il may he more
digniied to walk about solus and stare,
it is certainly pleasanier TO dance


Accordingly, when diplomatic ap-
pointment made me n resident Of Lon
don, determined to learn to dance.
Cato learned Greek when he was eighty,
and I was twenty-five before could do
the deux temps. was reared in q pious
household, in which dancing was thought
to be wicked. After leaving college
acquired notion of my own dignity
quite inconsistent with 80 frivolus past
time. G give my experience in this
matter at some length, because / know
it will represent that Of great many
others) But, Of course, / outgrew this
dignity in time, and came 10 look upon
that notion as only another and rather
smaller sort of coxcombry. Between
your frivolous and your philosophic
coxcomb / much prefer the former, az
the more amiable Of the two.--LippiH-
cotfs for 1pril