The Mornin'-Glory Girl

								

evening one delicate lady fainted from excitement and overpowering
stable odors. She speedily revived, however, on being carried into the
fresh air and soused with a bucket of cold water. The building was
illuminated with lanterns and an occasional oil lamp. Benches were
ranged along the walls. The crowd was large and as usual at these
affairs men predominated in numbers. The dances were mostly square
ones and when a husky caller-off became hoarse and exhausted with
shouting, another took his place. He usually stood at one end of the
building beside the fiddler.
Howard led Nell through the intricacies of a square dance.
“Salute your partner,” yelled Geordie Hodgekiss, the first caller-off.
Howard gravely did as ordered.
“Grand chain,” bawled Geordie evidently feeling his importance,
“dos-et-dos, ladies’ chain, swing on the corners, and put some feelin’
in your step.



    Ladies cross your lily-white hands

    And gents your black and tan,

    Ricketty jig and away we go.”
Which last order was the signal for a giddy frolic. Finally,
“Everybody promenade, you know where,” and the dancers joined the
spectators on the benches.
“Here come the Wopps,” said Nell to her companion as the family
entered, led as usual by Mrs. Wopp. Mr. Wopp came next especially
scoured for the occasion, freshly shaved and with long side hair
carefully oiled and combed over the bald spot on his crown. He carried
a few long strips of paper in his hand. Beside him walked Betty
inwardly disapproving of the two stiff braids with which her head was
adorned. Bringing up the rear was Moses, his face shining with soap
and satisfaction and wearing a new brown suit at least two sizes too
large for him. He was bent on a good time which in his case meant
sitting on a side bench with a few other youths and jeering at the
mistakes of the dancers. Close at his heels came Jethro who had
pleaded so hard to be brought along and had gazed at them with such
tragic appeal in his eyes that they could not disappoint him. He was
now stationed under a bench, having first been intimidated with dire
threats as to what would happen to him should he come out and trip up
the dancers.
“Choose your partners for a quadrille,” called Geordie, and once more
the floor was filled. There was room for six sets and in one of these
stood Mr. Wopp with his partner Nell, while at the capacious side of
Mrs. Wopp was Howard.
“Salute your partner, swing—your partner.” Mrs. Wopp who had expected
“Swing on the corner,” had seized the unfortunate Mr. Wopp and in
spite of his struggles was spinning him violently around, while their
respective partners stood and looked helplessly on.
“Stop Mar, lemme go, you are wrong,” gasped the little man whose
efforts to escape from her clutches had grown more and more feeble.
“Drat that man, anyhow, why carnt he say what he means?” answered the