A Description of Millenium Hall: And the Country Adjacent Together with the Characters of the Inhabitants and Such Historical Anecdotes and Reflections As May Excite in the Reader Proper Sentiments of Humanity, and Lead the Mind to the Love of VirtueScott, Sarah
Philosophy
A Description of Millenium Hall: And the Country Adjacent Together with the Characters of the Inhabitants and Such Historical Anecdotes and Reflections As May Excite in the Reader Proper Sentiments of Humanity, and Lead the Mind to the Love of Virtue
Scott, Sarah
Utopias -- Fiction
My cousin, I believe, was going to mention some other of the actions of
these ladies, which seemed a favourite topic with her, when the rest of
the company came into the garden, and we thought ourselves obliged to
join them.
The afternoons, in this family, generally concluded with one of their
delightful concerts; but as soon as the visitors were departed, the
ladies said, they would amuse us that evening with an entertainment
which might possibly be more new to us, a rustic ball. The occasion of
it was the marriage of a young woman who had been brought up by them and
had for three years been in service, but having for that whole time been
courted by a young farmer of good character, she had been married in the
morning, and that evening was dedicated to the celebration of their
wedding.
We removed into the servants' hall, a neat room, and well lighted, where
we found a very numerous assembly; sixteen couples were preparing to
dance; the rest were only spectators. The bride was a pretty, genteel
girl, dressed in a white calico gown, white ribbons, and in every
particular neat to an excess. The bridegroom was a well looking young
man, as clean and sprucely dressed as his bride, though not with such
emblematic purity. This couple, contrary to the custom of finer people
on such occasions, were to begin the ball together; but Lamont asked
leave to be the bride's partner for two or three dances, a compliment
not disagreeable to the ladies, and highly pleasing to the rest of the
company, except the bride, whose vanity one might plainly see did not
find gratification enough in having so genteel a partner to recompense
her for the loss of her Colin; he, however, seemed well satisfied with
the honour conferred on his wife.
That the bridegroom might not be without his share of civility, the
ladies gave him leave to dance with the eldest of the young girls more
particularly under their care, till his wife was restored to him.
We sat above an hour with this joyous company, whose mirth seemed as
pure as it was sincere, and I never saw a ball managed with greater
decorum. There is a coquetry and gallantry appropriated to all
conditions, and to see the different manner in which it was expressed in
this little set, from what one is accustomed to behold in higher life,
afforded me great amusement; and the little arts used among these young
people to captivate each other were accompanied with so much innocence
as made it excessively pleasing. We stayed about an hour and half in
this company, and then went to supper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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