College stories, American; Princeton (N.J.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Princeton University -- Fiction
Except for the five dances which he saves out for himself you see very
little of your host during the evening, and even then he seems worried
and absent-minded. It no doubt piques you a little that the moment the
music ceases he leaves you, and, with an expression on his face which
reminds you of when "Pigs in Clover" was the rage, darts across the
room, bumping into people and begging pardons. The only time he looks
comfortable and recalls to your mind last Christmas holidays is when
he and you have slipped off to one of those quiet little nooks so
bounteously adorned with rugs and hangings, brought for the occasion
from some dormitory room, to enjoy two little bits of ice which he has
pillaged from the supper-room. Then for a while he seems to forget his
cares, and you two have a good old-fashioned chat. You notice a streak
of chicken-salad along his silken collar, but that gives you no
adequate idea of the muscle and bad language required to secure and
bear away those two little dabs of ice and one napkin, any more than
his anxious expression indicates the amount of patience and ubiquity
required to "run" three girls' cards at a college dance.
All this time you have been going through the several different stages
of "a perfectly lovely time." You have shown a lot of young men how
well you can dance, and have gotten along very well with all you have
met except that once when you asked sweetly, sympathetically, "Won't
you be just too glad to be a sophomore next year?" of a very studious
and diminutive member of the graduating class. The chat is no longer
about the concert, nor is the heat mentioned, though it is terrific,
nor the effect of the lights upon the pink and white cheese-cloth,
except by those gallants who see fit to say something about its being
becoming to certain complexions. And, most gratifying of all, you
notice that those who have your name on their cards more than once
come the second time without being brought. Indeed, some come again
who have not that good fortune, and you pay slight attention to your
card after supper, but dance with those who come up and beg for a
dance, because you are tender-hearted and hate to displease them. It
is a good plan to lose your card now or hide it. Some girls tear up
theirs the moment they come, for fear they might make a mistake, and
consequently hurt somebody's feelings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account