Kansas Monthly Souvenir from Atchison, Kansas • 18

A Visit from St. Nicholas. ifefelflf Every seat in the barn was already occupied. Girls and boys were sitting together in pairs, chatting, laughing, or whispering tenderly to one another; but all impatient to begin the dance. I ensconced myself in a quiet comer to watch the proceedings and I had not long to wait.

When the gentlemen of the orchestra had got through the tedious and somewhat squeaky process of tuning, they began to stop over some tunes lightly whether on their own account, or by way of a preliminary coaxer, I cannot saybut instantly up rose about a dozen pairs, and irmed themselves round for the dance. "Now, boys, give us somethin' for a good figure said, or rather shouted, one of the happy swains to the fiddlers. And forthwith the musicians began to make rather violent exertions in determined endeavors to give every one in the place the privilege of hearing the mellifluous harmonies of Bessy block." In a moment they were all in their places; and at a given signal from the gentleman who had commanded the violinists to begin, off they went into hands across," "ladies' chain," "face yer partner," "fchuffle and cut," etc. each one dancing as if every eye in the barn was upon him or her the girls slipping about with all the grace they could muster, and the boys shuffling through, with their heads up, in what they evidently considered unparalleled style. This was kept up it being an eight-part figure for about fifteen minutes at the end of which time the perspiration was to be observed trickling fiom a goodly number of noses, and most of all from the pr'obosces of the fiddlers.

At the conclusion, the boys led the girls to a seat on their knees, be it whispered and the fiddlers having refreshed themselves with "adhrop of somethin' strong," a fresh party rose and arranged themselves for another dance. This time a tall young man of rather primitive appearance, earing a red necktie and a collar that enveloped about half his head, spoke to the musicians thus "Billy! a say, Billy! hi, Billy! strack us up somethin' fur an owl reel the divil a bit o' use the other dances is." When he had thus politely made his request, he spat on his hand, and otherwise energetically prepared to show them a bit o' dancin' as he himself expressed it. And show them a bit o' dancin' he certainly did. In setting to his partner, he dived from one side to the other in the most ludicrous ST. NICHOLAS ON HIS TRAVELS.

A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS. And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, ''Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Clement C. Moore.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Xot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains ior a long winter's nap When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, 3ut a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew, in a moment, it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name Now, Dasher now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen To the top the porch to the top of the wall Mow dash away dash away dash away all As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas, too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack. His eyes' how they twinkled! his dimples how manner, no doubt intending it for graceful motion; and when it came to facing his partner, he drew himself up as erect as alamp-post, and hammered the old dingy floor till he was lost, or nearly so, amid the dust he had raised. Then off he would shoot again, with the air of a man who has just performed a great action, mostly managing to come into rather violent collision with some unfortunate couple who chanced to be in his way. I may mention in his behalf, however, that the owl reel to which they were dancing was the decidedly attractive and inspiring one of The smokin' bowl of tay." This had, doubtless, something to do with the zealous mannej in which he acquitted himself. The smokin' bowl of tay" having been disposed of, a fresh set rose; and so on, until every one in the house had danced two or three times.

The names they had given to a good many of their tunes are worthy of notice. As every tune was played, I inquired the name of it, and was sometimes gravely answered, The pot of parritch," "What the divil ails ye?" Pay soup," or such like unpretending title. Shakspeare says, What's in a name? but really I think Will would have changed his mind on the subject had he heard a few like the foregoing. When, at about twelve o'clock, the last set, previous to a change in the programme, were on the floor, it was observed that the barn was so full that there were no seats left for those who were dancing. Accordingly, my rural acquaintance, who had been vainly entreating me half the night to dance, came to me and intimated, with an air of the utmost solemnity, that as I would not join the dance, I should at least have to nurse in other words, that I should have to take one of the damsels on my knee.

Of course I remonstrated earnestly with him on the subject but all was of no avail. It's no use, now," said he, "yer not goin' to git sittin' there, stuck up in a corner all night. I'll go and git ye a sweetheart afther this dance is over." Here was a predicament. Anything in reason 1 would have gladly done to make myself agreeable but this and I think my readers will agree with me I considered out of the question. The fair creatures, with all possible respect to them, had an appearance of physical prosperity which at once brought me to the conclusion that most of their dresses contained at least from 140 to 160 lbs.

in weight a conclusion that made me not a whit less anxious to get out of my little difficulty. VISIT TO AN IRISH COUNTRY DANCE. Some little time ago I was invited by a rural friend of mine to attend a country ball, which was to come off in a large barn adjoining his house, situate between Divis and Lough Neagh, in the lower part of the county Antrim. Having long had a desire to see a dance of this sort, I went and I shall now endeavor to give my readers a correct idea of one of these rustic gatherings in that part of the country, and to narrate briefly my rather strange adventures that night. On arriving at the residence of my friend, I was ushered into a long room off the kitchen or, as the countryfolk have it, I was taken "up the house." Here I found a few rosy damsels, dressed very gaily, partaking of wine or 'whisky and biscuits, and chatting over the coming events.

On my entrance, however, they ceased to cat as well as to talk, and though repeatedly pressed to put forrit their han'," resolutely refused to refresh themselves further with the good things on the table. I observed, too, that those of them who had not finished their liquor sipped at it in a way that was anything but natural, and always glanced over to see whether I was look ing or not before they ventured to drink. But in a little while they grew more confident; and half an hour afterwards, when I had shared in the hospitality of the house, we all proceeded to the barn together, the best of friends. On entering the door of that important edifice, the first thing that attracted my notice was the chandelier. It consisted of a broomstick, nailed perpendicularly in the centre of two crossed sticks, and was thus suspended from a rafter about the middle of the room.

On the four ends of these crossed sticks were fastened four small candles and this, with the addition of two more candles, which adhered to the walls at either end of the house, served to adorn and light the happy scene. All around the barn were placed, for seats, long planks which rested on barrels and sacks of corn and at the further end somethinglike a platform was erected, which, on inquiry, I was told was fur the fiddlers." We seemed to be just in time; for these gentlemen, two in number, entered immediately after us, and mounting the platform, began, with an air of great consequence, to screw up their instruments and resin their bows. merry His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when helaughed.like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings then turned with a jerk,.