Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/228

230 to go, at eleven o'clock, to the prayer-meeting at the Presbyterian Church, which I did.

The services were so well conducted that, it seemed to me, any one who went once, could not refrain from going again. I continued going for a month, and during that time it seemed there were more little parties than had been in our city for a number of years. Then, again, I made up my mind to settle down and be quiet—to see and not see, to hear and not hear—but I found it was impossible to do this and continue my occupation as a hair-dresser.

During this series of meetings, there were two large parties given, and I attended them both, notwithstanding I had promised myself, about four hundred times, that I would not go to any more of their gay parties. There was a young Misses' party on East Fourth-street, and all the elite of the city were there. The young girls were all pretty and graceful, and there was a great display of youthful beauty. At first I stayed up stairs, and would not go and see them dance; but I loved some of them dearly, and concluded I must go and see them enjoy themselves. I stayed during the evening, and watched the young curly heads, smooth faces, and brilliant dresses; they looked like little fairies flitting about from room to room: occasionally several bearded gentlemen were seen in their midst, which made them look even more fairy-like than before.

The two little hostesses were sisters, and received their guests with all the grace and dignity of ladies that had been entertaining for twenty-five or thirty years; they seldom danced, but kept looking round to see that all enjoyed themselves; and at the supper-table