Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/82

84 generally kept the door, many were disappointed at first; in a short time, however, the managers came forward and threw open the doors; they would not have the ladies stifled with heat, to deprive a few people of the pleasure of looking in. I afterward found out the reason of the bar-keeper keeping the door shut; gentlemen from other places, not wishing to participate in the gayeties of the ball-room, would give him a little some thing, and he would slip them in to look on a while, and then slip them out again; so he thought, by keeping the door closed, he would gain more for himself. This night the ball-room was crowded with beauty and elegance. I noticed a clergyman, his daughter, and her companion, there. The first season this reverend gentleman came to Saratoga, he was accompanied by a gay young gentleman; he would strut up and down the promenade, with his white kids and high collar, during the week; on Sunday he would preach in the different pulpits, and on ball nights, he was in the ball-room. The ladies dodged round and peeped at him, thinking he was either an old bachelor or a widower; however, he managed to get acquainted with some of the bon ton of Saratoga, which so perfectly delighted him, that, this season, he brought his daughter and her associate. Then the gentlemen were all dodging and peeping round, as the report had gone out that she was wealthy.

I noticed, that night, she attracted as much attention as some belles who had been there some ten, twelve, or fifteen years. After taking a bird's-eye view of the ball-room, I passed on to the linen-room, which is the housekeeper's department, where the