Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/89

Rh those that were not talking were looking out for the Saratoga papers, to see what was said about themselves, and all the news.

Suddenly I heard a great shout and huzza on the street; I looked out and heard a telegraphic dispatch had come from New York with the intelligence that the Atlantic Cable was completed and all right. Then came orders for a general jubilee; some began preparing speeches; some getting up different kinds of illuminations; some doing one thing, and some another, but none idle. Through all the excitement, I got some twenty-two or three-arranged for dinner, all dressed in their best for the occasion.

After dinner, they tried to see how many could go to the lakes. I believe there were more carriages out that day than had been out for years. After dark, the streets were full of bonfires, houses and stores were illuminated, fireworks of all kinds were set off; then came shouts for speakers; some called for Washington Irving; some for Mr. Cooley; some for Mr. Randel, of Philadelphia; some again for Gen. Cadwallader, and many others. Numbers of eloquent speeches were made; all went well till an eminent lawyer got up and began quoting Scripture; he got to the passage, "He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm,"—when he could neither tell whether the passage was in John, James or Genesis, and he made such a faux pas that it afforded a good deal of amusement to the spectators. After the speeches were finished, all dressed exquisitely and rushed to the ball-room, where they spent a very gay and merry evening, all in honor of the laying of the cable. It was the topic of conversation for a few