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PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON DANCING. 25 and pretence, for if she had, she would never be married twice in the same church, particularly as she must pass the simple white tomb of her late husband in the church yard the very tomb she had placed over his grave."

As Blanche descended from her carriage, Madge Willis stood in the church porch; a cold shudder thrilled through her frame, and, heedless of ceremony, she withdrew her hand hastily from the gouty earl, and passed along into the aisle. The words,” said I not the whitest meat to the kite's nest,” echoed to her ear; and she also noted the half muttered “peace woman,” of Lord Dunmeade, as he passed a purse into the witch's hand. Before the conclusion of the ceremony,

all observed the rapidly changing countenance, and fearfully heaving breast of the beautiful bride ! As she proceeded out of the church, the aged bridegroom's arm was insufficient for her support; and her father almost carried her into the open air. She revived a little, and murmured the words,” Stop stop,” in his ear; she looked wildly around for a moment, and then, with a convulsive effort, threw herself upon Eversham's grave. They raised her tenderly from the earth -her father knelt her child pressed her cold. hands in his little bosom all were agitated by. one common feeling even the Lord of Dunmeade felt deeply; -it was useless -the sacrifice was made -the victim had expired!

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON DANCING.

HOWEVER impossible it may be to acquire a knowledge of dancing unassisted by a master, we feel satisfied, that without depreciating the talent or attention of those by whom they have been instructed in the art, many of our readers may derive much benefit from an attentive perusal of the following observations. It would be folly for us to attempt teaching steps, and useless to offer a series of figures; our attention will be much more profitably directed, so far as regards the reader, to the carriage and deportment of the person, and in suggesting such simple exercises as will tend to improve those who are deficient, and to confirm those who are correct.

OF THE ARMS AND HANDS.

The proper carriage of the arms is certainly one of the greatest difficulties in dancing; it therefore demands the utmost attention on the part of the pupil. Of all the movements made in dancing, the opposition or contrast, of the arms with the feet is the most natural to us : to this, however, but little attention is in general paid. If any person be observed, when in the act of walking, it will be found, that when the right foot is put foward, the left arm follows, and vice versa : this is at once natural and graceful; and a similar rule should, in all cases, be followed in dancing. As much depends on placing the arms properly, and in moving them with grace, as in the execution of steps, -for dancing consists not in the motion of the feet alone, -it requires the appropriate accompaniment of the arms and body: without which, the art degenerates into a mere fantastic mode of stepping. The arms should be kept in an easy semi oval position, so that the bend of the elbows be scarcely perceptible; otherwise, they would present right angles, which would so offend the eye, as to destroy all appearance of ease or elegance. Care must be taken, neither to raise the shoulders nor spread the arms too far out. The proper situation of the arms, in dancing, is a little in front of the body; they should advance or recede in a natural series of oppositions to the direction of the feet in the execution of the various steps; their movements, in performing these contrasts, must not be sudden or exaggerated, but so easy as to be almost imperceptible. The dress should be held between the fore finger and thumb of each hand: it is a matter of importance to overcome both tremor and rigidity of the fingers, which should be gracefully grouped, so that the palm be partially seen in front.

In dancing Quadrilles, when the lady advances with her partner, and in all the figures where the hands join, the arms should be kept of such a mcderate height as is consistent with grace (Fig. 1).