Tonald was a
Crofter from the hills, and had a secret still of his
own which made him a sort of uncrowned king among the
Crofters. It was a tight race for popularity between
mother and Tonald in that set, and when the two stars
met face to face in the "Balance all!" Tonald surpassed
all former efforts. He cracked his heels together, he
snapped his fingers; he threaded the needle; he wrung
the dishcloth--oh you should have seen Tonald!
Then big John clapped his hands together, and the first
figure was over.
In the second figure for which the violins played "My
Love Is but a Lassie Yet," Mrs. Slater's memory began to
revive, and the dust of twenty years fell from her dancing
experience. She went down the centre and back again,
right and left on the side, ladies' chain on the head,
right hand to partner and grand right and left, as neat
as you please, and best of all, when all the ladies
circled to the left, and all the gentlemen circled to
the right, no one was quicker to see what was the upshot
of it all; and before big John told them to "Form the
basket," mother whispered to father that she knew what
was coming, and father told mother she was a wonderful
woman for a Methodist. "Turn the basket inside out,"
"Circle to the left--to the centre and back, circle to
the right," "Swing the girl with the hole in her sock,"
"Promenade once and a half around on the head, once and
a half around on the side," "Turn 'em around to place
again and balance all!" "Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Mother wanted to quit then, but dear me no! no one would
let her, they would dance the "Break-down" now, and leave
out the third figure, and as a special inducement, they
would dance "Dan Tucker.
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