. Sketches and chronicles of the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, historical, biographical, and statistical; . ing-Parties, Apple-Bees, Raisings, Quiltings, Weddings,Spinning-Parties, and Balls, were made occasions of hilarityand social good-cheer—though generally conducted with rus-tic simplicity and the strictest regard to economy. Mr. Mor-ris says— When young people of both sexes assembled to-gether for amusement, they employed themselves principallyin dancing, luhile one of the company sang. The first use ofthe violin in this town for a dance, was in the year 1748. Thewhole expense of the
. Sketches and chronicles of the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, historical, biographical, and statistical; . ing-Parties, Apple-Bees, Raisings, Quiltings, Weddings,Spinning-Parties, and Balls, were made occasions of hilarityand social good-cheer—though generally conducted with rus-tic simplicity and the strictest regard to economy. Mr. Mor-ris says— When young people of both sexes assembled to-gether for amusement, they employed themselves principallyin dancing, luhile one of the company sang. The first use ofthe violin in this town for a dance, was in the year 1748. Thewhole expense of the amusement, although the young peoplegenerally assembled, did not exceed one dollar, out of whichthe fiddler was paid ! When this instance of profusion tookplace, parents and old people exclaimed that they should beruined by the extravagance of the youth. In 1798, continuesthe same writer, a ball, with the customary entertainmentand variety of music, cost about $160, and nothing was saidabout it. It is not to be inferred from this difference, thatour youth had become more vicious than formerly ; but it. E,ig.!rfrLCa;D».«. aom a cnyon sketch by Kunbrajidt Peale in the posscstion of Ge».Cibl»,Esci. THE STOLEN BRIDE. 163 serves to sliow a material change in the wealth and characterof the people. Tradition yet tells of the festivities and merry-makings thattook place on Litchfield Hill, when, a sliort time before theRevolution, a gallant young officer of the militia led to thehymenial altar the accomplished daughter of one of the mag-nates of the town ; and how, in the midst of their rejoicings,the bride was mysteriously spirited away, and borne on horse-back to a quiet inn in Northfield ; with what fleetness, on thatbright autumnal evening, the bridegroom and his attendantsrushed over the eastern hills to the rescue; how, on their arri-val, the little inn was suddenly illuminated, the violin struckup a merry tune, the dance commenced, and the festive-boardwas spread; and ho
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