Its duty was to provide amusement for the
people and the scholars, as often as could be afforded, without
trespassing on school and daily duties.
Miss Amelia Russell, a little, plump woman, with a pleasant smile,
dimpled cheeks, round, laughing eyes, cultivated and easy manners, was
chief of this group for a long period. Her title was "the mistress of
the revels." Under her direction there were various plays, games,
dances and tableaux.
Besides the walks in the fields and woods there was an occasional
"children's festival," in the grove of pines, in which a large portion
of the elders joined. There were plenty of amusements, for although the
amusement group took general charge of them, there was nothing to
prevent any person or number of persons from amusing themselves to any
extent, and in any way, not interfering with the business of the place.
Being among the minors, the pleasures of dancing and roaming over the
diversified country, were most attractive to me; for the young people
danced without expense--as we were, anywhere, any time, for five or ten
minutes, an hour or an evening, and it never became a dissipation; it
was too natural and common to be a dissipation. There were never late
hours.
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