TRANSCRIPT

The Country Dance
A short story from 'Pioneer Tales and Other Human Stories'
By H.B. Adshead

Part 2

My old friend John Deans nearly always 'showed up' at these dances, with his ruddy, rotund face beamed with delight as we together, two fiddles and an autoharp, scraped out such music as 'Soldier's Joy,' 'Irish Washerwoman,' 'The Girl I Left Behind Me'; but when in the exuberance of his music John entered on one of those peculiar Scotch strathspeys, I was compelled to leave him alone in his glory, and watch with amazement his bow produce those hemi-demi-semi-quavers for which that class of music is famed.
Perhaps the most important person at the dance next to the fiddler was the 'caller,' floor manager or director of ceremonies. The figures in the cotilion had to be 'called off,' and few dances proceeded without the 'caller.' In fact, upon his pep and wit depended much of the success of the party.