Invitation to a ball

The ball to which I have referred was such an opportunity for studying Mormon sociology as three months' ordinary stay in Salt Lake might not have given me. . . . All the Saints within a half day's ride of the city come flocking into it to spend the Fourth (of July). . .

"Dancing to commence at 4 p.m. "

Bierstadt, myself, and three gentlemen of our party were the only three Gentiles whom I found invited by President Young to meet in the neighborhood of three thousand Saints. . . . I excused myself from numerous kind invitations to be introduced to a partner and join in the dances. The fact was, I was greatly wished to make a thorough study of the ball-room, and I know my readers will applaud my self-denial in not dancing, since it enables me to tell them how Utah good society looks. . . . There was very little ostentation in dress at the ball . . . Patrician broadcloth and silk were the rare exceptions, but they were cordially associated with the great mass of plebian tweed and calico. Few ladies wore jewelry or feathers. There were some pretty girls swimming about in tasteful whip-syllabub of puffed tarlatan. . . I saw multitudes of kindly , good-tempered countenances, and a score of which would have been called pretty anywhere . . .