k off in 'a moment of enthusiasm'?"

About this time came to us "that sweet boon," THE POLKA. Originally a
Bohemian Peasant dance, it was imported into fashionable saloons of
Berlin and St. Petersburg. It was, at this time, the rage in Paris, as
the _Times_ observes: "The Paris papers are destitute of news. Our
private letters state that 'politics are, for the moment, suspended in
public regard, by the new and all-absorbing pursuit--the Polka--a dance
recently imported from Bohemia, and which embraces in its qualities the
intimacy of the waltz, with the vivacity of the Irish jig. You may
conceive how completely is 'the Polka' the rage, from the fact that the
lady of a celebrated ex-minister, desiring to figure in it at a _soiree
dansante_, monopolised the professor, _par excellence_, of that
_specialite_ for three hours, on Wednesday morning last, at 200 francs
the hour.'"

On its first importation into England, it was used as a _ballet_, on the
stage, with very fancy Bohemian costume, as we may see in the three
following illustrations of Mdlle. Carlotta Grisi and M. Perrot, dancing
their idea of it at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1844.

[Picture: The Polka.--Figure 2. Ill. Lon. News, 27 April, 1844, p. 301]

But it soon became a Drawing-room dance, and it is edifying to know
exactly how it was danced then. It was found too elaborate, and the
number of steps had to be reduced in quantity, and curtailed in quality.
But this is the dance as given in the _Illustrated London News_ of 11
May:

"THE DRAWING-ROOM POLKA.

We are much gratified in being enabled to lay before our readers an
accurate description of the _veritable_, or _Drawing-room Polka_, as
danced at Almack's, and at the halls of the nobility and gentry of this
country.

_La Polka_ having appeared amongst us under so many different guises, we
determined to spare no pains to procure a true description of its
_danse_; for which we are indebted to Mrs. James Rae, who has been
fortunate enough to secure the details from M. Coralli, fils, the
instructor of the young noblemen and gentry in Paris.

_La Polka_, like its predecessors, the waltz and galop, is a _danse a
deux_, couples following each other in the _salle de danse_, commencing
at pleasure, and adopting, of the following figures, that which pleases
them most at the moment. All those anxious to shine in _La Polka_, will
dance the whole of them, returning from time to time,