Excerpted from the December 30, 1889 Creswell Letter:

Christmas came and passed off very quietly.  The young people have been enjoying the holidays hugely. They had a party at the residence of Mr. Johnson SPRUILL, 2 1/2 miles from town on Monday night 23 inst., another at the residence of Capt. CAHOON in town, on Xmas night, and on Thursday night 26 inst., the grandest party of the season was given by Mr. A.G. WALKER of our place, to his children.

While it was a children’s party, yet quite a number of the children were grown, and many married people were also present, and all seemed to enjoy themselves.  Those who wished to dance had a large room at their disposal, furnished with a stringed band, and those whose religious scruples prohibited their dancing, had another large room in which they could engage in plays of various kinds furnished with piano music, while others who wished to take no part in playing and dancing, had a large parlor in which they could enjoy a quiet “tete a tete,” and at nine or ten o’clock refreshments in great abundance was served, and at about 12 o’clock the party broke up.  Everything passed off very pleasantly, and all pronounced it grand.

Source: Roanoke Beacon, 3 January 1890.  Available online at digitalnc.org.