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Page 34
CHAPTER VII.
A few evenings afterwards, cousin Clara happened to inquire of
Grandfather, whether the old chair had never been present at a ball. At
the same time, little Alice brought forward a doll, with whom she had
been holding a long conversation.
"See, Grandfather," cried she. "Did such a pretty lady as this ever sit
in your great chair?"
These questions led Grandfather to talk about the fashions and manners,
which now began to be introduced from England into the provinces. The
simplicity of the good old Puritan times was fast disappearing. This was
partly owing to the increasing number and wealth of the inhabitants, and
to the additions which they continually received, by the arrival and
settlement of people from beyond the sea.
Another cause of a pompous and artificial mode of life, among those who
could afford it, was, that the example was set by the royal governors.
Under the old charter, the governors were the representatives of the
people, and therefore their way of living had probably been marked by a
popular simplicity. But now, as they represented the person of the king,
they thought it necessary to preserve the dignity of their station, by
the practice of high and gorgeous ceremonials. And, besides, the
profitable offices under the government were filled by men who had lived
in London, and had there contracted fashionable and luxurious habits of
living, which they would not now lay aside. The wealthy people of the
province imitated them; and thus began a general change in social life.
"So, my dear Clara," said Grandfather, "after our chair had entered the
Province House, it must often have been present at balls and festivals,
though I cannot give you a description of any particular one. But I
doubt not that they were very magnificent; and slaves in gorgeous
liveries waited on the guests, and offered them wine in goblets of
massive silver."
"Were there slaves in those days?" exclaimed Clara.
"Yes; black slaves and white," replied Grandfather. "Our ancestors not
only bought negroes from Africa, but Indians from South America, and
white people from Ireland. These last were sold, not for life, but for a
certain number of years, in order to pay the expenses of their voyage
across the Atlantic. Nothing was more common than to see a lot of likely
Irish girls, advertised for sale in the newspapers. As for the little
negro babies, they were offered to be given away, like young kittens."
"Perhaps Alice would have liked one to play with, instead of her doll,"
said Charley, laughing.
But little Alice clasped the waxen doll closer to her bosom.
"Now, as for this pretty doll, my little Alice," said Grandfather, "I
wish you could have seen what splendid dresses the ladies wore in those
times. They had silks, and satins, and damasks, and brocades, and high
head-dresses, and all sorts of fine things. And they used to wear
hooped-petticoats, of such enormous size that it was quite a journey to
walk round them."
"And how did the gentlemen dress?" asked Charley.
"With full as much magnificence as the ladies," answered Grandfather.
"For their holiday suits, they had coats of figured velvet, crimson,
green, blue, and all other gay colors, embroidered with gold or silver
lace. Their waistcoats, which were five times as large as modern ones,
were very splendid. Sometimes, the whole waistcoat, which came down
almost to the knees, was made of gold brocade."
"Why, the wearer must have shone like a golden image!" said Clara.
"And, then," continued Grandfather, "they wore various sorts of
periwigs, such as the Tie, the Spencer, the Brigadier, the Major, the
Albemarle, the Ramilies, the Feather-top, and the Full-bottom! Their
three-cornered hats were laced with gold or silver. They had shining
buckles at the knees of their small clothes, and buckles likewise in
their shoes. They wore swords, with beautiful hilts, either of silver,
or sometimes of polished steel, inlaid with gold."
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