Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-11-29
The OIden Time.

8 The OIden Time.
Probably there is no locality in the South
ern country that has not suffered more OF
less from the ravages of the late war
Some few, comparatively speaking, escaped,
but the large majority were compelled to
pass through the fiery ordeal, evidences OF
: which still remain in ruined homesteads,
and devastated fields, speaking in language
mute, but eloquent of the suferings of those
whose "places shall know them no more
for ever" The war has wrought many
changes in localities and in societies, old
things have passed away, and new era
has dawned upon us. Old habits, old feel
ings, old associations are required to be ig-
nored or cast aside to make way for the adj
vance of modern progress, for the age is
entirely utilitarian. The generous hospi-
talities of the "good old times p" in which
this section of the State was particularly
conspicuous, the unselfsh iberality and
chivalric bearing of the Cape Fear gentle
man of that epoch, are not to be practiced
or even mentioned in comparison with these
days of steam engines, electric telegraph;
and lucifer matches. The marked respec-
universally exhibited towards the gentler
sex, has disappeared entirely. In those
days no gentleman would address q lady on
the street without uncovering, and we
well remember, when but a lad, being
strongly impressed with the profound re-
spect shown by venerable men whose heads
were silvered DER with age, standing I'M
covered when some female friend passed by.
In this age of improvement and advanced
civilization, tip of the finger to ones beat
yer is all that custom requires, or fashion
deems necessary. We have forgotten the
manners and customs of our ancestors, and
though vast improvements in all the arts
and sciences have been developed with
marvellous rapidity, yet i'll all the charac-
teristics that adorn society. we fall far short
of the standard of the old Cape Fear region
We have become more mercinary, more sell
fish In every way, more anxious to outstrip
a financial competitor in our eagerness for
the almighty dollar, than to lend helping
hand to modest merit struggling for exis-
tence. Such was not the characteristics of
the men of the olden time. AS an evidence
of the manners and customs of the people
of Cape Fear in those days, the follow
ing, from the pen of one of the best writer's
of his day may not be uninteresting: "Hos-
| pitaity was carried to all extreme, in
fact every class of society became infected
by the example. The British Governor
Martin, on visit to Wilmington, styled it
the region of politeness and hospitality
Many of the families residing in it were
possessed of fortunes, and all obtained sub
sistence without painful exertion. But the
dissipation which arose ont of an excess of
hospitality, exhibited more animated pic
ture in the surrounding country. Whole
families, and frequently several families to-
gether, were in the practice Of making Wis
its, and like the tents of the Arabs seemed
continually in motion. The number of
visitants, the noise and hustle of arrivals
and greetings, the cries of the poultry
yard, and the bleatings of the PASTURE re-
quire some sounding polysyllable to convey
an idea of the joyous uproar, some new
coined word to distinguish THEM caravan
approaches from ordinary visits or formal
visitations. Every visit was a sort of jul
bilee. Festive entertainments, balls, every
species of amusement, which song and
dance could afford, was resorted to. The
neighing conrser, and the echoing horn,
the sports of the turf and the pleasures of
the chase, were alternately the objects of
eager pursuit. Everywhere, on the Eastern
and Western branches of the Cape Fear
river, were men of fortune, related by blood
or connected by marriage, whose settle
ments extended almost as far as the then
lowly hamlet of Cross Greek, since digni-
fed by the name of Fayetteville, and now
swollen into Importance by a numerous
population. This general ease and pros
perity was highly favorable to the cultiva~
ton of polite literature and to the develop
ment of talents of certain kind. The state
of manners tended to awaken q spirit of
improvement which pervaded the whole
community. Every family possessed a col
lection of the best English authors, besides
there was public library, supported by
society of gentlemen, and styled the Cape
Fear Library Conversation was cultiva-
ted to a high degree. Emanating from
letters or science, or rising out of the busy
scenes of life, it always teemed with in
struction and impaired delight. The point
of honor was understood and recognized,
and the slightest approach to indignity re-
sented In this exercise of colloquial tai
emit, the ladies participated and heightened
the pleasures. Then they were not as now
early instructed, or perhaps were not in
structed at all, in the rudiments of know
ledge; but they derived from reading, and
| imbibed from an association with eminent
persons of the opposite sex, tincture of
taste and elegance, and they had softness,
sentiment, grace, intelligence, every quail
| ty which, in the female sex, can inspire and
exalt the enthusiasm of romantic passion.
The actors in the hospitable conviviality of
/ those times were far above the cast of Or
| binary bon rirdnts. There was Eustace,
|