American citizen., 1874-09-26

Judge Joseph G. Guild, Old Joe
Guild, as he is tamiliariy called at
hO,ne, is u native OF Houston coun
ty, Tenn. Lately he returned there
after an absence of more than hall
a century, and on the 2jih August
he made public speech. from
which the following extracts are
taken:
When left, sixty years ago, in
dustry and economy were the hand
maids Of virtue, contentment and
happiness. The women and giris
clothed the family, cooked the meals
and did the various work, all con
tented aud happy, voluntarily Ia
boring to secure a competence for
the household. Families in those
days were not enervated and ruined
10y luxuries-what is called high
living and fashion. They we,e
clothed At home by their honest
labor, the boys in their jeans and
cOpperAs cotton, and the girls IN
their beautiful strip, of cotton AID
linsey. Dresses were made to iii
their persons aud develop their nat.
ural and beautifu forms. One can
not tell now which is the girl aud
which is the dress. l have looked
about over this large assembly 10
see ii could tind. of those brautI-
ful striped dresses setting "f the
rOsy noun. aln pinkS of the present
day :; but the ancient costumes have
disappeared since have beer. gone.
In that day but few mothers aud
daughters ever had a calico dress,
to say nothing Of the silks, cash>
meres, pOplins. musilns, aud Grapes
of the present day.
In those days we had our sugar
camps. made our own sugar Coffee
" al bought at our commercial cIiirs
ard only used OIL Sundays. Milk,
the best and most healthy beverage
in the world, was daily used, and
the rUse blOsDn~d and played upon
every girls cheek. There Was no
calomel doctors bill to pay. We
had meeting houses in those days,
made of logs and clapboards. We
called it going TO meeting. The
elegant phrase nov is to attend
church, and 60 in buggies and Car
riag-s. We walked tr,n three to
five miles in going to meeting, play
Jag ith the giIls all the way. |
have seen not farther than five
miles from this city, from fifty to
one hundred ladies walking bare>
fO"ted to meeting, CARRY ing their
shoes and stockings in their hands.
and Oh arriving sitting down along
the branch, washing tmeir beautiful
feet, putting on their stockings and
shoes, preparatory to gOis.g in.
There is u Charm in a pretty foot.
In those days our women did not
defOrm their persons with artificial
works about the head IN the form of
rars, chignons and waterfalls The, .
was no rouge bespattering the rusy
cheek, destroying its natural beau
ty, nOr were their beautiful forms
destroy ed by the hoop and hustle.
there was no one taken in by art.
fici.l, false appearances. In thOS-
days our beautiful women had long,
black hair, some anburn, some red,
with different shades of color. They
wore it plated, forming IA beautiful
crescent upon the head, and when
stream of eloquence cOpiOusly flow
ed over the large assembly. when
all the fires were lit up, have heard
shis plai' ed hair pop like the crack
Of a wagon whip. Girls and boys
did not in those days wear shoes
until they arrived at the age of
twelve. The boys helped tend the
crop in the summer, and went to The
old PennyrOyal school with the girls
in the winter. In the old times We
had the favOrite reel called "Mrs.
Met Cloud" When the word was
given, GLANDS all round, Set to and
face your partners" giving to al
full space to display their activity
aud gymnaslic skill III the various
steps of ancient times, have seen
several sets at the same time, bO'h
boys aud girls, cutting the single
and double pigeon wing, which
caused thrill OF excitement and
emotions equal to the brilliant
tiigh Of an eloquent speaker.
WuAT AnuEDrvSvN1. h0Ec nr