The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-07-07
4 LITTLE CENTENNIAL LADY.
Gen. wa.hInelon,. Pet sTnrIorie.

ScribHer for July contains delightful
chronicle of the good old times in Nir-
ginia one hundred years ago, from the
pen of Mrs. Constance Cary Harrison,
and entitled GA Little Centennial
Lady" The centennial lady is Miss
Sally Fairfax, Rev. (and Lord) Bryan
Fairfax's six-year-oId. Since DR.. John
| Browns " Pet Marjorie" she is perhaps
one of the quaintest little mortals in lit
erature. She was "great friends" with
Washington, and he comes in for a share
of attention in her journal, part of which
Reproduced in Mrs. Harrison's sketch.
There are also some interesting pictures
and quite authentic account of a love
affair on the part of Washington. Miss
Sally was the great-aunt of the writer of
the article. We quote from the jour
nal:
con friday the of january papa
went to Colo. Washington's and came
home again the next wednesday which
was the 8.
"On friday the 8 of jan that vile man
adam at night kid poor cat of rage be-
cause she eat bit of meat out of his
hand and scrached it. vile wreach of
new negrows if he was mine / would cut
him to pieces a son of gun nice ne
In this vivid eutburst of Sally's
wrath, one is reminded of Pet Marjorie
and her turkey that "did not give a
single DAM" And then the offender was
''new negrow, q. e., not born upon the
estate,) which, in itself, was a term of
oPprobrium.
ION monday the 9th of january
which was old G. mass day in the after
to
the snow was above anc(e-deep and then
it held up but the snow lasted upon the
ground at least Week and then there
came another snow as deep.
con thursday the I'd of jan margerry
went to washing and brought all the
things in ready done on thursday the 9th
of the same mounth | think she was a
great while about them a wole week if
you will believe me reader.
con friday the 10 of january in the
morning came here danny genens over
seer for taft and taft went away accord
ingly poor taft l pity him indeed
reader"
OF "tafrs" Offenses and "taf7s" pun
ishment, we shall ever be left in ignOr-
ance but, of one thing we are sure, that
a tear pure as the recording angels was
dropped for him that " 10 of january ?" !
con Safer day the 11th of Jan papa |
" measured me on the right hand of the |
" door as you come out of the Chamber"
The chamber! This does not present a
very clear image, perhaps, except to the
understanding of a dyed-in-the-wOol |
Virginian. Thus has always been desig-
mated the bed. room of the mistress in an
old Virginia home. This room, generally
on the ground-foOr, was broad,
spacious, motherly, exquisitely neat.
Here was the great mahogany bed
shrouded in spotless dimity, with the
flight of steps leading up to it; here the
huge fireplace blazing welcome, and the
brass andirons and split basket of pine
knots upon the hearth-side. Before the
fire stood the chintz-clad easy-Chair.
behind which covered little impish shapes
Of black children brought up for daily
in the useful arts. Here sat the
mistress for a stated period every day;
here she held levees of her people, who
came in from the quarter, one by one,
dropping curtseys and courtly bows,
offering for sale their eggs and butter,
grievances, each with a story TO
tell of some bodily ailment or misery"
without which no colored person of good
standing in those days was ever found.
A corner cupboard, situated somewhere
near the ceiling, behind the chimney
piece, generally contained a stock ofgood
,ld-fashiened medicines castor oil that
vas castor oil, odoriferous rhubarb, calO-
mel by the pound-for the applicants
we're very rigid in exacting the proper
legree of strength to their doses. In the
,hamber-pronOunced, ifyou please, with
he broadest of as. (chaamber)- -centered
Ill the hundred little family cares and
interests and, except at times when the
mysteries of birth and death closed the
,ortals, it was apt to be the most charm
ng, inviting spot about the mansion.
can picture Miss Sally, standing on
ip-toe to be measured, and the pencil
marks that were never rubbed out