Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-18
OLD NEW ENGLAND INTER.
lORS.

Wonderful are the attics in this town!
Shall we soon forget one in particular
where we spent a rainy afternoon turn
inc over old boxes, bringing to light
East Indian curiosities, shawls and
~scarfs, big fans, a gown like that of
Copley's Lady Wentworth" strings
of beads, high heeled boots, but best of
all, packets OF old letters and some
quaint little Volumes notebooks and
Journals, and an eighteenth-century
love story in large type on Well-mar-
gined pages. This attic extended half.
way across the l. of an old house, and
its COMMENTATORS looked down upon
a part of Il village street, a wharf, and
some signs OF shipping. There was an
old spinct at one end Of it, and when
we moved the boxes out Of the way,
and opened it, what curious little tink-
ling sounds, like the ghost OF some
minuct or gavotte, We're produced! Ii
one could only overcome a sense OF in
trusion, how enchanting such investi-
cations, the turning ever Of old pages,
the feeling of the old silks and satins,
night be. but in the fast darkening at
tic, among all those signs Of other lives,
what strangers and intruders we were
like! We wondered very much about
the girl who wrote some of the letters
and wore some of these garments. She
had come hither a bride, and wrote to
somebody OF q reception given by her
husbands friends. Everybody is
very civil. and ] veal my new gowns a
great DEAL she writes. "When we
went to dine with the BIS | was
kissed bv all present, which was very
friendly, | am sure. $ + Thank you
for the piece of lutestring sent and the
box of swectmeats. Sallie Tabor comes
over from Bedford often, and she has
spun Il good piece of cloth for me.
Joel sent me a shawl OF white silk,
which the captain brought from China.
will wear it to church with my lilac
satin.'
The houses in this part of the country
nearly all maintain traces OF their first
period of architecture, and have about
them Il look Of permanence IN home
comfort which is very alluring. There
are wide, coolly matted Railways, with
doors at either end, the one often lead
inc directly 10 the street, and the other
to some sweet old-fashioned garden,
with shade trees and box walks, and a
tangle of all the flowers known to the
days OF Il grcat-grandmothers. The
staircases have slender balustrades
painted white, and with polished dark
wood ratings; jars of blue and white
brought from over the seas stand in
windows on the landings; upstairs there
are tall old chests of drawers with brass
handles and claw feet, prim high-back-
ed chairs, and carpets, often Of home
spun, whose colors have faded out to
appropriate hucs. The quantity carved
cabinets, curious wicker-work, and In
dian draperies all tell OF old sea-going
DAYS, and in the drawing-rooms corner
aupboards reveal treasures which the
Young people of to-day are gladly
bringing to light. Small old Indian
worries, amulets, and the like, we saw,
worth their weight III gold, heaped up
in a great shining lacquered bowl, and
which decorated one end of a chimney
piece, which of itself was fascinating.
The old tiles had been there over a hum
dred wears, and told a Scriptural story
IN pictures crudely wrought in blue
traccrics upon q dull white ground.
The woodwork in this room was OF
Indian red, the windows deep and
cushioned in faded green, and the walls
were hung with old portraits, a stately
lady OF George the Thirds day smiling
upon her grandson across the room,
whose curling locks and carefully ar
ranged stock and embroidered shirt
front were Of a period thirty years
later. There was Il work-box on a
shelf in this room full Of girlish trit1es
over a century old; q little book about
The language OF flowers was tucked in
among reels of silk and linen thread; a