The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-02
"REMINISCENCES.
Mr.. OLDBUcK RETURNING TO HIS
SUBJECT.
DAY OF HIGH GABLES AND
GAUNT CHIuNEYS.
ORIGIN AND USES OF THE aUEUF.
church Going People I'm Richmond
seventy rive Years Ago-somc oil
the Prominent Families OF fhnt
Day-1onumeninI Church


subject when occasion gave opportu
nifty. And 80 we find it agreeable no.
to overlook a few things considered ne
cessary 10 the continuing our reminis
cences OF Richmond in the years gone.
Whether this can be done without De
ing considered more than another Dir
Dry-as.dust is to be seen. Itwas the age
of queues 70 which.we 20 back more
pleasant 10 contemplate than Age OF
Pixies. according to Carlyle. We call
IL an age. because the custom OF wear
ing the quaint old head gear seemed 50
i'm accord with. or in common with all
other things OF the time. IL was the
day of high gables and gannt chimneys,
standing grimly out among the build
ings. The wearers were the venerated
and the high people OF the land. which
thereby gave sort of antique dignity
to society. TO which tbe young look up,
as if expecting some day to reach that
height.
Ii was a curious question to consider
and 70 trace. why such adornments. II
so considered, should bave been worn
at all. but especially by sensible mem
We smile at Chinese plg-tall.appcndage.
and yet our solemn. wise and respecta-
/ bic grandfaihefs delighted in the same.
only not of universal black coarse halr.
and not 50 twi ted, or dressed alike.
Yet they wore them with respect ex-
to.ted from interiors. and would have
visited with dire indignation any un-
comely reference thereto. Indeed. 50
nOurshed aud cherished were they. that
it was "a household duty performed
whca the hour had been consumed IN
combing them out, dr. ssing them ad-
miringiy. and plating and braiding
them. then came the tying them up
in bag and ribbon Of silk. according
to the strictest rules of prevailing fash
ion. 1t was the time then for familiar
chat with father or grandfather. AL
most any liberty could then be taken.
any demand made upon the patience or
the purse Of the submissive servile.
Something 50 soothing in mauipu
lating The head. especially If by gentle
hands and cunning fingers. The old
gentleman wss not IN hurry:
delighted to talk OF family matters,
many a knotty question was solved on
these occasions: not unlikely involving
uOlli0Ali llaiAtfAN VI ilfNEA A'HN'A lAiA
port. The officiating puestCss at this
family altar was either wife or elder
daughter. 1t was often settled there
whether or not Evelyn should marry
Colonel or Mr.. SO-and SO, or whether a
new gown of costly silk was necessary
to make the coming season at the
springs a successful one. Sometimes q
venerable female servant. who was par
ticularly expert ina handling the big
comb: by reason of long experience.
took the place oi Mistress or Miss. An
influence with ''oie L arster" was well
nish equal TO theirs. He remembered.
perhaps, that OLD Aunt Cynthia had
dressed his faith Rs queue in the back |
porch. while he. at the same time /
with tears M his ewes. was submitting |
to the rough attention OF his own nurse /
as she set to rishts his youthful locks /
before the breakfds. hour.
Some of our younger readers Will ma |
turally want 70 know what this queue 1
was. how IL came. aud how it was /
worn. They have seen the word and /
are aware 10 Is I'M the dictionaries, but /
never having seen what it describes.
eau scarcely have clear idea OF its
real appearance. Seventy five Or eighty
years ago. when gentleman had be-
gun 10 reach middle age, ne allowed
his hair 10 grow longer than ever A.
boy and youth bis locks had been flow
ing fully down upon his shoulders. and
often hung low enough to soil the
rufliad frlll Of his broad snow white
collar. Ia Virginia this was the re-
mains of the fashion of Charles Second
time. and prevailed among the highest
classes until quite recent date. Our
gentleman was however.
for the queue of Iiper years,
and cultivated his hair for the purpose.
As il continued TO increase Ia length
il vas gathered up. thrown behind the
ears, and confined by a tie Of black
ribbon. After aIime il became long A.,
enough IL be plated and perhaps
slightly touched with gray. Then it
was tied az the extreme end. doubled
upon itself. and again secured by wrap
ping it with a long twisted cord. and
finally decorated with "A tidy-lOOking /
bow Of black ribbon. When first Z
brought into fashion, queues were con 7
fined IA siikeh bags, which themselves q
were in turn tied up close TO the back /
IF the neck. resting upon the high-cut :
,Ollafs of the coats worn by the gentle G
men of the time. II Is certain that our !
ancestors must have had more vigorous a
srOwths Of hair than are now TO be q
found among men. Few of the present s
could manage % revive this /
tut picturesque fashion. t
should 1t suddenly become the thing in t
society. SO common has badness be- /
come. /
The origin and uses OF the queue e
nave been ascribed To various sources. S
Some regard it as relic OF the true h
)arbaric age, when the beard was full q
worn, and the hair allowed 20 grow al il
ength, for protection 10 the head and I
ace. Even after the beard had been
dispensed with, the macs of hair was il
allowed to hang down over the back Of S
he neck iu various forms for prOtec- r
ion in war against the fall Of the bat +
lie axe or the stroke OF the broad [
sword. THIS habit was long perpetu- O
tied by the use OF horse hair over the a
rests Of helmets for the same purpose. r
others have regarded IL as a token Of &
distinction. the wearer he being there q
" entitled 81 unusual respect from his n
Certain it is that among i
Yearly all the peoples of the earth. even n
o the remOtest times, this custom of D
wearing the hair long. and often in b
ONE well defined shape, has T.
REVEALED. The exception being among "
he followers OF Mahomet. So far as (,
We can trace the custom among the CT
ivilized moderns the queue sue q
eeded as an append3ge 10 the peri-wig n
nd wig, and fist appeared in polite ~
Dciety at The CJurtOf George the Third
+ England. when he first assembled the cl
hrone. or course it has brought to 81
.merica by our English progentors
nj introduced into high lie in NIr- d.
iniA by the gentlemen who, from time
, time. visited the mother country for
usiness, pleasure or to lie educated. a,
nd who, OF course, returned. bringing m
18th them the last fashions and the ct
test novelties. From that time down .,
, about the year 1910 nearly all the
entlemen Of Virginia and in some Of