The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-10-05
UNDER THE BLUE bAws.r
An Amusing Picture of Manners in the New
England Colonies.

England Colonies.
From the N. Y. Sun.
This was the period when the so-called "blue
laws' were most vigorously enforced, not onlyin
Connecticut, with which tradition associates
them, but in Massachusetts, In the former
colony no food or lodging could be given to a
Quaker, Adamite, or other hereto. No one
could run on the Sabbath day or walk in his
garden or elsewhere, except reverently to and
from meeting. No one could travel, cook
victuals. make beds, sweep house, cut hair, or
shave on the Sabbath day. No woman could
kiss her child on Sabbath or fasting day. Who
ever brought cards into the colony paid fine Of
95. No one could read the Book of Common
Prayer, keep Christmas or Saints days, make
minced pies dance, play cards, or play on any
instrument of music, except the trumpet, drum,
and iewsharp. Liquor drinking was regulated,
and the use of tobacco was tnkered incessantly.
No one under twenty one years nor any one not
previously accustomed to it could take tobacco
without physician's certificate No one could
take it publicly in the street or in the fields or
woods, except on journey of at least ten miles
Nor could any one take it in any house in his
own town with more than one other person TAX
Ing it at the same time. This last injunction
was leveled at the so-called "tobacco parlia-
ments.'') About 1915 the Massachusetts magis-
trates were greatly troubled that the people
would tell lies. The General Court had already
prohibited gaming, and now added bowling and
the shuffileboard to other prohibited amuse-
ments. Plymouth Colony prosecuted for mixed
dancing, and Massachusetts, forbade it in ord-
naries at weddings.
In 1850 domestic manners needed refining in
the colonies as well as in the mother country.
The Massachusetts General Court forbade hus-
bands to strike wives; neither was the helpmate
to lift her hand against the would-be master of
her person. Still more anxious and assiduous
were the efforts to regulate dress, which in the
view of colonial magistrates was meant not only
TO cover and protect people, but to classify
them. But the sober costume in which New
England men and women we've ordered to ap-
pear constantly tended to break out in extrava-
gance OF texture, form. or color. The doublet
was common to both sexes. Gentlemen wore
1t over seeved waistcoat, something like our
jacket The sleeves were often slashed and
embroidered though such ornamentation was
forbidden by statute. Falling bands at the
neck were very common, and sometimes they
were embroidered. A deep linen collar some
times served in place of the bands. Trunk hose
were worn and long stockings, with shoes tied
or ornamented with rosettes. A beaver or felt
hat covered the head. Embroidered gloves
were almost essential to handsome dress gen.
tlemen wore gauntlets the wrist flaps richly
figured or fringed. Swords were often
suspended from elaborate shoulder belts.
In spite of reiterated legal prohibitions,
gold and silver lace was often SEEN
But the great majority dressed plainly.
Any one of less estate than two hundred
! pounds was held to q strict account in the
matter of clothes. The women under this rank
offended especially by wearing silk and tiffany
hoods; they also wore broad-brmmed hats. I'm
der the pointed stomacher and gown the women
wore petticoat either of woolen stuff or of rich
silk or brocade, according to their station. The
ruff had lately given place to broad collar,