The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-12-02
oLO-TlME VIRGINIA.


Regions Yet Untouched by Nineteenth
Century Innovations.
Inc genuine, untouched Virgjnian OF
soday has often been declared to be
the most complete survival of eight
eenth century England now in exist
ence. There are certain eighteenth
century customs and phrases and man
| ners In common use here that have not
0een heard OF in hundred years in
England.
One of the quaintest is custom Of
the road which died out in England
wnen the post road and the travelling
chariot went out of vogue. In those
days it was considered almost an At
'front.' for one traveller in a carriage to
drive past another going the same way.
Inc travelling class was made up gen.
orally OF the rich and leisurely. and aa
they bowled along in their coaches to
nave another coach dash by and give
back its dust and perhaps incite the
coachman to race was considered
highly indecorous. To stake ones
DUST" was common expression of con-
Tempt The custom was not without
us uses in its day. But will it be be-
neved that at the close of the nine
teenth century this etiquette of the
road is rigidly maintained, and that
among well-bred people each equipage
mas to take the gait of the slowest? |
True it is, some iconoclasts and outsid-
ers drive past their fellow travellers
without compunction, but they, there-
fore, prove their claim to be called
and outsiders When it is
: very pressing case an apology is called
ont such as: pray excuse me. but INV
horse is restless, or 81 am in haste to
'atch the boat, or something of the
kind But to drive ruthlessly ahead
Without a word of apology is considered
he acme of ill-breeding. :
The roads in this part of the world
ire not interesting, except for their
latural beauty, as the people Of
wealth, following their English an !
estors in practice, sought proud se- ,
fusion Tor their houses. Only the |
oorest people built their homes oh the q
lain road, and one may travel from i
ne end OF this fair country to another b
nd not lind single handsome resi- a
ence on the public highway. There q
as another and very practical rea- 1.
IN for abjuring this public highway.
very mans house was at the service 4
every man, woman and child in the a
'untry; an Arab hospitality obtained a
I'd was enjoyed to the full The peo- Ii
Q who had undesirable homes were | II
ways willing to bestow their COM W
my upon their more fortunate neigh O,
RS, SO that it wouldn't do to be too m
nvenient to the main arteries of 81
aveL Especially was this SO when w
st from a family meant the enter OF
ming OF two coach horses. coach VI
IN, and a maid; for the negroes went
'iting with the white people, and en- RI
Ved 1T quite as much. Hospitality si
IS one OF their great virtues, and is he
II; for these people excel in social oh
tues, and this particular virtue costs Sa
tie 1t only meant the killing of
II dozen more chickens for dinner. j
len there were hundreds, perhaps, 8.
atching about the poultry yard; and ~
gardens were overgrown with veg
'blcs, for which there was neither -;
nor consumption. There were ice : ),
Uses full of ice and meadows full of -
VS., and ice cream was manufactured ~,
big tin bucket turned about in a ~,
OF ice and salt Ittook two women no
! man and q boy to make ice Is,
am, but it took that many to do So
rything. -
ne ice houses are among the most mi
turesque features in the Landscape -
Q. A mound of earth, thirty or -
y feet high, was thrown up around do-
ace that was bricked up and looked ~,
gigantic well. This was finished tan
the top by circular roof. The a. !
8 OF the mound were graded and ~ ,
cd, and made nice places for boys me,
girls to roll down when the short, st-;
perry grass was wet Boston Trans -.
t. roa'