The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-03-28
IN SALEM'S EARLY DAYS.
ROOR WRITTEN BY THE LATE
REV. DIR EDWARDS
He Tells of a Party Visiting the Town
During Commencement Week
at the Female Academy.

/ libraries j. DOCK GuJIJl6u : he LOt
Meeting House and The McIlhanys :
t was written by the late Rev JohL
| T. Edwards, d. D., at Petersburg
Va, in the year 1884.
| 1t relates to the travels Of a party
and one of the chapters tells of their
visit to Salem during the early history
Of the town. The wife of Dr. Ed
wards was educated at the Academy
| and d few years before his death the
Doctor preached the Baccaldureate
| sermon before one of tie graduating
classes.
! THE SENTINEL u4akes the following
extract from the chapter which refers
to the town and the Academy:
r The first night was spent in a
quaint, queer little cid Moravian
| town. Tue houses had Dutch roofs
| covered with tiles. a sort of com
| muDism prevailed IN this old settle
menU. There was but one bOu>e Of
| entertainment. out enc store, one
shoe makers shop, one tailoring
establishment, one bakery, and 50 Of
every department of business and
haudicTdit. The pride OF this squatJy
patroniZed female seminary 1t was
under the Strictest government and
discipline. Young ladies were III at
tendance at the school from half a
dozen different States.
In this unique town our tourists
spent TIER first night: and as 1t was
the night preceding the closing eXer-
ciseS of the school, they found The inn
crowded To its utmost capacity. and
q T.
able accom- mediation. The stables
were flied with horses. and The sta ole
yards packed with carriages. Parents
had come from distant points, and
even from distant States and Terri
tories. to take their daughters home.
1t was scene OF rare excitement and
animation into the midst of which our
inexperienced travellers were thrown
not Unexpectedly to themselves, for
it was in their plan to spend the
night and tue following day in this
MoraVian town, and TO witness the
exhibition with which the school an
nually closed its session.
The following murnIug rose beautf-
fully. Everything was aStlF at an
early hour. New arrivals crowded
the hotel To still greater excess. The
grounds fronting the large building
called the Academy were TILED with
people from the surrounding country,
far and near. All sorts of vehicles
thronged the streets: all sorts Of cos
tunes greeted the eye. The German
language and accent prevailed In the
outdoor thrUng. Among the visitors
in the house OF entertainment there
were evidences Of high culture, refine
ment and wealth. Courtiy manners
and courtly bearing marked the inter
course between the patrons Of the
CO IyI IA h.
tiers and wards.
LandOn GraysOn had the good for
tune to meet with more than one gen
tleman who had sons at the uniyer-
Sity. This gave him d passport to
their company and society; while Leo
Stanley was not lie r u iate in fall
ing in with some visitors from the
sea-board who were acquainted with
Captain McIInany and his family.
The curious thing to our excursion
lists was that with the exception Of
two or three young ladies who called
at the inn, under the care Of the old
superintendent, To see their parents
on their arrival, they had not as yet
seen any of the scholars connected
with the school. The rigid discipline
was but slightly relaxed even on an
occasion like this. The young ladies
were kept within the Academy walls
and other officers.
But the hour for the public exhi-
hition arrived. A long procession of
beautiful girls, attirtd in white, with
flowing SasheS-each one wearing a
tidy, tasteful cap, fitting closely over
the head and hair, and tied with rib
bonS under the Chin-made their ap
pearance the more striking, as they
marched hand in hand from the Acdd
envy 10 the large and cOmmodious
chapel, where the closing exercises
were to be conducted. The pealiI 6
organ, with hundreds OF blended
voices, rang out under the vaulted
roof. Then followed, dialogues and
essays, followed yet again by al eXhI
bitiDn of needle-W0Tk and eLn brOidery.
Some of the prettiest girls connected
with the school were selected to carry
the various patterns OF Work-Such as
portfolios, sample pieces, embroidered
monuments, and any number of home
scenes in needle WOTk-amOng the
crowd for inspection.
One of these girls-perhaps as much
as thirteen or fourteen years of age,
with an eye of azure-black: dark,
shining hair: fair as lily, with the
slightest tinge OF a June rose on her
cheek; rather spare and slender In
form, with Witchery in her simple,
half child-like artlessness paused
before Landon GraysOn, as he took in
his hand for moments inspection
piece of work wrought by the dainty
white fingers that trembled as she
held it before him. She perceived
that his eyes glanced from the en-
broideTy to her face with an inquiring
look. 1t was d monumental picture,
deftly and delicately wrought on
white satin, with an artistic delinea-
tion of tomb and funeral trees and
weeping mOurners. He never forgot
that artists face-never forgot that
picture.
But the exercises are over. Scores
of carriages are wheeling away over
the dusty roads ere the sun goes down.
The young ladies are scattered and
scattering. Some are placed under
the care of their parents. and spend
the night at the hotel. The day, with
its hustle and excitement, has closed
in on the quaint little old town.
Quietness comes over the grounds so
recently thronged with animated
forms and ringing with cheerful
voices. The lights one by one are ex-
tinguished. Silence reigns in the old
Academy, without a football in the
halls or d solitary form at the wiz
dows. With tie early dawn the last
OF the visitors take their departure,
and again we find our tourists pursu-
ing their journey.