The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-15
OLD CUSTOMS IN CHARLESTON.
OUR GRAND.MormERs
LIVED.

foW OUR GRAND-MOTHERs
LIVED.
4The style and Manner in Which They
We're Christencd, Married and
Buried-Enj0yment at Social Func-
Tons.
Mrs. Hartwell M. Aver in Sunday News J
4 In all the length and breadth OF our
land there Is no, city whose early HIS
interesting than that of our own
Charleston. In Ante-Revolutionary
esssC, almost from the time the first
5fony was planted, Charleston was
he centre Of Southern literature and
allure, and down to the time OF the
Owl war Charleston was one of the
sichest cities in the Union and no
: where was more refined and elegant
fsociety TO be met with.
81 There ts much that iS interesting in
the history OF u colonial and munich
pal government, but for us women it
III probable that most of the interest
centres In the personality of the people
themselves. How they lived; how
they enjoyed themselves at their So
cial functions how they were chris
1 tened, how married how they buried
their dead, and in what manne thew
mourned them. All this has a living
interest for us, whose ancestors those
old Charlestonians were. Their Quaint
old tombstones are enough to set as
w~onderings as we stroll through the
= gravey&rds of St. Phillips and the Cir
cular Church. And though their
stately marble virtues may be in sharp
contrast To their pitiful human feel
p ings, we will be contented to. let the
D evil be inferred with their bones, and
> Sopeak of only what is good and pleas
ant.
In the first place be it understood
this paper does not tell Of Ante-Revo-
~lutionary Charleston. The customs OF
which / write r those of the 2O's and
3Vs-in fact they are written down
just rs they were told the writer by q
lady who is, herself, q most lovely
and charming bit OF old Charleston
and q true type Of her kind. She has
lived than her three-score and
ten years, n yet preserves her
brightness, her elegance and charm OF
manner,, and tells OF the departed days
Qpffer youth with an animation and In.
forest that makes 1t a pleasure and q
privilege to listen to her.
To begin with, tho Charlestoniau OF
that day was, upon enteringsthe world,
received with rejoicing, and all, visitors
We're offered cake and wine when they
called at the house Whfctrthe tiny new.
comer;had condsstended to ~honorlwith
its presencs Then, while yet q tender
s-amaSfS made its triumphant entree
into society at it's christening, which
was a very imposing and elaborate
ceremony. On that grand day all
friends of the parents were hidden tc
the church, where the precious mite
was the cynosure of all eyes, and the
baptismal ceremony was gone through
with. Upon returning home cake and
wine were again offered to tho invited
guests who had assembled. or, in some
cases, q dinner party was given ir
honor Of the infant, especially if il
were q son. Or, if neither OF these
We're done, cake was sent to friends
and relatives, much as wedding cake
is now.
The toilet Or the infant upon the
baptismal day was very elogant-a
long robe, usually OF imported, hand
embroidered French muslin, with
dainty shoulder knots of colored rib
bon and confined at the waist by 9
band OF embroidery, under which
showed ribbon of tho same color as the
shoulder knots. Upon it's head was O
tiny cap close fitting, (the closer the
sbetter,) and having around the face
full ruching Of real thread lace.
Probably the most imposing feature
of the occasion was the 'maumer,
(the "dah" was OF later origin) in
whose arms the hero or heroine of the
occasion was borne. This individual
needs especial mention. Her frock
was, OF course, Immediately neat, an6
she ore q great checked ginghan
apron. She would have scorned to ap
pear without a large and very white
handkerchief tucked in hor belt. But
her head-dress /! In those days suga,
came always in large ~loavcs, ovel
which was fitted q pasteboard cover
ing, very high and round, for the bet
ter protection of the sugar. These
coverings were eagerly seized upon by
they, exactly titted) and were used a.
foundations for their head dresses
which were bandanna handkerchief
OF the most gorgeous colors obtainablc
2 1T was often the case that the mau.
ma into whose a the little one was
given had nursed it's father or mother
before it-maybe boon maid for one O
lits grandmothcrs, when both were
girls. And never were children more
lovingly cared for, more willingly
waited upon, than by the black hands
OF these same maumas.
And now, supposing the Charleston
iahJoi budI udy W nave 10 nave DGCn q
girl, S1hen she reached the proper age
she was sent to an a~ristocratic school
for young ladies. There were two OF
these, and between them existed q
great rivalry. One vas Madame Tai.
vande's, and was situated at the cor
Q of Tradd and Legare streets in the
house which Is now the homo of Judge
Simonton. The other was Miss Dat.
TVS, and was kept at one time in Le-
gare street, in the house now occupied
by Major Augustine Smythe, and at
another in the house In Globe street
next but one to the corner of Went
worth. While at the latter place it
was n boarding school, and one morn
ing there was CONSERVATION among
teachers and pupils alike for when they
arose they found that some miscreant
had during the night fastened over the
gate n sign, upon which was painted
In large and conspicuous letters, "The
Nunnery ofSt. Datty."
To this school came girls from all
the Southern States and even from Gu
Da. One pupil, a lovely Cuban, was
stricken with typhoid fever and died
In a short time. Miss Datty was 40
affected by her sad death that she
gave up her school and joined the Sis
ters of Mercy. While cholera was
raging in Charleston she was taken
with the disease and died while min
1stering to the sick and distressed.
The marriage customs of those days
aEDwsD wV~x.v. -.