Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-05-14

Special Correspond cnee OF Gazette aud Journal
New York, May 9.-"In the days Of
oll''--that was what ! heard coming
up the staircase. The voice that sang
the words never knew the days of old,
though ii was sweet and clear one.
But the words themselves set me To
wondering. We're the days of old bet
ter than those days? In the days of
long ago, were mon and women any
better, and nobler, or was life mora
desirable? 1t is true that. in tho days
of old nobody got up early in the
morning, called Central" and had a
row with her to gain the morning
amiability. In the days OF long ago
nobody telegraphed a How do you
do to San Francisco, and got
"Good evening"" in such short time
that it could not be counted. All life
was low, and it seems to re, some
how that all life was better. There
were some luxuries missing We did
not have Strawberries in January, nor
did young ladies start out with black
locks in the morning and appear with
blonde ones in the evening. In the
days of old peroxide of hydrogen was
unknown on the toilet table, although
there were wonderful mixtures for
softening the skin, for making the
hair more glossy and the hands more
soft. People did not have as many
clothes in the old times. A matron
freshened from season to season, the
black satin or black silk that was her
"best Dress" and only brought out ON
special occasions, such as tho marriage
lf son or a daughter, tho brocade
that, il was whispered, came from
France. With this brocade was worn,
not 20 Yards of imitation, but one yard
Of real lace, and the festivity over, ii
was carefully put away and remained
in the seclusion of a carved chest, with
the perfume of cloves and lavender,
until another feast day came about.
In those old days servants were better.
Why2 Because mistresses took an
interest in them, and the one that in
tended TO marry was assisted in getting
her household linen, while the one who
nursed "my mother and all her chill
dren, me and all my children" was
buried from the house of her mistress,
often beside her mistress, and laid to
sleep forever with that best tribute,
love and sincere tears. In those old
days, men made love to women as they
do nowadays, but that love- making
eliminated in marriage. Men spoKe
to women with more reverence than
they do just now, and when young
Knickerhocker took to visiting Miss
Stuyveaant every Sunday night, both
families knew what it meant, aud
Nine. Knickerboclser and Nine. Stuy-
vesant looked through their lincn
fah tJ IN tph nj f.nttiI ln
and Nine. Stuyvesant wondered If it
would be wise to give these young
peope, just starting IN life, silver tea
service. Nowadays, their descendants
demand diamond tiaras, necklaces, and
wonderful sunbursts that, too often
cover hearts that have married for
diamonds and not for crowns of love.
In those old days, mother willed her
fur cloak To her daughter; it was
worth it.: it was real sable or real
ermine, and styles did not change with
the fancy of every cncotte. as they do
nowadays A well-cut, wel-made gar
mont was in the fashion, and the
mothers fur surcoat was gladly as
sumed by the daughter and willed by
her to her oldest laughter.
In those days marriage didn't mean,
always, the union of great wealth and
great social power; sometimes man
married entirely for love, and his
father could sympathize with him,
even though his mother longed for him
to wed one of the rich young ladies
who came of AN afternoon to knit and
drink coffee with her. But the fathers
heart went out to the son, and he act
tied dover on the poor girl, and the
marriage meant the making of home
indeed. it meant more than that. II
meant surrounding two young people
with six or eight, or ten or twelve
little people, born of their love, anc
each greeted gladly. Nowadays, mar
riage too often means hotel and {
puppy.
BABIES BRING HAPPINESS.
| am fond of dogs, but there is ne
dog that can take the place of bab,
and no people who are married can fine
perfect happiness when they make thoi
family consist of treir two selves and /
dog. 1t is true that there are som,
unhappy people to whom God doesn'
send little children; but those Il
whom he does send them should re
Geiye them with open arms and re-
member that, MS they are children
born of welded love, so they will en-
courage and keep young the wedde(
love forever. In these days women for
get the wonderful bond that littl,
child is. What foolish women the.
are! A husband may be led astray
may sin grievously, but il he can asl
his pardon through the eyes of littl
child, where is tho wife who would no
grant il to him? A wife may seen
foolish, bit tiresome, aud sometime
oven silly, but if her love for her hus
band lisps itself in the voices of littl
children, her weaknesses will be for
gotten and only her virtues remem
bered. And yet there are women wit
do not care to be mothers!
In those days of old, women ma
have been--if such thing ia possibl
over religious. And such "A thing i
possible--in a way. The hot Sunda
dinner was unknown, and childre
wept over the catechism and went I
sleep and were wakened up to hear tn
Clergyman preach about the horrors q
hell and the certainty of small boy
and small girls getting there, bu
somehow it made good backbone i
men and women, did that queer re
ligious treatment. l have known wha
it was to sit upon a bench, that wa
urcushioned, at a silent meeting; n
preaching against he'll ever equale
that For that meant two hours {
absolute silence, ending in sigh {
relief, when the older Quakers, VIII
sat up and faced eyerybody, shoe
hands. During that timo there can
before me, as no preacher could hay
painted ii, the sins ! had comnitteC
remember kicking Ned, the dog;
remember sticking out my tongue |
Henry CLAY, the canary bird, and
remember. worst of all, that when
vas sent up to the bathroom one da