New-York tribune., 1896-12-27

ally used, though other colors were often en-
countered. From the start Norwich was pros
porous. Yet IT took cautiously to It's luxures
Only six gigs were owned in the town during the
Revolution. and while the garments of the people
seem delightfully."- picturesque to modern eyes
they were regarded for time at least as on the
whole subducd in style by those who wore them
This we gather from the fact that so carly az
1876. when Norwich was in It's very childhood,
law was framed and passed in the State which
offered a decisive check to anything like eA-
travagance or giddiness in costum" 1t forbade
amy one with an estate OF less than floo to In
dulge in gold or silver lace gold buttons. ribbons
bone-ace. etc. except the families OF public
officials. military officers. and those who had
been reduced from state OF afiiuence. For
time the men contented themselves with the
dress familiar in pictures OF the Pilgrims and
the women restrained their fancy but II was
not long before sumptuary legislation met its
usual fate. and possibly from the very ex-
istcnce of a law against it. people arrayed
themselves with the more elegance. The men
wore fashionable small clothes then. powdered
their hair carried three-cornered hats had
their waistcoats made Of silk or velvet richly
embroidered. and their wives and daughters
were always a little ahead Of them In the
decorative style Of their garments Some OF the
feminine customs Of the day were attacked
with something more eloquent than the law
The history Of the "calash" affords an instance
''rhe hair was powdered and brushed high over
an under-cushion stuffed with wool when
necessitated for street wear the caash, an I'M
mense silken structure ribbed with vhalebone.
which could be pulled and stretched AT VIII
over the mountain Of hair and which b"pbed
and swayed with every motion Of the wearer
No elaborate law. pondered ard set forth by
solemn jurists. was required to bring the calash
into disfavor Here are some verses from a
Norwich paper Of 1ISo:
Hail, great Calash Overwhelming vel,
BY all-ndugent heaven.
To sallow nymphs and maidens stale,
In sportive kindness given
Safe hid beneath thy crcling sphere
Unseen by mortal eyes.
The mingled heap Of oil and hair
And wool and powder lies.
Mrs Perkins is not explicit to the result
of this assault. but the inference Is that the
calash had its day. and swiftly departed. Inc
Ladies' or Norwich were exacting in their tastes.
The could not have long endured either the
calash or the hoop. which was also introduced
in the eighteenth century. The town touches
the imagination as a place in which the IN
habitants were always "of good family. as the
phrase is. and in which time never quenched
certain feeling for the repose and distinction
Of a well-bred community. Sometimes the de-
sire for dignity of carriage and expression
leaves us amusing records Of what life could
mean to some young minds century ago. Mrs.
Perkins quotes from the journal OF Abigail
Reynolds these observations. soemnly inscribed
hoy cd nlNS
contemplate the vanity of all human enjoy
rDents to read the book of Nature. and beholde
the MYSTERIES of Divine Providence. Nature has
put on its lovelyest charmes. and smiles in ali
its gayest attire There is more, which Is
equally quaint but it is impossible to follow at
length the excursions made by Mrs. perkins
into the old letters and other documents OF her
delightful Norwich. They are too numerous
Moreover il space must be found for one more
citation. it must be given to Mr. Daniel hup-
bard lawyer who was graduated from Yale
in 1121 and has been described az 'of upright
and honored life. religious and poetic. lie
loved the daughter OF Mr. Jhon Colt att
N-London." ard the letter in which he asked
that gentleman and his spous" for the hand OF
his adored Is too good specimen OF early
eighteenth century Torture 10 be omitted mere.
He writes: "Honored Sir & Madm. j blush
tremble on my knees while j study how TO ap-
proach your Presence. to ask OF you blessing
for which have long ADDRESSED ye Skies From
nv first Acquaintance at your House ] have
wishd my Happiness thence. nor nave YET
found 1t in nv power to seek it from an Other.
NY careful Thoughts with ccasclcss Ardors
commend We Affair to that Being. who alone
inspires a pure & refined Love. The Eye-Lids
OF We Morning discover me in my secret Places
with nv first devotions soliciting ye dea- i'm
portant Cause; ard We Evening-Shades are con-
scious TO We Vows J make for ye fr Creature,
who next TO Heaven holds the Empire of my
Heart" The forid Daniel. with his 'Eye-Lids
OF ye Morning" was finally successful in his
suit II is comforting to know, but rate IS sadly
ironcal His partner SOUL not only survived
him. but married. in 1I4i. Thomas Greene ana
il was with the latter that Copley painted her
in portrait which is preserved to-day IN CAM
bridge Thus we have no more concrete SOU
venir Of Daniel. religious and poetic, than this
pathetic love letter.
1t would be dinicult to give without copious
illustra tions an adequate idea OF the variety TO
be found in the crowded pages OF this BOOK
Mrs Perkins passes from one home plot 10
the next and nothing could be more judiciously
ordered than her recapitulation OF what might
be called the landmarks In Norwichs persona
history. But after all, the pers l. '''
thing and there is something more attractive
about Dr. Lee. who could hop forty ,eet at
three bounds" than there Is about even the
most historical fragment OF topography in the
annals OF the town. We believe Mrs. Perkins
will be Of immense service to the student OF
early New-England life. To special lovers o.
Norwich she must be the most welcome writer
Of many years. But the driest and most pc
oe her he
sentimental OF the dwellers In Norwich, vii!
succumb to the temptation which is certainly
irresistible to the reviewer, the temptation TO
glide imperceptibly from one anecdote to an
other until such utilitaran thing as history.
such trying thing as system. Is quite forgotten
and only sense Of enchanting old life is left.