The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04
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Sept. 8-After the war OF 1912 there used
to come here, in regular troops, children.
'grown ups and colored servants. Then
came the war that devastated the South
ana made it, like a phenix, to rise again
from it's ashes, and for awhile, when the
ashes were still warm, this old fashioned
place had but few visitors. It's time was
TO come. There were too many memories
about il for il to be neglected. There were
too many happy opportunities for riding
and driving and iovemaking for it to be
forgotten, and so to-day beside the South
ern girl in her simple white dress who at
IS is already engaged to be married is the
stylish New York girl or the stately Bos-
ton girl each come TO have a stay at
the "Old White"
Life seems one great round Of lovemak-
ing. These springs were never meant for
fast matrons or elderly spinsters, but they
were dedicated to the beauty Of youth,
and it Is supreme. The position of the
mother of the average family here is that
of looking after her chickens, big and lit
tie, seeing that Nancy's sash
is tied or seeing that some cousin has
been brought along because her own moth
er is an invalid who cannot endure life at
the White Sulphur. In short, 1t is the po-
sition of a matronly hen over a very lively
brood. If there is one dominant industry
in the South, one would have to admit
that is, If one wished to be honest-that
il Is the Infant" one for the average
Southern family has from four to four
teen children. At a wedding given near
this place not so very long ago the great
desire of the bride was to keep an old
darby, commonly called Aunt Idzzy," as
far from her as possible, since ii was be-
lieved that she possessed the mystic pow
er, known as "the laying on of hands,"
which insured 10 the happy couple
handsome, healthy pair of twins before
the year was over.
Girls used to buy Aunt Lizzie Howard TO
stay away, but she was inclined TO be
something of a--well, she was inclined to
tell what wasn't quite true. So she would
accept the present and then appear at the
wedding and stand, ghoullike, at the door,
ready to put her horrible black fingers,
long and mystical looking, upon the white
gown or veil of the unfortunate bride.
Every Southern girl for miles around
knows about her, and every one Of them
breads her. Not that they don't want to
have a tribe Of children-that seems to be
their greatest happiness-but as a young
matron put it to me, IF Aunt Lizzie
Howard does mango to 'hoodoo you it
Is not so much yourself that you care
about, but for some reason the gentlemen
seem to be guyed little bit about twins,
and yet why should they?
Just look at the doctor that attended
gallant and religious Stonewal Jacksoni
Why, he had two or three sets of twins!
And then think of poor Gen. Hood with
numerous pairs of twins I do believe they
We're beautiful. I can't remember, but
mamma says when the Hood babies all
came out with their nanny everybody
used to laugh and say, There goes
Hoods battalion. But YOU know we
Southerners like babies nightly. and I
never can think that house is really
well furnished unless there are plenty of
little folks and two or three well bred
dogs"
l should like with my pen to reproduce
the brides soft Southern accSnt. / do 50
wish l could with my pencil portray the
lock that came into her eyes as we talked
about the babies. 1t was the look that
you see in pictures of the Madonna, not
the look that comes into the face of the
woman who finds society of so much worth
and children so much trouble
There is always at the White Sulphur
one girl who Is the belle While there
may be hundreds OF pretty girls still
there Is one each season who IS trium-
phant, and to have been the belle at the
white Sulphur and not to be engaged at
ats end and counted as matron during
the next season means that the beauty
was failure. The present one comes
from close to the line that divides the
North from the South. She is dressed
simply, for the best reason in the world
Her people have very little money ia
spend, and she has been brought here by
rich cousin. She fixes over her frocks.
and when one or two more Handsomely
dressed girls have pitied or scoffed at
her she always says with a laugh: ooh
! don't mind it as long as l look nice
and &C is quite fun fixing over your things.
You never know how they are going 10
turn out"
The white muslin dress Is washed. fresh
ribbons put on it, and the belle of the
pan dances not only through the night
out half the morning, and the grea ter
part OF the afternoon, for at the OLD
White everybody dances. I sometime.
think that Is one reason why Southern
children are so graceful Taken off fol
the summer, an awkward boy Will bf
hauled in to fill up a square dance. anC
before he knows anything about anvthina
he is getting compliments all around anf
the prettiest girl there is saying to him
why, Tommy. didn't know YOU coulf
dance SO wellp' And tomorrow mornin,
10 dance with him. and soon mis- awkward
ness goes away, while a happy mothe
says to Toms mother: "Why. Mrs. Cor
don, your Tom is getting to be a rea
Snan,' and Toms mother smiles an,
looks lovingly at the author of Toms be
ing and says: 'Wen, he certainly dom
set his good manners and his fine dancipi
from strangers" and the little lest /
made much OF, and so life goes on In
very Innocent manner.
The belle Of the ball is saying: But
don't think our men would like it," Tn
two soft brown eyes are looking UP int
yours, and these words are coming from
two rosy, red lips. She is giving you he
opinion as to what our men like" Fror
her youth up her brother has been traIne,
10 wait on her. but also from her yout
up she has been trained to give you In
pretty little THANK you" the affectionat
nod. the caressing word that is so delight
1ul TO the heart Of man and which make
al the difference between the woman an
the shirt front