The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-04
AN ANTE GKANDmOTH tcR
A Charming PeD.Picture OF IA Charleston
Lady In the Days OF the old South.
(By Mrs. Maria L. Prentiss.)

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though less than they do now, when
they acted on their feelings instead
of analyzing them, when they loved
and obeyed their parents, in place of
utilizing them as subjects for poems
and articles to bo paid for at regular
rates.
She was not "a dear old lady" in
the popular sense Of tho torn, as bcr
opinions and principles were not the
'vacilating, adjustable affairs that do
duty for moral standards now II. days,
but were 80 fixed and rigid that any
one, running counter to them, must
received a jar and shock.
After my grandfather's death,
which event rendered her "widow
indeed" and was blow from which
she never recovered. she resided,
with an unmarried daughter, in Il
comfortable, we'll li-ordered establish
ment, which formed sort Of rallyinp
point for the numberous members of
her family; and many were the re-
proofs and reprimands received
there, by her degenerate grand
children, for their departure from
the good old ways approved and
practiced by the old lady.
She was Southerner and a firm
believer in the righteousness of slav-
cry; but sho was acquainted with only
the mlldest aspects of the institution,
for her quiet corner had not yet been
visited by the covctousness and greed
Of gold which swept over our coun-
try, converting, too often, a gentle,
Patriarchal systom into grinding,
imoney- making tyranny.
With a thoroughly trained and
equipped staff of domestics, my
grandmother's household duties wero
necessarily light, and daily, at II
o'clock, she might be found seated
in her parlor ready for any possible
call, and occupied with the books
which were her constant and cherish.
ed companions. | can sec her now,
as she sat reading, attired IN the fin
est of the black bombazino gowns,
and the whitest Of widows caps, tho
wide strings Of which were often
"done up" by her own hands, not
withstanding tho regiment Of servants
established on the premises.
Among her favorite books were
the "Llfe and Letters Of Hannah
More," with the volumlnous works
of that author, RoswolPs Lifo Of
Johnson, Life of Lady Hunting-
ton, of John Newton, with his writ
tings, and those of sundry other gen
tlemen of evangelical proclivities,
formed a considerable portion of her
mental pabulum, and 1 recollect Il
very fat volume, containing the re-
cord of one Miss Susan Alllbone's
experience IN religion and rheuma-
tism, which was highly esteemed by
the old lady. Lord Chesterfleld's
Letters and those of Mrs. Chaponc,
with the assurance Of what tho latter
had accomplished for youthful royal
ty, she was constantly recommend
ing to her rapidly degenerating do
cendants of the third d,gree.
From the works of Hannah More,
the volume containing Coelebs in
search of Wife, was missing, grand
mamma having presented it-by way
of instruction and edifcation-to my
eldest brother. He amused him
self by reading it aloud, at odd times
to little servant who waited in the
house, and who waxed so weary Of
the Search, that he was heard to OK
claim one day that ho did "wish
Lass Coolebs would hurry up an ino
zee wife,"
Grandmamma's parlor would have
Mortified modern house decorators,
as the floors were cove, ed with hand.
some Brussels carpets, instead Of
being splotches here and there, with
rugs and art squares, a1d the furn,-
ture was of tho mahogany and horse
hair variety, SO derided in these days
of "greonory -yallery" upholstery.
Though tho old ladys taste was
for serious reading, she enjoyed hoar-
ing the novels of tho day road aloud,
in tho evenings, by one Of tho younger
members of her family, and I remcm-
Der once, when reading in this way,