The age-herald., 1900-03-18
IN HOTEL HOBBIES ] AND ELSEWHERE


 an old-fashioned infare at one of the coun- try seats in Madison county the other day, and the fact recalls my youth," said a world worn bachelor last night. "It Is near ly thirty years since had heard of any other infare; and this one in Madison sets me a-thinking. Likely enough there isn't a young person in Birmingham or Jeffer- son county who ever heard of an infare. or knows what the word means. In olden times there was never a marriage in the | ranks of the quality or the wef1-to-do without its attendant infare. The quality did not constitute a large element of the l popula ton, and so a marriage in hat class was an event of too much importance to be suffered to pass by without the honored | observance of ancient custom. The great l planters and their families would drive in | their carriages astonishingly long dis tances to be present at an infare. The day of the event was given up to feasting and l drinking and gossiping, and to decorous joy generally, as beftted the station of southern aristocracy. The bride and bride groom were the central figures in all the festivities, and dignifed jokes and stately wit characterized the feetiDg hours. The honored and hospitable custom prevailed until civil war came to destroy the south. During the years of lighting there was extremely little marrying and no social pastimes After Appomattox there arose an irresistible, overwhelming epidemic of ma trimony, and infares were the rage for five years; but the blessing of peace was in losing struggle with the curse of a war that was ended in so far actual fighting was concerned. The old south with its pride of birth, its dignity, it's wealth, and its picturesqueness had passed away. | An infare, sometimes spelt infair, 1t may be | explained to the younger generation, was a reception given by bridal couple im- 1nediately after marriage or a reception by | the bridegroom or his father in honor of | the bride.''
 | A little double-seated back-to-back trap | drawn by a little pony and bearing two | little girls and two little boys appeared | a bright bit of color in the crowded streets | of Birmingham, and charmed al beholders. A brighter or prettier scene is not imag- inaible. Two little girls with white bonnets | occupied the rear seat, and the boys sat in | front, one of them driving the fast trotting pigmy pony. They were chatting and
 
 | gin to sing and their presence made the | dull world less dull. They passed very swiftly, but not too rapidly for warm | hearts to learn to love them. Who they were or whence they came the crowds in l the streets knew not nor asked. They might have been little seraphs sent down in | the chariot of sun to bless the earth | little while The most advanced in years of the quartette of laughers appeared to be not more than eight or ten. Perhaps they were the trusted messengers of the 1 spring.
 | In The Club Woman's Magazine for | March is an eXquisitely beautiful and pa- thetic short story by Walter L. Hawley, formerly ofrthe Birmingham press and now high in New York newspaper work as member of the Evening Suns staff MT. l IIawley has written much that Is beauti- 1 ful and strong; but it Is doubtful if he has | given us anything more appealing or more touching than this little story with three l characters,-a nerve-shattered bachelor 1 gentlewoman in widows weeds, and baby boy! The title of the story is And Little Child Shall Lead Them The child "tram- | pied under foot the whims of the bachelor and cantered boldly down che stone-paved way that led to the heart of the man." Bir- mingham is always interested in whatever | pertains to the well-beng of MT. Hawlev This Club Woman's Magazine, by the way, | is a most excellent publication.
 Former Mayor J. A. VanHoose, and Mrs | VanHoose and Miss McLester, have return | ed from New York.
 | Colonel Shook has sufficiently recovered from, the grip to leave his apartments at | the Morris.
 Shelby Smith, of the Manufacturers Re- view, has returned from business errand to Chicago.
 Major Phil Campbell, of Sheffield, is in 1 town.
 Sam Cowan is visiting friends in Rich | mond, Va c. J. Jackson, of Richmond, | is at the Morris.
 Joseph Walker. of the Hayneville Exam iner force, is in Birmingham.