The age-herald., 1901-04-10
"Cld Plantation Days.

Ol0 Fld0Idt1O0 Lays
 Mir and Mrs. T. c. Bush entertained brilliant assembly last evening at their home in Highland avenue in honor of their daughter, Mrs. William Duncan Nesbitt the evening also introducing that charming and noted Alabama woman, Mrs. Martha Gielow, formerly of Greenboro, but now of New York, and who entertained the guests with her .in- terpretation of "Old Plantation Days"
 MT and Mrs. Bush's plans for Mrs. Gieows appearance were not known by many of the guests until they were pre- sented to her last evening, and while many of them had had the pleasure of hearing her on her previous visit to Birmingham, there were still others who knew of her great artistic success through the New York and London papers, so that the great desire to hear her was most charmingly anticipated by by MT. and Mrs Bush, who gave their guests the unusual pleasure of seeing Mrs. Gielow in her drawing room entertainments which have long been so popular in the exclusive sets of New York and London.
 Mrs Gielows dialect recitals were in- terspersed with charming musical selec- tons from a quartette of male voices. the entire programme including the planta- tion melodies of the long ago.
 With the rich voices of the quartette filling the drawing room-with the olden time songs, and then when Mrs. Gielow was impersonating her black nanny, 1t was difficult to realize that one was not indeed lon the old plantation befo de war" But the 'tSewanee River" and My Old Kentucky Home" are even sweeter today than they ever were, and the strains of the dear old mammies take on tenderer significance as one realizes that this picturesque type is slowly pass- ing away.
 Depicted as she Is by Mrs. Gielow, she has charmed two continents, and those who heard Mrs. Gielow last evening real ized why she had created so much furor as an interpreter of the negro dialect and had revealed the negro character the faithfulness and the close relation be- | tween the old time nanny and her mis- tress with greater truth than any other Southern woman. They realized, too, not | only Mrs. Gielow's wonderful power to take her audience with her to the old | plantation and hear the nursery rhyme, "Blow TIT Freezes Blow" but they came under the spell of her personal beauty and charm, which seemed all the more intensified when at times one felt that nanny surely must be in the drawing room instead of this dainty, beautiful woman who was smiling her acknowl- edgements to the brilliant throng before her.
 The quartette included MT. John liar mon, MT. Reed Miller, MT. E. A. Werner, MT. Edward G. Powell, four of Birming- hams greatest favorites
 MT. and Mrs. Bush MT. and Mrs. Nes- bitt, and Miss Williams received in the beautiful reception hall, which was a tropical bower of palms. At the first landing of the stairway was an elaborate grouping of palms and ferns against which the pink petals of dozens of La France roses produced a charming ef- feet
 The drawing rooms, with their exquisite green and old rose tints, presented a very gay scene throughout the evening, | thronged with a brilliant assemblage, while on the wide balcony without the | scene was very picturesque when the | guests were seated at the tables, de- licious supper being served on the veran- da which was inclosed with canvas. The | decorations here were of palms and La France roses. the palms being placed be- tween the stone pillars. the entire | length of the veranda, giving the appear ance of a magnificent palm garden. The | ceiling was studded with lights, while the | view from within was equally as en- chanting
 The old plantation days were carried out in the details of the supper, and the cakes were designed as huge watermelons and ornamented with miniature darkies to more perfectly carry out the idea.
 The programme of the evening was as follows:
 Mrs. Martha c. Bellows evening "Befo, Dc War
 "Dixie"-Dixie Quartette: John Harmon, first tenor; J. Reed Miller, second tenor; E. A. Werner, first bass; Edward G. Powell. second bass.
 'tOld Plantation Days" original.
 My Old Kentucky Home" quartette.
 "Calline's Weddn' ", original.
 How Sis Whey Went Home to Glory" original.
 Swing Low Sweet Chariot" quartette
 "SeWanee River, quartette
 "Old Miss an Sweetheart Edwards
 "Go to Sleep on Mammy's Bres' ", orig inal cradle song.
 Lullaby" quartette.
 Uncle Toms Matrimonial Difficulties" original story
 'The Village Seamstress," Kate D. Wiggins.
 Mrs. Doodles Tribute to the Late La mented Doodley'' Harley.
 "Old Mistis" Tennessee horse race story), Moore.
 "Blow lil' Breezes." original nursery scene and cradle song.