The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15

n rain. fell, heavy curtains of leather were
hung up. From a days iolting in such, a
vehicle one came at ength TO an inn. There
the demand for a separate room would'b be
received with establishment. a trave Her
was lucky IL he got a bed &c himself. Many
of the inns had large rooms with from SIX
TO ten beds in each. European visitors
complained loudly of the fare at the taverrs,
! where fried bacon ard corn broad oon7
stituted the staple fare. At long intor-
walls, however, good inns could be enconn-
tered. Most OF these were In New Eng
land. In the larger towns the tavern was
beginning to give way to the modern. hotel,
modelled after European establishments
Passing to the normal methods OF settled
existence We observe that people OF means
lived In comfortable housas:, poor people
! still occupied the rude structures which had
characterized frontier life in the seven
teenth century. The planters OF the South
sought TO reproduce the life OF En- gilsh
country gentlemen and the rich merchants
of the North initiated the manners ana
customs they had seen and heard about In
London and Paris. BY those who had the
means the old Colonial usages were pre-
| served, but the sudden accumulation OF
wealth in the larger towns brought many
new families into prominence and man
ners were a little less formal, In New
| England Puritan morals ruled social inter-
course. Only sleighir g, riding, dar cir g,
| shootirg at a mark and playirg draughts or
checkers were cor sidered innocent amuse-
ments. The boys played football. quots
and cricket, and everybody skated in the
winter season. A theatre was not allowed
in Boston till 1913. In the South amuse-
ments were more urrestrained. Horse
, racing had long been a fayorite sport there
and c~ockfgbting was general.
The period from 1859 to 1901 was not
characterized by intellectual progress
Education made little advance, and liter
! allure was all but dead. The after effects
of war and the tendencies Of all energies
to run into physical recuperation seem
to have been the chief causes Of the phe-
! nomenon. As late az 1900 the Harvard
| faculty consisted only Of the president,
three professors and four tutors. In 1877
| Bishop Madison, whose vacant parishes
had caused him to suspend his episcopal
| functions and become President OF william
and Mary College, was teaching a group
of barefooted boys. In literature the
! group known as "The Hartford Wits were
most distinguished, if distinction can be
predioated of anybody at the period GU
! author is inclined to think tina the best
poetry of the day was that written by
| Philip Freneau, a native American OF french
descent. The truth is that the thought OF
| the day was mainly concentrated on re-
lieion. In New England and among the
masses Of New England and Southern states
| religion was the supreme authority IN
| conduct. On the other hand, many OF the
planters Of the South, and some members
of the more intelligent classes elsewhere,
| had accepted some Of the French ideas OF
! soepticism. SIN the villages Of New Eng
land the Congregational minister was still
| the most influential person. He ruled the
| conduct of the town, censored its manners
and did not hesitate to interfere in its pol
| itics. Thomas jefferson, whom the Ortho-
dox freely denounced rs q infdel, had
much reason to complain Of the political
| activity of the New England Ministry
Unitarianism, however, was beginning TO
undermine it's domination, and the trend
OF society toward subservience to the
wealthy classes was working for the
progress of the Episcopal Church"
It appears that social life was very gay
in both New York and Philadelphia while
| they were the seats Of the Federal Gov
eminent, but, normally, by common consent,
the latter city surpassed its rival on the
Hudson in social %brilliancy. During the
period under review the most noted woman
in Philadelphia was Mrs. William Bling
ham. She was endowed with beauty
taste, immense wealth, a splendid house
and family prestige; in 1875, when her nus
band became a United States Senator
| official position was added. An invitation
to her balls was an admission nto good
society. Foreigners were struck by the
| signs Of wealth at her receptions.
The Duke Of Observation-Disclosures
gave his impression Of Philadelphia society
in the following words, with which we
must conclude our notice Of this volume:
.Tbe rrofusion and luxury Of Philadelphia
| ON great days. at the tables OF the wealthy,
in their e~ouirages and the dresses OF their
| wiyesa and daughters are, as have observed,
ertreme. have seen halls on the Presi-
dents birthday where the splendor OF the
rooms aud the variety and richness OF
the dresses did not suffer in comparison
with Europe; and it must be acknowl-
edged that the beauty of the American
ladies has the advantage in the comparison.
| The young women of Philadelphia are
accomplished in different degrees, but
beauty is general with them. They may
want the ease and fashion OF French women,
but the brilliancy of their complexion is
infinitely superior. Even when they grow
old they are still handsome; and it would
be no exaggera.iou to say that in the nu-
merous assemblies Of Philadelphia it is i'm
possible to meet with what is called q plain
woman We add that Is is related of
| Louis Philippe, who had sought an asylum
In America, thai while he vas in Phila-
delphia he desired to marry a daughter
Of Mrs. Bingham but that Mr.. Bingham
objected, saying to the Duke Of Orleans:
SHOULD you ever be restored to your
hereditary position, you will be too great a
match for her; IL not, she is too great
a match for you NJ. W. d.
n.ntor,,n nisraeII nm fhe .Jeua