The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1907-07-20
copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)

leader in the agitation carried on through
out New England; After the slavery
Mrs: Howe took a prominent part in the
work for woman suffrage, prison reform
and international peace. Her Battle
Hymn of the Republic is known every
many works may be mentioned Passion
Flowers" Later LYRICS" Memoir of S.
G. Howe" Life of Margaret Fuller and
us Polite Society Polite?' Her children
are also famous, the best known of them
being Maud How Elliott and Laura
Richards; The intimacy of her associa-
tons with the great writer's and thinkers
of the last half century is shown by the
present article.)
/ am in Newport in the month of
October. The gay season has come
and gone. The gay world has driven
and dined and danced, seeking and
finding its accustomed plethora of friv-
olous amusement. 1t has possibly
paid it's bills and has certainly gone
its way. 1t has troubled itself little
with regard to the amusement of
those outside of it's limits. Yet has
some diversion been furnished to man
kind at large by the report of it's do
ings. It's taste has been more accord
ant with Roman luxury than with
Greek simplicity. Dinners in private
houses of from 80 to 100 plates are
far removed from the classic rule
which enjoined that guests at a BAN
Quet should not be less than three or
more than nine.
The faces of the gay people when
they departed were anything but gay.
They looked tagged and fatigued be-
yond measure, and their banality Of
facial expression was such as to strike
a chill to the heart of the beholder.
The writer, having haunted the pres
ent field Of observation for some seven
decades, will here hazard some retro
spective notes IN things that have
been"
l might first speak of a Newport
season of SIS years ago, in which
George William Curtis and Thomas
Appleton, with the families of Poet
Longfellow and DR.. Howe, sojourned
together at the old Cliff house, now
replaced by the new Cliff hotel. Studi-
GUS inmates passed mornings in their
rooms. Sea bathing for those who en-
joyed it also occupied much of the
forenoon. The afternoons were de-
voted to rambles, out-of-door sketch
ing and driving, mostly along the
beautiful beaches. Now and then our
drive brought us to a teahouse, IA
nous for it's in~exhaustible supply of
hot griddle cakes. An occasional hop
at the ocean" called away our young
people, but the crowning gayety of the
week was found in the Saturday even
ing gathering at this same Ocean
house, where elders sat or prone
naded while young couples danced to
their hearts content, the ladies hold
ing their trains in one hand, as the
traditional mermaid is supposed to
hold her caudal appendage.
In those days enc of the few resi-
dents of Bellevue venue issued invi-
tations for a dance at his house. When
the music and the figures began the
Yankee serving man, recently hired,
81 won't stay to see those
people dance themselves to hell"
and rushed wildly from the house,
leaving the refreshments to take care
of themselves.
Years passed in which the butter
fly hunt of fashion began to invade
our quiet, but not yet in aggressive
numbers. A summer came which
brought Bret Harte, DR.. Holland,
James Parton and Fanny Fern, Col.
T. w. Higginson and Helen Hunt to
the lovely seaside resort. Those con-
genial spirits soon formed a habit of
together. We enjoyed many
across the bay and chowder |
on the sands of jamestown, |
which then boosted few houses and |
only n small tavern. Our evenings |
enlivened by readings, parlor |
dramas, charades and delightful con-
v~ersation. The enchanting season
to an end all too quickly, never |
to repeat itself. but never wholly to
perish froEl the memories of those
it had united in friendly in
terconrse.
The watering place presently came
Into absolute favor with the devoteea
Of fashionable life. Great attention
was given to display and entertain !