The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-04-17

the Old South, the South before the
war, is always delightfully."- reminiscent
and sweet to every southern heart
The pride of it's people, the varied
comedy and tragedy of it's social life;
its peculiar and interesting customs:
its old slave tales and folklore, their
songs In the sugar cane and cotton
fields, and their merry-making by
moonlight and torch light in the "big
house. yard; the short gay winters:
the long dreary summers, with leaf
clad forests and verdant fields and
flowers in wild profusion, it's cattle
grazing in open field and in cane-bush-
es; the home life of the old planter
and gentleman with his family pride,
his host of friends, his gun, his hors-
es and his hounds for pastimes; the
sweet femininity, the far-famed beau
ty the virtue, the soft voices, the
gentle manner Of the cleavipg, depend
ent southern women. all these and
scores OF other strange and pleasing
conditions made the Old South the
land of romance and song.
Life was broad and ample, generous
and fine-spirited. 1t was a rural life,
the towns and villages of the New
England settlements being replaced
in the southern colonies by large plan
tations, on which the families of the
planters lived in patriachal state, sur
rounded by their multitude OF happy
and contented dependents. AS they
grew rich from the sale of tobacco
in Virginia, or of rice father south.
the planters built themselves comfort
able mansions, handsomely furnished
and decorated. Within were broad
stairways, rising out of ample halls
which were often adorned with tro-
phles OF the chase. The richest and
most ornamental woods were used in
the interior decorations, the mantels
and wainScoting being frequently rich
ly carved mahogany, while solid oak
and mahogany supplied the material
for chairs and tables. The sideLoards
were heaped with glittering gold and
silver plates. These stately mansions
were fronted by cool porches, screen.
ed from the summer heat by trellises
of towering vines, while the sur
rounding grounds were richly adorn-
ed with beds of fairest flowers. Zach
mansion had it's numerous household
of negro servants, whose dusky faces
were to be seen everywhere about the
house and its surroundings. The field
hands dwelt in separate quarters, each
cabin having its garden and poultry
yard. There was abundant work to
do, for every estate was in its way
separate industrial community, most
OF the articles needed being made by
slave artisans on the estate itself, but
there were plenty of hands to do the
work, so that 1T was rare for any
one to be pushed beyond his powers. |
In fact, the system was one of modern
patriachism, and the association |
more that Of a great family than of |
task-master and slave. No doubt, in |
those old days, content and comfort |
were the prevailing elements. The |
great planters lived like lords of the
manor, keeping stables of fine horses
and packs Of hunting dogs, riding and
hunting being favorite modes of pass
ing the time. In going to church, 6r
visiting neighboring planters, the |
elaborately grand coach, drawn by G !
stately horses, was brought into SER
vice and with its dusky driver and
uniformed outriders made a showy
display. Never was there more gen
erous hospitality. Visitors were well
coined with the utmost warmth. An
old-fashioned southern plantation in
fact presented type Of domesticity
of which few traces remain and which
was one of the purest, sweetest, and
most agreeable types OF social life
ever known. While the owner Of the
estate was, in fact, as we'll as in name,
the head Of the family, yet there has
never been home in which the wife
was 80 important and so dominant,
for there cannot be a home in which
the domestic part was so important.
Upon her fell the duty Of supervising
the household, It's occupants, and its
affairs, and of experimenting the con
duct and care of the negro women
and children. She was mistress in the
true sense Of that word, for in her do
main her word was law of the house
and Of the quarters"
In these households the Bible was
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