Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-09-12
CHAPTER |.

Major ANDERSON had "made a for
tune" in 1873, when other people were
losing fortunes, and the magnificence
of the Ambersons began then. Their
splendor lasted all the years that saw
their Midland town spread and darken
into a city, but reached its topmost
during the period when every prosper
GUS family with children kept a New
foundland dog.
In that town In those days all the
women who wore silk. or velvet knew
all the other women who wore silk or
velvet, and when there was a new
purchase of sealskin sick people were
got to windows to see it go by. Every
body knew everybody else's family
hcrSe and carriage, could identify such
a silhouette half a mile down the
street, and thereby was sure who was
going to market or to reception or
coming home from Office or store to
noon dinner or evening supper.
During the earlier years of this pc
Rod elegance of personal appearance
was believed to rest more upon the
texture Of garments than upon their
shaping. A silk dress needed no re-
modelling when it was year or so old;
1t remained distinguished by merely
remaining silk. Old men and COVER
nOrs wore broadcloth; ''f1ll dress" was
broadcloth with "dOeskin" trousers;
and there were seen men of all ages
to whom a hat meant only that rigid,
tail silk thing known to impudence as
'Stovepipe." In town and country
these men would wear no other hat,
and. without self-consciousness, they
went rowing In such hats.
Trousers with a crease were consid-
cred plebeian; the crease proved that
the garment had lain upon shelf, and
hence was "ready made" these be-
traying trousers were called "hand-
me-downs." in allusion to the shelf. In
the early eighties, while bangs and
bustles were having their way with
women, that variation of dandy known
as the "dude" was invented: he wore
trousers as tight as stockings, dagger
pointed shoes. a spoon "derby,"
single-breasted coat called a Chester
field" with short flaring skirts, a tor
turing cylindrical collar, Numbered to
a polish and three inches high, while
his other neckgear might be heavy,
pulled eravat or tiny bow fit for
dolls braids. With evening dress he
wore tan overcoat so short that his
black coattails hung visible, five inches
below the overcoat: bot after season
or two he heightened his oyercoat till
II touched his heels, and he passed out
OF his tight trousers into trousers like
great bags. Then presently he was
seen no more, though the word tnat
mad been coined for him remained In
the vocabularies of the impertinent.
Surely no more is needed to prove
mat so short a time ago we were llv-
ing in another agel
AT the beginning of the Ambersons'
great period most of the houses of the
midland town were of a pleasant ar
Vhitecture. They lacked style, but also
p'etentiousness, and whatever does
~SAiu at uA1 LIDS SlyAC 'ussAA'
meg stood in commodious yards, wen
shaded h. leftover forest trees, elm
euu walnut and beech. with here and
mere a line of tall sycamores where
sle iand had been made by filing
oayous from the creek. The house of
prominent resident" facing Mill
.ary square or National avenue or Ten
-eAsee street, was built of brick upon
slohe foundation, or of wood upon a
s.ick foundation. Usually it had a
.,Oht porch" and a 'back porch :"
"sen side porch" too. There was
front hail." tn re was "side hall. :"
s Hu sometimes a shack hall" From
ts front hall" opened three rooms,
ny s parlor," the sitting room" and
&C library" and the library could
\ ~" warrant to its title-for some
casOn these people bought books.
,n sulLlonly the family sat more In the
"a s,ary than in the sitting room"
m a,,e callers, when they came for
MY ny were kept to the '.parlor." a
fo.s - q formidable polish and discom-
The upholstery Of the library