The Glenwood post., 1919-10-11
CHAPTER |.

Of the Ambersons began then. Their
splendor lasted all the years that saw
their Midland town spread and darken
into city, but reached its topmost
during the period when every prosper
GUS family with children kept 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 1t go by. Every
body knew everybody else's family
horse and carriage, could identify such
q silhouette half 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
riod 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 1t was year or so old;
1t remained distinguished by merely
remaining silk. Old men and COVER
nors wore broadcloth; "full dress was
broadcloth with "doeskin" trousers;
and there were seen men Of all ages
to whom hat meant only that rigid.
tall silk thing known to impudence as
a "stovepipe." In town and country
these men would wear no other hat,
and, without self-consciousness. they
went rowing in such hats.
Trousers with 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
a. the "dude" was invented: he wore
trousers as tight as stockings, dagger
pointed shoes, a spoon "derby," 3
single-breasted coat called a Chester
neld," with short flaring skirts, tor.
turing cylindrical collar. laundered to
q polish and three inches high, while
uCChkCuA DS q iASsA W
puffed cravat or tiny bow flt for q
dolls braids. With evening dress he
wore a tan overcoat so short that his
black coattails hung visible. five inches
below the overcoat; but after a season
or two he heightened his overcoat till
1t 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 that
had been coined for him remained In
the vocabularies of the impertinent.
Surely no more is needed to prove
that SO short a time ago we were liv
ing In another age!
At the beginning Of the Ambersons
great period most Of the houses Of the
Midland town were of pleasant ar
chitecture. They lacked style, but also
pretentiousness, and whatever does
not pretend at all has style enough
They stood in commodlous yards, well
shaded by leftover forest trees, elm
and walnut and beech, with here ant
there a line Of tall sycamores where
the land had been made by filling
bayous from the creek. The house OF
"prominent resident" facing Mill
tary square or National avenue or Ten
nessee street, was built Of brick upor
a stone foundation, or Of wood upon {
brick foundation. Usually 1t had {
''front porch" and "back porch :
often "side porch" too. There wa,
"front hall" there was "slde hall,
and sometimes n "back hall" From
the "front hall' opened three rooms
the "parlor." the Sitting room" ant
the library" and the library coult
show warrant to its title-for som'
reason these people bought books
Commonly the family sat more in th'
library than In the ''sitting room,
while callers, when they came for
mally, were kept to the "parlor," {
place of formidable polish and discom
fort. The upholstery Of the librar,
furniture was little shabby, but thu
hostile chairs and sofa Of the "parlor'
always looked new. For all the veal
and tear they got they should have
lasted a thousand years.
Upstairs were the bedrooms; moth
er and fathers room" the largest; 9
smaller room for one or two sons
another for one or two daughters
each Of these rooms containing 6
double bed, a "washstand," bureau
q wardrobe, little table, a rocking
chair. and often chair or two thai
had been slightly damaged down
stairs, but not enough to Justify eitheI
the expense Of repair or decisive
abandonment in the attic. And ther(
was always "spare room," for visi
tors (where the sewing machine usu
ally was kepD, and during the seven
ties there developed an appreciation
OF the necessity for bathroom.
At the rear Of the house, upstairs
wns bleak little chamber. called "ths
girls room.' and In the stable ther'
~ another bedroom, adjoining thu
hay1eft and called "the hired man,
rooA." 2use and stable cost sever