Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-09
CHAPTER l.

Major Anderson had "made a for
tune" in 1873, when other people were
losing fortunes, and the magnificence
of the Ambersons began then. Their
spiendor 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 six or
velvet, and when there was new
purchase of sealskin sick people were
got to windows TO see IT go by. avery
body knew everybody else's family
horse and carriage, could identity 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;
It 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 q 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, spoon derby" a
singIe-breasted coat called Chester
field" with short flaring skirts, tor
turing cylindrical collar, Numbered to
a polish and three inches high, while
his other neckgear might be heavy,
pulled cravat or a tiny bow fit for q
dolls braids. With evening dress he
wore a tan overcOat so short that his
black coattaiIs hung visible. five inches
below the overcoat; but after season
or two he heightened his overcOat 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 that
had been coined for him remained In
the vocabulsries 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 a pleasant ar
chitecture. They lacked style, but also
pretentiouSneSS, and whatever does
not pretend at all has style enough.
They stood in commodlous yards, we'll
shaded by leftover forest trees, elm
and walnut and beech, with here and
the land had been made by filling
bayous from the creek. The house of
a prominent resident" facing Mill
tary square or National avenue or Ten
neSSee street, was built of brick upon
q stone foundation. or of wood upon
brick foundation. Usually 1t had a
''front porch" and a "back porch !"
often a side porch" too. There was
a front hail." there was "Side hall"
and sometimes "back hall" From
the front hail. opened three rooms,
the 'parlor," the sitting room" and
the library" and the library could
show warrant to its title-for some
reason these people bought books
Commonly the family sat more In the
library than in the sitting room"
while callers, when they came for
mally, were kept TO the "parlor." a
place Of formidable polish and discom-
fort. The upholstery of the library
furniture was little shabby. but the
hostile chairs and sofa of the ''parlor''
always looked new. For all the wear
and tear they got they should have
lasted q thousand years.
Upstairs were the bedrooms moth
er and fathers room" the largest; a
smaller room for one or two sons,
another for one or two daughters !;
each of these rooms containing a
double bed, q "washstand." a bureau"
wardrobe. q little table, a rocking
chair. aud often chair or two that
had been slightly damaged down
stairs. but not enough 10 justify either
the expense OF repair or decisive
abandonment in the attic. And there
= was always spare ROOM" for visi-
tors (where the sewing machine usu-
ally was kept. and during the seven
ties there developed an appreciation
of the necessity for bathroom.
AT the rear Of the house. upstairs.
was Ii bleak little chamber. called 'the
girls ROOM" and in the stable there
was another bedroom. adjoining the
hayloft, and called the hired mans
room" House and stable cost seven
or eight thousand dollars 10 build. and
people with that much money to invest
in such comforts were classified as the
Rich. They paid the inhabitant of
the girls rooH- two dollars a week.