The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-08-21
CHAPTER !.

losing fortunes, and the magnifcenc'
Of the Ambersons began then. Theil
splendor lasted all the years that saw
their Midland town spread and darker
into q city, but reached It's topmost
during the period when every prosper
Gus family with children kept q 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 sealskln 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 a mile down the
street, and thereby was sure who was
going to market or to a 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
BudDlDks n Mn uItSS htOuCb ho ~
modelling when 1t was a year or so old
II 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 a hat meant only that rigid,
tall silk thing known to impudence as
q '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 plebelan the crease proved that
the garment had lain upon a shelf, and
hence was ready made" these be-
traying trousers were called hand
me-downs,' in aiiusiOn 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" a
single-breasted coat called a Chester
field" with short fiaring skirts, a tor
turing cylindrical collar, Numbered to
q polish and three inches high, while
his other neckgear might be a heavy,
pulled cravat or a tiny bow fit for a
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
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 yccshnlaries Of the impertinent.
Surely no more Is needed to prove
that 30 short a time ago we were liv-
ing In another agei
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 ~commodious yards, well
shaded by leftover forest trees. elm
and walnut and beech, with here and
there a line Of tall sycamores where
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 a
brick foundation. Usually II had a
front porch" and q back porch :"
often a "slde porch" too. There was
a front hall :" there was a "side hail."
and sometimes a "back hail." From
the front hall" opened three rooms,
the "parior," 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.. n
place of formidable polish and discom-
fort. The upholstery Of the library
furniture was a 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 a thousand years.
Upstairs were the bedrooms "motb.
er and fathers room" the largest: n
smaller room for one or two SONS.
another for one or two daughters .
each Of these rooms containing n
double bed. a "washstand." a bureau
. wardrobe. a little table, a rocking
chair. and often a chair or two that
had been slightly damaged down.
stairs, but not enough to justify either
the expense Of repair or decisive
abandonment In the attic. And there
was always a spare ROOM" for vlsi-
tors (where the sewing machine usu-
ally was kept. and during the seven
ties there developed IN appreciation
Of the necessity for a bathroom.
At the rear Of the house, upstairs,
was Z bleak little chamber. called 'thf
girls ROOM" and In the stable there
Was another bedroom. adjoining thu
hayloft, and called 'the hired man''
room House and stable cost ss7er
y eIeht thousand dollars to build. ~