The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-08-23


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 bleak little chamber. called 'the
girls ROOM" and in the stable there
was another bedroom, adjoining the
haylOft, and called 1.-THE hired mans
ROOM" House and stable cost seven
or eight thousand dollars to build and
people with that much money to invest
in such comforts were classified as the
Rich. They paid the inhabitant of
"the girls room" two dollars a week,
and, In the latter part of this period,
two dollars and a half, and finally
three dollars week. She was Irish
ordinarily. or German. or 1t might be
Scandinavian, but never native to the
land unless she happened 10 be a per-
son of color. The man or youth who
lived in the stable had like wages, and
sometimes, too, was lately steerage
vOyager, but much Oftener he was col
ored.
After sunrise on pleasant mornings
the alleys behind the stables were gay;
laughter and shouting went up and
down their dusty lengths, with lively
accompaniment of currycombs knock
ing against back fences and stable
walls, for the darkfes loved to curry
| their horses in the alleys. Darkies
always prefer to gossip in shouts in
stead of whispers, and they feel that
profanity. unless ii he vociferous, Is
almost worthless. Horrible phrases
were caught by early rising children
! and carried to elder people for defini-
ton, sometimes at inopportune mo-
ments; while less investigative chill
d-en would often merely repeat the
phrases in some subsequent furry Of
agitation, and yet bring about 'conse-
quences so emphatic as to be recalled
with ease in middle life.
They have passed, those darby hired
men of the Midland town. The
stables have been transformed into
the woOdsheds where were kept the
stovewood and kindling that the girl
and the "hired man" always Quarreled
over: who should fetch IL.
So with other vanishings. There
were the little bunty street cars on the
long. single track that went its
troubled way among the cobblestones
At the rear door of the car there was
no platform. but q step where passen'
gers chung in wet clumps when the
weather was bad and the car crowded
The patrons-if not too absent-minded
put their fares into slot; and nc
conductor paced the heaving floor, but
the driver would rap remindingly with
his elbow upon the glass of the dool
to his little open platform If the nick
els and the passengers did not appear
to coincide in number. A lone mule
drew the car, and sometimes drew i
off the track, when the passenger:
, would get out and push it on again
: They really owed 1t courtesies lik'
, this, for the car was genially accom-
J modating: lady could whistle to l
from an upstairs window, and the ca
would halt at once and wait for he
I while she shut the window. put on he
] hat and cloak, went downstairs, foun'
? an umbrella, told the "girl" what T.
: have for dinner, and came forth from
( the house.
: They even had time to dane
+ square Dances" Quadrilles and "lan
n GERS" they also danced the 'raC
n auette" and schottisches and polkas
a and such whims as the "Portian
~ fancy" They pushed back the slidin
s doors between the 'parlor" and tn
V sitting ROOM" tackled down cras
n over the carpets, hired a few palm
!, in green tubs. stationed three or fou
d Italian musicians under the stairwa
d in the front hall''-and had grea
e nights,
;. Excepting open house." was a merr
e custom; it has gone, like the Aida
" picnic in the woods, and like that pre-
r fest of all vanished customs, the ser'
a made. When lively girl visited tn
T. town she did not long go unserenadet
V though visitor was not indeed needle
e TO excuse serenade. OF a summe
!" night young men would bring an o
II chestra under a pretty girls window
e or, il nigh: be. her fathers, or thf
of an ailing maiden aunt-and flut
l. harp, cello. cornet and bass viol woul
a pleasantly release to the dulcet stat
S, such melodies as sing through You
!; Remember Me-" al Dreamt That
Dwelt in Marble Halls" "Silv'
:" Threads Among the Gold" "Kathlee
IL Mayourneen," or 1.-The Soldiers Far
ut WELL"
n Croquet and the mildest archer
err ever known were the sports Of Peep
Ee still young and active enough for .