Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-04-01
PASSING OF THE pARLoR
Few Homes Now Possess What Once
Was the Households Pride

it isn't the buggy, it's side-burns and
wide wedding rings. 1t it isn't the
egg-nog it's pound cake. If it isn't
the buck" it's river steamboats,.
Now it's the parlor-the old-fashioned
parlor. The Admission Star and The
Rome Tribune Herald recall its pass
ing, and both speak respectfully of il
as 1t goes out of view. The Admission
paper says: Pew homes now possess
the one-time luxury, which the small
boy dared not enter and the head Of
the family dreaded to gaze upon be-
cause it suggested company and the
wearing of the Sunday suit---the par
lor.n
The Tibune-Herald deems it timely
to print a description Of the old-fash-
Toned parlor and of the uses to which
it was put. Its editor, therefore.
writes Interestingly Of that room
which was "the pride and glory Of the
household" Formerly, says the Rome
paper, nearly every dwelling house
had its parlor, no matter how small
or humble." We read oni
When a person entered the parlor
OF mans home, he clothed himself
with due formality, he stacked on
ceremony. sat in bolt upright posi-
ton with his hands crossed, his feet
obscured, and talked in stage whis-
pers, using only the most correct
phraseology and the most correct Ian
guage, such as is used by the best
writer's and speakers of the day.
Around the walls of the parlor
hung the portraits Of the households
ancestors; in the centre was large.
round table on which was placed the
family album and family Bible. In
this could be found pictures of the
mother and father and all the child
rem, aunts and uncles, at all ages. from
the time they We're babies on up to
the present. Somewhere in It was
picture of the husband sitting in
large chair, while the wife stood
slightly behind him with her hand on
his shoulder.
"A big horse-hair sofa sat in one
corner, while what-not stood ii an
other. On this article Of furniture
were displayed various and sundry arr
ticles and gew-gaws Of ancient and
honorable memory In this parcr the
children Of the house never dared 10
assemble, but ON certain state oc-
casions, the older daughter Of the
house, or younger one If she could
beat her sister to it, sat bolt upright
in solemn grandeur and received the
final sworn assurances Of her accep-
ted, lover.
"But the parlor is thing Of the
past, 1t has passed in its checks. as it
were. Now the guests assemble in
formally in the library or drawing
room and soon attain a considerable
amount Of ease. They smoke, pat
their feet on the tenders, and do
great many other things that would
have been strictly tabooed in the an
Gent and historic past.
"rhe parlor is seldom used; if such
thing existed it is covered with dust
and only opened on rare occasions,
when there is home wedding or
something of the kind.
with the passing Of the parlor go
also the formal, stilted manners of
the past, and great many other
foolish and unnecessary things that
pertained to another age.
"In fine, the parlor was heritage
of false aristocracy, and in its pass
ing we have one expression Of the
new democracy"
For another thing the model home
of generation and more ago was a
spacious object within whose ample
walls weekend parties were held, and
ballroom floor lay, while under the
house was cellar to keep things in
that might be needed on pleasant >oc
casions. But the model home Is
dwindling in size, along with families.
The cost of maintenance, in the mat
ter Of servants, lights, fuel and fur
niture, not to speak of the cost of
building material is too burdensome
to encourage the building of large,
houses. It has become necessary to-
make smaller houses. When some
thing had to be sacrificed, everybody
agreed on the parlor. With these al
terations came also change in social
customs. Dinner parties are FREE
quently given at hotels and recep-
tions at downtown clubs. Dances are
usually given downtown. As rule
the last thing people seem to desire
now is company in the house We are
sure social life has suffered an ire
parable loss in the slow passing of the
home as gathering place for ones