Customs and Fashions in Old New England

								


     Miss Soley being mistress of the ceremony. Miss Soley desired me to

     assist Miss Hannah in making out a list of guests which I did.

     Sometime since I wrote all the invitation cards. There was a large

     company assembled in a large handsome upper room in the new end of

     the house. We had two fiddles and I had the honor to open the

     diversion of the evening in a minuet with Miss Soley. Here follows

     a list of the company as we form'd for country-dancing. Miss Soley

     and Miss Anna Green Winslow; Miss Calif and Miss Scott; Miss

     Williams and Miss McLarth; Miss Codman and Miss Winslow; Miss Ives

     and Miss Coffin; Miss Scollay and Miss Bella Coffin; Miss Waldo and

     Miss Quinsey; Miss Glover and Miss Draper; Miss Hubbard and Miss

     Cregur (usually pronounced Kicker) and two Miss Sheafs were invited

     but were sick or sorry and beg'd to be excused.



     "There was a little Miss Russel and little ones of the family

     present who could not dance. As spectators there were Mr. & Mrs.

     Deming, Mr. & Mrs. Sweetser, Mr. and Mrs. Soley, Mr. & Mrs. Claney,

     Mrs. Draper, Miss Orice, Miss Hannah--our treat was nuts, raisins,

     cakes, Wine, punch hot and cold all in great plenty. We had a very

     agreeable evening from 5 to 10 o'clock. For variety we woo'd a

     widow, hunted the whistle, threaded the needle, & while the company

     was collecting we diverted ourselves with playing of pawns--no

     rudeness Mamma I assure you. Aunt Deming desires you would

     particularly observe that the elderly part of the Company were

     Spectators only, that they mixed not in either of the

     above-described scenes.



     "I was dressed in my yelloe coat, black bib and apron, black

     feathers on my head, my paste comb and all my paste garnet

     marquasett & jet pins, together with my silver plume--my locket,

     rings, black collar round my neck, black mitts and yards of blue

     ribbon (black and blue is high tast) striped tucker & ruffles (not

     my best) and my silk shoes completed my dress."
How clear the picture: can you not see it--the low raftered chamber
softly alight with candles on mantel-tree and in sconces; the two
fiddles soberly squeaking: the rows of demure little Boston maids, all
of New England Brahmin blood, in high rolls, with nodding plumes and
sparkling combs, with ruffles and mitts, little miniatures of their
elegant mammas, soberly walking and curtseying through the stately
minuet "with no rudeness I can assure you;" and discreetly partaking of
hot and cold punch afterward.
There came at this time to another lady in this Boston court circle a
grandchild eight years of age, from the Barbadoes, to also attend Boston
schools. Missy left her grandmother's house in high dudgeon because she
could not have wine at all her meals. And her parents upheld her, saying
she had been brought up a lady and must have wine when she wished it.