V) • ^....,%^ ^^-n^. -*- ^^"'-^.c, ^ ,-^ ,0*0 -^o. .-V ^, ^■. 5- •^. 0^ c^ nl °^ ► ^■' 4 V- V>- ' ' //•;< -'VANS' , "^ tT- <' '^_ 0* ^^^ ,0^ > V \^ v^ '.j>s- 'ij;§.\)-'. •u °<)\.. o '■-.''^i^^'-'V' ^^ ..-.. V ■■' ,0^ ..--."^"^ """ v^^' - '■^- A V -^ ^ .f' .^* .^ assed them ofiF as quite fresh and new at other watering-places. The groups of ladies and gentlemen assembled upon this immense piazza pass their time usually in com- ments upon each other; and here, of all the world, is the i)lace for diamonds, brocades and satins to maJie a sensation. A lady might as well stay at home as to go to Saratoga without real lace and diamonds ; there was a time when a lady could hire jewelry for the season, and thus impose herself upon the elite cir- cles at the " United States Hotel " for, at least^ a person of wealthy very successfully. But lynx-eyed fashion found this trick out, and xoouldnH stand it; since which a lady's diamonds must be her ovm^ or she can't sliine at Saratoga; and so perfect is the system 71010 of investigation into these matters practiced at IN HIGH LIFE. 55 Saratoga, that it would be utterly useless for any lady, from Maine to California, to go there and attempt to pass oft' as her own the smallest articles of hired or So/voi^^rZ jewelry. It would be found out before she had been there twenty-four hours, and the whisper- ings of the Paul Pry circles and their accomplices would drive her out of the town in twenty-four more. The ball-room at Saratoga is between three and four hundred feet in length, and proportionate in width ; it is adorned with huge mirrors and glittering chandeliers ; the floor is smooth and glassy, and the music always the finest in the world. Upon dancing evenings, dress is here displayed in every variety of elegance. A Saratoga ball is a gorgeous scene. The " Lanciers" and the round dances form the almost en- tire amusement of the evening at the present time — to the utter exclusion of the old-fashioned and mo- notonous quadrille. The German quadrille is usually danced in the drawing-room in the mornings, between breakfast and dinner. From the ball-room, after the ladies are disposed of, the gentlemen usually repair to the club-rooms of the hotel, where they generally make a night of it — and where, by some strange process or other, many of them find themselves, at the dawn of the next day, divested of means for remaining any longer in this fashionable atmosphere — the consequence of which is that the wives and daughters who shone the most brilliantly upon the promenade and in the drawing- room the day before, are to-day hustled off for home, very mysteriously, in the first train of cars. No one knows why or wherefore, only that Mrs. So-and-So was heard scolding and ranting, and her daughters 56 A hair-dressek's experience crying and sniveling ; while Mr. So-and>go was seen pitching finery into trunks without ceremony, and piling oaths ujp mountain Mgli^ by way of an accom- paniment. But no wonder that crying, scolding and swearing should take the place of jpraying sometimes^ with persons so suddenly and cruelly disappointed ; for Saratoga swarms with delights for people who can afford to enjoy them. From dawn till midnight, it ofiers a continued round of pleasures. The walks to the springs in the early morning — the display of an elegant breakfast toilet upon the gallery or prome- nade — bowling in the forenoon — strolls to the Indian encampments, musical matinees^ private concerts, les- sons in the new dances in the ball-room, battledore upon the lawns and in the parlor, sherry cobblers, mint juleps and brandy smashes, groups for intellect- ual conversation, everywhere — then the dinner toilet preparations, the evening drives, excursions upon the lakes, moonlight flirtations and pleasant dreams — combine the excitements of a Saratoga day and night. No wonder the ladies flare up, when the losses of the husbands at the gaming table make it necessary to hustle them away, without warning, from such pleas- ant scenes. Among the elegant ladies who visited Saratoga a few summers since, was Mrs. R,, daughter of Lady R., of Toronto. She was eminently handsome, sang divinely, and was the first who ventured to wear the gipsy hat and feathers, which she did with a grace I have not since seen rivaled, though I have often seen it attempted ; indeed it was amusing to witness the innumerable ef- forts made to imitate this lady's costume and style. Occasionally there might be seen some feeble resem.- IN HIGH LIFE. 57 hlance to them, but this was all ; her tall, elegant fig- ure had no equal among these who courted her so- ciety and envied the admiration created by her noble deportment. In this lady's party was the family of Bishop T., of Toronto, and other distinguished per- sons. Madame R., of Philadelphia, was her most in- timate friend at the Springs. No one can ever forget this truly beautiful and accomplished lady of Toronto who has seen her. The fancy ball of that season, which was perhaps the most brilliant for many years at Saratoga, was a ecene I shall long remember. The costumes of the ladies upon that occasion could scarcely be surpassed in taste and elegance. I often wonder what are the destinies that have overtaken the fair votaries of that brilliant evening. I well remember Miss M — , of New York, in the gala costume of an Italian Peasant Girl, in a skirt of white silk, with white and crimson alternate flounces, and head dress gaily festooned with jewels. Also, Miss J. M — , of Natchez, as the "Maid of the Mist," with a rainbow across the cor- sage of her floating white robe, and a zephyr vail adorned with pearls like dew-drops, enveloping her entire person; Miss N,, of New \ -rk, as a Spanish lady, in black lace and diamonds ; Miss M. M — , of Natchez, as " The Morning Star," in a soft dress of white lace, with rose-colored vail, studded with golden stars ; Miss G. M— , of Mississippi, as Night, in black tulle dress and vail, with silver stars, and a crescent upon her forehead ; Miss F., of Philadelphia, a la Pompadour, with skirts of pink moire antique^ looped with bunches of roses, and roses in her pow- dered hair ; Miss C, of New York, as a Vivandiere, 58 A hair-dresser's experience with red skirt, red shoes, blue jacket, fancy hat with streamers, and the cantin suspended from her leather girdle ; Mrs. B— , of New York, as " Undine," in a dress of blue and white tulle, festooned with shells and water lilies, and pearls wreathed in her hair ; Miss D — , of New York, as a Gleaner, in a white dress with corsage striped with black velvet, and hair adorned with sprays of wheat ; Miss E,., of Philadel- phia, in a dress entirely composed of newspapers, which was much noticed — and numbers of other ele- gant costumes which I can not remember. It was a night for very brilliant and very lovely women to dis- play their tastes, their jewels -and their fascinations. The South and the North were at one time at great rivalry at Saratoga ; the Southerners had it all their own way for many years, but at length New York succeeded in taking the lead, and up to this time has kept it with unrivaled success. But the New Yorkers are very far from being at peace among themselves at Saratoga, or any other place. New York has its cliques, and the maneuvering practiced among them is curious to observe. Sometimes one is ahead, and sometimes another ; but there are alwa3'S certain ones whose dignity, wealth and bearing keup them beyond the fluctuations that worry and fret the rising genera- tion ; they feel that they have triumphed, that their foundation is sure, and they wear their laurels quietly but securely. These elegant people sit calmly down, and amuse themselves with beholding the heart-burn- ings and strivings of new aspirants to the tiirone of fashion. Very romantic dramas are occasionally enacted at Saratoga ; I remember one among many, worth rclat IN IIIQII LIFE. 69 ing perhaps in these pages, as causing a great excite- ment at the time it transpired. It was in the summer of IS — . Saratoga was at its hight of reveh-y, when one evening it was announced that the wealthy and fashionable Mrs. — , who had recently returned from Europe — where she had flown to prevent her daughter from marrying the man she preferred of all others — had just arrived at the hotel, in a high state of indig- nation at having caught sight, in the depot, of her daughter's still adoring lover. This was rather too much for Mrs. — to bear ; but she stormed and fretted in vain. The engagement was renewed be- tween the lovers, and arrangements forthwith made for an elopement; but the clergyman engaged to unite them was, unknown to them, one of her father's intimate friends, who immediately made the matter known to both of her parents. He, however, ap- peared on the ground at the appointed hour for the ceremony, accompanied by the lady's father. Here was a scene ; the lady fainted, was borne to her apart- ments, and after a consultation with the respective parties it was deemed advisable to let them be mar- ried. Accordingly, preparations upon the grandest scale were commenced, and the wedding took place before the fashion of Saratoga, the next day, in the village church. The bride was simply but elegantly attired, and the nuptial pair, with their twelve brides- maids and twelve groomsmen, made a splendid wed- ding array. All the attendants wore white satin ro- settes, and the footmen and servants, carriages and horses were streaming with white satin ribbons. Tiie bride's favorite riding horse was decorated otf for the occasion, and having been left standing in the rear 60. A hair-dresser's experience of her carriage for a few moments, quietly walked himself round to the side of it, and laid his head af- fectionately in his mistress' lap; she caressed him lovingly for a few moments, and the party drove to the church, elated with happiness ; from the church to Saratoga Lake, where a splendid supper awaited them; after which all returned to the hotel in time for the ball in the evening. In those times they held their balls in the dining- room, and the guests then seemed to enjoy themselves more than they do now-a-days in the new and splendid hall. I can not account for it in any way, unless it is that the ladies who reigned over society then were more ambitious, and cared more for display than those who preside at the present day. They were certainly not superior to those who congregate at this attractive spot of late years, but different tastes, I suppose, will have their sway at different periods ; and it matters not to what expense gentlemen may go to change the state and tone of society, it is the ladies who give it its tone after all ; and the fact is, that so many new peo- ple are springing up upon the Saratoga platform now- a-days, that the old select circles are beginning to re- tire from the scene to more rural and quiet retreats. Nevertheless, Saratoga will always be the great water- ing-place of the* New World. Newport has endeav- ored in vain to rival it; but, being at the sea-side, Newport will always have its worshipers, and so will Nahant, Cape May, and Rye Beach — especially for Western people, and those living in the interior — but for those living permanently at the sea-side, Sara- toga, Niagara, Sharon Springs, Catskill Mountains, and Lebanon, offer the most attractions, and are al- IN HIGH LIFE. 61 ways crowded with elegant people. Some who for- merly went habitually to those far-famed watering- places, now cross the Atlantic and pass the season in Europe : others go over in May, purposely to supply themselves with a Parisian wardrobe, and return to Saratoga with a glittering display in August. A lady informed me, last summer, that she had made a three-months' tour in Europe, with her family, and enjoyed herself very much, at about half the ex- pense it would have required to pass three weeks at Saratoga, and not half the trouble. But fashion, in our country, is carried to an extreme which is posi- tively vulgar, and Z, the poor hair-dresser, can see it as well as the poor devils of husbands who have it all to pay for, and who are often reduced to penury and madness by the extravagance of their wives and daughters. I knew a lady — and her name is now no- toriously known — whose habit it was to travel with fifteen trunks, containing a hundred and fifty cos- tumes. These trunks were called by the gentlemen "young log-cabins." This lady was from the South, and was monstrous hard to please. It usually re- quired her several days to get suitably roomed ; and she grumbled and scolded continually, no matter how much pains were taken by her husband to please her. Poor Mr. W ! no gentleman ever came to Sara- toga more pitied than he was. He was pitied by some because he was hen-jpecked^ and despised by others for the little authority he asserted over his domestic af- fairs. But people may talk as they please on this subject, when a woman makes up her mind to govern^ it is of no use for a man to interfere. Women are greater tyrants than men, all the world over. The 62 A hair-dresser's experience poor hair-dresser has not lived in the fashionable world, and presided at the toilets of fashionable women twenty years, without having well ascertained this fact. Women, to be sure, are often imposed upon, but it can not be denied that the husbands of fashionable women are too often the most to-be-pitied- wrotches that walk the earth. Mrs. W. had a hun- dred and fifty dresses, and made five toilets a day. Wretched slave that she was to fashion ! For four successive seasons 1 dressed her hair, and each year she became more and more disagreeable, from a frantic desire to obtain a standing in fashionable circles, which, from some cause or other, was always a failure with her. Not that her dress was not elegant, her jewels her own (a great desideratum), her conduct perfectly proper, so far as the world could judge; but her efibrts were two perceptible to succeed with the ladies, and her waist too small for the tastes of the gentlemen. She could not be the married belle she aimed at, and this was gall and bitterness to her heart. But as I said before, the ladies rule the day every- where, and Mrs. W. did not take with the ladies. This was her downfall. Undoubtedly the gentlemen would have paid her attention, but at Saratoga the gentlemen of the higher circles dare not make a move- ment outside of the charmed coterie to which they have been admitted ; they are slaves to certain female Leaders^ and, if 1 were not a poor hair-dresser, I would not hesitate to say they are cowards under petticoat government. They dare not pay attention to a lady out of a particular set, for fear of being black-balled, no matter how meritorious the lady may be, and this is a well understood thing at Saratoga. But gentle- IN niGII LIFE. 63 men do not know how contemptible they make them- selves by this servile deference to certain ton women. And these very women do not know how much good they could do, in place of the evil they yearly commit, by paying respectful attention to really clever persons, who are nevertheless weak enough to desire their no- tice. The unfortunate lady of the fifteen trunks and the hundred and fifty dresses, was unsuccessful with the ton^ and so threw herself away upon a fashion- able Lothario, whose name has figured with hers in public print since, to the scandal of all the world. He saw her craving for excitement, and won her afiec- tions. She went to Europe for her health — which is the fashion now-a-days — where her husband left her in care of a physician. The lover soon followed. A season was passed in Paris, a superb wardrobe got up, and the next summer saw them again at Saratoga, the lady making five toilets a day, as usual, and wear- ing shoes and gloves very much too small for her hands and feet. Her next winter at the South was a tolerable success, but Saratoga was always a failure with her. -Many ladies were as critically situated, however, in love affairs as Mrs. W., but, managing their cards with more shrewdness than she did, they passed the ordeal less harmfully. For instance, there was among the belles of that very season a very young, beautiful and newly-married lady, with an old rich husband. His wealth enabled her to carry on a magnificent career, and she did n't care a fig for the tyrant women of the ton. She had a circle of her own, who hovered about her perfectly indifferent to all others. Her coachman, footman and servants were all in livery. The husband was a merchant, de- 64 A hair-dresser's experience voted to ins business, but rushed up to Saratoga every Saturday night, to console his lovely wife, who was, by the by, very 7niicJi more consoled all the week in his absence; but she did not let him know that. The Monday morning cars took away the husband to his business, and brought back her weekly consolation in the shape of a favorite lover, who as regularly disap- peared in the Saturday evening cars. It was curious to see the sober dress and quiet habits of the lady while the poor old husband was by ; and the transition to gayety was just as curious when the husband was gone and the lover came. Sometimes, it is true, sus- picions of her affection occurred even to him', but all disappeared before her devoted attentions to his com- fort, and her well -disguised penchant for anybody else. Her beauty fascinated him, and her arts de- ceived him to perfection. The utter indifference of this lady to her loving old husband, was, however, a well-established fact at Saratoga, though she managed the thing too dextrously to occasion anything more than whispers here and there. But this was only one affair among a thousand 1 could name, just as well carried on, at Saratoga as other places, public and private. Our American ladies are greatly taken by hyfalutin prefixes to names I they perfectly glory in being gal- lanted by counts and dukes, but the affections of European noblemen are generally pretty well frittered out by the time they are of age, and they rarely seek A?nerican wives, except to recruit their fallen fortunes, Saratoga is full of this sort of interesting strangers every season. Sometimes it happens they are married and bring their countesses and duchesses along ; but IN HIGH LIFE. 65 if tliey do^ they don't know how to behave them- sleves as they ought ; they are generally a very quar- relsome set of people, whose domestic fights are pro- verbial. But the foreign ladies are mostly well edu- cated and accomplished; while their husbands are jealous and eat garlic. The ladies appreciate the true nobility of our American gentlemen, who do not eat garlic^ and hence there are occasionally very audible fusses, when these delectable counts and countesses retire for the night to the solitude of their private apartments. But very queer domestic scenes take place, even among Americans, at Saratoga. Many remember the circumstance of the married lady who roused the whole hotel by her screams of murder and fire, upon a midnight occasion, and threw a loaded pistol over the door into the hall, declaring that her husband had threatened her life with it ; they remember also how the door was burst open, and the husband found quietly in bed, both of them declaring that nothing but civilities of the most proper character had passed between them ; and also how, to the great astonish- ment of everybody, the pair had left the hotel by sun- rise the next morning, and were found quietly break- fasting at Congress Hall, as though nothing had hap- pened. This was a queer j9n'?;«^(S incident, but one night an awful general panic occurred in the hotel, occasioned by the cry of fire. Ladies in every variety of dis- habille rushed into the halls like so many scared ghosts and witches ; and I was then particularly struck with the transformation made by dress in the fair habitues of Saratoga. One of the most beautiful, G6 A iiair-dresser's experience for example, among the day promenaders, was cer- tainly the ugliest woman I ever saw, in undress. In her fright she had hastily gathered up some valuables, among which was a full set of false teeth, with which she rushed into the hall ; but when the alarm was over, and she returned to her room, she found, alas! that, among other things, she had dropped her false teeth, and what on earth should she do ? Unfortu- nately for her, they had fallen into the clutches of a rival of hers in a love affair^ were retained by the lady and shown to the lover, to the utter downfall of the bereft belle. The lover at lirst doubted the story ; but as she remained in her room for days after the in- cident, and subsequently fled suddenly from Saratoga, his belief was coniirmed, and the lover fled also from both the toothless woman and the ungenerous exposer of the defect — to be heard of no more, that season at least. It was easy to replace the teeth, however, and the owner of them flourished the next year at Cape May as brilliantly as ever. The next excitement was that of a young man of high rank, and a guest in the hotel, being caught rob- bing the safe of money and valuables, and being hur- ried away by his parents from open disgrace, in the middle of the night. Evil doers would oftentimes be terribly nonplussed if there were no night and no darkness ; but misdeeds are transacted by day as well as by night. There came a lady during that season to Saratoga, with her husband, mother, sister, and a gentleman whom report said was the married lady's lover. The gentleman was a Baltimorean, and flourished exten- sively with the aforesaid lady until people of position IN HIGH LIFE. 67 began to arrive from both Kentucky and Maryland, when they quieted down a little, and became suddenly more circumspect in their conduct. Still there were whispers about the parties. But Saratoga is a queer place, and the married belles and beaux of certain 'parvenu cliques play the strangest games during the watering seasons. For instance, they are fond of "euchre;" but a euchre party is generally a married belle's excuse for a supper party to her lover and a few female friends with their lovers. These parties are generally given in the ab- sence of the husbands, but the husbands have to foot the bills, which are often very long, and the occasion of dreadful matrimonial squabbles. Still these people go, year after year, to the watering-places, getting on somehow or other, with their husbands and their lovers, theu'dear knows how. There was one lady who glittered throughout a whole season in jewelry that was the admiration and envy of all who beheld it ; but the lady remaining unusuall}'' long at the Springs, the owner of the jewels posted off to Saratoga to see what had become of her, taking his wife with him, as he did -not wish to be seen talking with the ladj^ alone, for fear of exposing her, knowing she had passed all summer as a person of great wealth. The lady treated the jeweler's xirifc very uncivilly^ which she need not have done, for Saratoga at that time was greatly ruled by jewelers, brokers, pillmakers, dressmakers and servants. How the flareup was settled between them, I know not ; but the lady was not politic. People never lose any- thing by being polite, especially to those in whoso power they have placed themselves. I do not say 68 A HAIR- dresser's experience they should be servile, but politeness costs nothing^ and often gahis a good deal. 1 myself upon several occasions dressed the hair of a person who had once been my fellow-servant, and though she then had her carriage and livery, she certainly lost nothing by being kind and polite to me. I do not intend to con- vey the idea by this, that I should have exposed her former humble position, if she had been otherwise,' but I repeat that she lost nothing by her politeness. I could have pointed out the daughter of a fish- man, in Washington Market, N. Y., in one of the greatest dashers at Saratoga, if I had chosen ; and in another daslier, who was the wife of a man in high position, the former keeper of a house of ill-fame ; but though she did not obtain access to the high circles of Saratoga, she conducted herself with perfect propriety, and oiTended no one in any \^ay. It is, though, astonishing to me how such people rise in the world as they do, and link themselves to respectable circles. There is but little that has passed at Saratoga for years, that I have not known myself; even the vil- lage has its romances, and the hair-dresser is every- where chatted with, and confided to. Indeed, I have often wished I could absent myself from conversations that I knew ought to be confidential, and that I had no business to hear ; but I could not tell ladies to shut their mouths, and hence I was much oftener the re- ceptacle of secrets than I desired to be. I often wished that they had better sense ; thougli, after all, I did not care much what they did^ so they paid me my wages. I could not help laughing, though, some- times ; and I was particularly amused at a quarrel IN HIGH LIFE. 69 bct\Veen four married belles, about one poor unmar- ried beau, who had somehow or other undertaken to please them all, and ended by pleasing neither, not having tact enough to keep one from being jealous of the other. But society is gradually changing its tone at Sara- toga ; the old elite set of ten and fifteen years ago, ■who reigned in queenly style, are passing away, and seeking more quiet resorts ; some still remain, but not enough to keep up the old aristocratic prestige of the place, as is always the case when circles swell to too large an extent. I hope the few incidents mentioned by me in these pages will injure no one. I merely write them out for the amusement of those who may wish to indulge themselves in a little gossip which has no evil inten- tion in the world. My anecdotes are not intended to have any connection one v/ith the other at all ; and, as I said in the beginning, I hope my readers will ex- cuse my rambling, desultory style. Some who were at Saratoga at the time of the following occurrence, may be amused to have it recalled to them, and as I shall call no names, I trust I shall do no harm. In 1853, there came to Saratoga a wealthy widow, with her aunt. A gentleman visiting Saratoga, saw her, courted her, and married her. The next season they came to Saratoga again, where, when they had first met, all had been so bright to both — but now clouded over with discontent and misery. The aunt was still with her, and they seemed to cling to each other with great devotion, which I thought a little odd, until I saw the changed character of the hus- band ; he dissipated in every way, and coming in 70 A hair-dresser's experience drimk one day, to his wife's room, threw himself upon the bed in a disgusting condition. She was reading at tlie time, and continued doing so, until he fell into a profound sleep, when she drove off to the Lakes in company with a gentleman of their party. In a short time he awoke, started wildly up and called for his wife ; flew about in every direction asking for her, and when told she had driven to the Lakes, ordered a span of fast horses, and drove after her with all speed, his dress disordered, and his hat blown off, which he did not mind. His wife, who was sitting upon the gallery of the Lake Hotel, saw him coming, and de- sired the gentleman who was in her company, to leave her, which he did ; when the husband approached her in an infuriated manner, and ordered her to get into his buggy. In starting off hurriedly, he dropped his whip, jumped out to get it, and being evidently very mucli intoxicated, she desired a couple of gentlemen whom she knew, to drive her back to Saratoga, where she arrived a long time before her husband, who was brought home by somebody else. Not being able to find out by questioning who had driven his wife home, he offered a hundred dollars reward — which he pla- carded upon the columns of the house — to any one who would inform, him who had been her escort ; but no one came forward, as he expected, and steeping his senses deeper and deeper in liquor, he finally went to bed, leaving his wife the most sorrowful and morti- fied of human beings. At length she by some means procured morphine and drank it to put an end to her griefs ; but only took enough to endanger her life, without destroying it. The husband was frantic at this, and tried in vain to rush from the apartment in IN HIGH LIFE. 71 which the proprietor had had him confined ; physi- cians were sent for, and the greatest excitement pre- vailed in the house ; but the lady recovering after a few days, sent for me, paid me my wages, and said she intended getting a divorce from him as quickly as possible. I, of course, never expected to see those two people together again. But, bless your heart, dear reader, they breakfasted together one morning, and went off on the cars as loving as a pair of turtle doves. I ought not to have been in the least surprised at this, for 1 had known several cases as strangely in- consistent before. I knew a man who pinched his wife when they were alone together, and told her he did not love her, and tortured her in every way imaginable ; while in com- pany you would have thought him the most devoted of husbands and lovers. He was positively cruel; and I threatened to inform her mother of his conduct, when she implored me not to do so, saying, " Charles is only a little hasty ; don't tell anybody about it, langy," Watering-places betray many characters, and much misery, that would never be found out, if people who certainly hiow they inust cut a ridiculous figure, and make an entire failure of it, would only be wise enough to stay at home. Envy, hatred and malice all show themselves at watering-places. I remember one summer there was to be a fancy ball, at which it was expected Miss H., of Bal- timore, would shine pre-eminent in dress and manner. Her figure was elegant, and her toilet exquisite ; but it happened that on the evening of the ball news came of the death of an intimate friend of hers in Cincin- nati, which, by unanimous consent of her acquaint- 6 72 A nAIK-DEESSER's EXPERIENCE ances, was to be kept from her until after the ball ; but there was a gentleman who had made up his mind that his two daughters might stand some chance of shining on that occasion, provided Miss H. could be kept out of the ball-room ; so he slyly went and told her of this death, knowing at the same time how much her friends desired she should not know it, but the daughters did not make much of a sensation after all — there was too much brilliancy elsewhere. Miss J,, as the Morning Star, in a spangled illusion robe, with a diamond star upon her forehead, was lovely. Miss F. F., from Virginia, shone as Night in black spangled illusion and a diamond tiara. Mrs. W., of New York, in a blue moire antique, covered with point lace and flounces, and diamonds among her massive curls, was superb. Miss A., of Augusta, Ga., as a Flower Girl, was spoken of as the loveliest among the lovely. A season or so rolled on, and the ladies grew very tired of fancy balls. This was not regretted by the ])roprietor, as they were very expensive, and required a great deal of preparation. The whole house had to be illuminated, and the garden and trees filled with colored lights. Full-dress balls succeeded the fancy balls, and in the hight of the season at Saratoga the ball-room pre- sented a magnificent sight. The wealthiest persons in tlie country were there congregated, each trying to outvie the other in magnificence and costliness of ap- parel. The jewels that sparkled amid fine laces and rich silks were only outshone by the beauty of those they adorned. The proud lady of fashion was there, who, having outlived all her better feelings, was only IN HIGH LIFE. 73 happy, only really existed amid such scenes ; and near her the young metropolitan beauty, brilliant in appear- ance, but in feeling almost as old and heartless as her companion ; while not far off could be seen the belle of some small city, blushing, beautiful, trembling, showing plainly, in her innocent countenance, how un- used she was to such scenes of splendor. Among the gentlemen were some celebrated over the whole coun- try for their talents — men of high station and ability ; others widely known on account of their great wealth or their energy in business ; and occasionally one could see in the crowd a few well-dressed, handsome gentlemen, apparently intellectual, exceedingly agree- able in conversation, and polite in manner, yet mostly avoided by ladies and gentlemen. These are the for- tune-hunters, many of whom every season congregate at Saratoga, staying from the beginning of the season until the end in search of wealth. Even then they are often able to leave only when some friend is kind enough to step forward and pay their bills, or they leave their whole wealth — their trunks — in the pos- session of the proprietor. A description of some of the dresses worn at one of the full-dress balls may not be uninteresting to some of my lady readers. Two ladies, protegees of Mrs. Captain H., attracted general attention. One was dressed in pink, flounced ; each deep flounce had on the edge a small flounce, fringed ; her hair arranged a la Pompadour, with pearls. The other's dress was blue, and made in the same way. She had a feronia of carbuncles, a necklace of the same ; her hair put np a la Grecque, and bracelets and ear-rings of car- buncles. They were called, during the evening, the 74 A HAIR-DRESSER 8 EXPERIENCE Southern belles. One was Aliss II., li-om New Or- leans, the only daughter of a wealthy gentleman ; the other, Miss 0., was from Georgia. Mrs. H.'s dress was silver-gray silk, with flounces of very costly black lace, a full set of pearls. She and her protegees were the light of the evening. Mrs. O., who is known throughout the United States for her elegance and her husband's talents, was dressed in a rose de clienie silk, with flounces edged with blond. Her ornaments were rubies and diamonds. She used her fan with more grace than any lady I have ever seen. Mrs. D., of Boston, had on a white silk dress, with over-dress of elegant Swiss, flounced ; each flounce fluted and edged with costly lace. She looked really elegant. The most beautiful dress in the ball-room that sea- son was worn by Miss D. It was a very handsome India muslin. She was not called the belle of the evening, but belle of the season. She was not only beautiful and graceful, but so winning and attractive in her manners, so amiable and lovely, that the helle- inckers^ who picked all to pieces, could not find any- thing to say against her. As to her mother and father, whenever they came to Saratoga they were sought after by every one. It was like mother, like daughter. She was difl'ercnt from the most of New Yorkers, for they generally think the Western people wild until they happen by chance to visit our Queen City of the West, and many of them are then thrown in the back ground. My readers all know every city has a belle, but we have one that is not only a city belle, but a United States belle — Miss G. From her girlhood until now I have never seen any change in her. Not only is she beautiful, but always mild, gen- IN HIGH LIFE. 75 tie, amiable and lovely, and remarkable for her tal- ents and superiority of education. An occurrence came under my observation this sea- son that shows how trifling a circumstance can almost destroy the character of an innocent girl. A young lady from one of the Eastern cities came to Saratoga under the protection of her friend, a married lady, living in the same city. After the latter had staid her time, and was going home, Miss — wrote to her guardian to allow her to stay longer. The consent was given, should she find a suitable person to stay with. Two families having just arrived with whom she was well acquainted, she remained under their protec- tion as long as they staid. When they left for New- port she went with them. On their leaving Newport, she wished to stay there a little longer, and was put in the charge of a married lady, who paid every at- tention to her. She there became acquainted with a gentleman who paid her a great deal of attention. They in a short time were engaged to be married. This so enraged a number of ladies that he had for years past been paying attention to that they went to work to slander her. They were not satisfied with watching and peering around themselves, but set the servants of the hotel to watch her too. She having received a letter from her guardian, made an appointment with this gentleman to walk on the beach early in the morning, when she would show him her letter concerning their marriage. It was a very common occurrence for ladies to walk on the beach as early as six o'clock. She being young, did not see any impropriety in his coming for 76 A hair-dbessee's experience her to her room at that hour. She was looking over her letters when lie came, so she asked him in and handed him the letters to look over. While he was reading them the door was opened by a servant, who informed the proprietor that this gentleman had been in her room all the night. Those would-be ladies, who were so envious of her, were exulting at her supposed downfall, because she was young, beautiful, wealthy, and connected with some of the best families in the country. The lady under whose care she was sent her immediately home, supposing that was the best thing to be done. On her arrival, her particular and best friend, Mrs. — , who was a belle at the time at Saratoga, and is known and sought after at all the watering-places, went im- mediately to Newport to see what the trouble was. On her arrival she made inquiries, and found there was neither more nor less the matter than her engage- ment with this gentleman, who had disappointed several ladies, and were angry that she should succeed where they had failed. However, they were married in a short time after, and went to Europe. It is not often young people who try to blast each other's characters ; it is the married belles who do so. The season of 1857 was very gay at Saratoga. Ladies were there from all parts of the country. I missed but very few of the gay throng who for many seasons had added so much to.the gayety of the place by their presence. There was a young married lady there under tiie care of her mother ; her husband was not along. There was also at the hotel a gentleman who had formerly been a lover of hers, and he now paid her so much attention as to create quite a talk. IN HIGH LIFE. 77 This went on for a week or so; then the time came on that her husband was to come, when the young gal- lant took his departure. He could not stay and see one he had loved so fondly, and felt as though she ought to have been his, loved by another. All this gave room for a good deal of talk. Many slandered her behind her back, while to her face they were all kindness and love. I once asked a lady why she did so ? Her reply was, " She is so beautiful and gentle I love to talk to her." I said, " Excuse me, but I think it is her carriage and horses you admire, as well as herself." This lady was often out riding with her, though she slandered her. That season Saratoga was blessed with musicians. There was a young gentleman from New Orleans there who was famous for fascinating all the ladies, both married and single, in New Orleans. He then went to New York, and was a teacher there. He gave lessons in some of the higher schools. He then came to Saratoga. While there the ladies kept him playing so much that he ruined all the pianos. At length the proprietor ordered him to leave, and I assure you it was amusing to see them go after him to the other hotel, while the ladies there were quite indignant that the ladies from the United States should come there and monopolize their favorite mu- sician. There are hundreds of people go to watering-places from their own birth-place to meet with those that, had they stayed at home, they never would have known. I know some in New York and Philadel- phia who have spent hundreds and thousands of dol- lars going to watering-places to make the acquaintance 78 A hair-dresser's experience of others from their own city. Some have succeeded, but others I know never can. In Philadelphia there is a certain set that no money, no dashing, not even the influence of friends, can get into but their own circle. I knew some young ladies in Washington City who gave a large ball every year during the sitting of Congress, and invited every person of note and every stranger of rank in the city — all would go. These self-same young ladies, on making a visit to Philadel- phia, could not or would not be received into that clique. I have myself heard the ladies say they could not ask them. I asked the ladies why did they go to their balls. Their reply was, they were in Washing- ton, and wished to see the strangers from different States. 1 was quite amused one day, on looking out of the window on the promenade, to see a lady, who had al- ways something disagreeable to say of a certain Doctor or his wife, in close conversation with the Dr.'s lady, and seeming to forget how little she thought of her ; the next day when I went to comb her hair, I asked her how she could talk to, and seem so pleased with one she looked down on so much. She told me every one here thought so much of them, and the Doctor was at the head of all the gayety and amusements going on, so while there she did not care; at home, she would not know them, only as some others did. call on them. Then, when they returned the call, not be at home; and when they gave large parties, they never noticed them ; but, she said, she understood they intended to sell out their establishment and go to Europe. On their return they were going on the must fashionable street in Philadelphia, and I suppose IN HIGH LIFE. 79 then we will have to call on them as they will be big folks. I will tell you what I had the independence to do ; I just waited till I got another customer or two, and then I forgot her hour. There are a great many ladies who love to speak evil of each other, and should it be spoken of again, they would pack it on to the hair- dresser. There came along a gentleman, his wife, child, ser- vant and dog. I was particularly and immediately sent for. When 1 went to her room, I wondered how she came to know me, and asked her. She told me of many ladies whose hair I dressed, and called over their names. I thought she might be one of their visitors, but I had my doubts, till I asked these ladies, one after another; none of them knew her, as she had run up to them and asked who dressed their hair. They said they did not like her, and left her very soon. On my going to her next day, she commenced a conversation, by saying she did not like the hotel, the attendants, the people, nor anything ; her husband was going to take private board ; was going to take this house and that, and so on. In the meantime I found out she had been, for many years, in a Camille boarding-house in New York. On learning so much of her character, I went right in to her, and told her who and what she was, and advised her to be quiet and keep her room, as both ladies and gentlemen had arrived who knew them the last place they were at ; but, before the proprietor could send in his bill, they had left. Iler husband was a gentleman ; how he got in such 7 80 A hair-dresser's experience a scrape I don't know, for he looked careworn and much troubled. To this day, in a milliner's store, a dry good's store, or a confectionary, wherever she can find any person who does not know her history, she will step up and commence a conversation, presuming on her husband's family. The proprietor or some of the salesmen will put the lady on her guard. She dressed elegantly, and used good language. Dress is the go now ; I know a great many people at Saratoga, not much better than she was, but who had good friends and dressed fine, vho were never noticed. There comes every year, to the States, a mysterious lady, who always has a book or newspaper, reading. She was never seen talking with any one till the last season, when there was an old gentleman, who usually sat on the opposite side of the promenade, and occa- sionally there would a bow pass between them. The last season, at Saratoga, there was no head, or leader, and it was really amusing to see every one making efi'orts to establish a reputation as leader. At this time it was very ga> and lively ; many mothers brought their young sons there; it was laugliable to see the young roosters strutting about, with their stand- ing collars, making love to the ladies, some of whom were old enough to be their mothers ; but, as beaux were scarce, they had to take young or old. as they had to have beaux. On my first doing business in Saratoga, there were many gentlemen there from New York, and other places, who were clerks and bookkeepers, who could not stay long, as the board at Saratoga was more than they could atlbrd to pay, but they certainly were a very gay set, and kept the place alive. 1^ IN HIGH LIFE. 81 There was a goodly number of gentlemen there who bore the reputation of being rich, but it was far from so, as the club-room defrayed their expenses, as often as some young greenhorn would come there and leave as much behind as would keep these old hands in style as long as they pleased. In August, there came a young gentleman from one of our large cities, and I know two families staid there at his expense ; one of them was a little better satisfied this year, than the year previous ; this season he was more with his family, and caught more green- horns than last year, and paid the madame so well that she did not awaken all the neighbors scolding him, as she had done the year before, when he came home late. Such families as these did not alwa3's stop at the United States, for 1 know numbers of them who used to stop at other places until their daughters were grown up, and then would come to the States ; for it is a well-known fact that there is a style at the United States no other hotel there possesses. If there is a large family, and it is too expensive for all to board at the United States, one is sure to board there, and the balance at some cheaper place, so that they can have the liberty of the parlor and grounds. Sometimes a lady gets mad, but if she has a son or a cousin, he will board there, and she some- where else, so that she can come and go at pleasure. One evening, during thecrowded season, when there were about fifteen hundred people at the hotel, I con- cluded to look around and see how such a vast crowd would amuse themselves. First 1 looked into the par- lor where two or three hundred people were collected 82 A hair-dresser's experience in orronps of fifteen or twenty, laughing and talking with all the gayety and good humor imaginable. On the promenade was a large crowd, some walking briskly, others leisurely along, chatting and making merry ; some arguing on the favorite topics of the day, discussing politics, or laying plans for the mor- row's amusement. From thence I proceeded to the grounds, meeting a few couples, who had fled from the crowded rooms to the shaded paths, and looking as though they did not like having their lonely walks interrupted, I then passed the cottages ; in some the families were col- lected together, talking and reading, while others looked dark and deserted ; in one was quite a company assembled, the older persons enjoying themselves with singing and music, chatting and laughing, while the younger were amusing themselves with childish sports and games, seeming a happy little party; in another, the habitation of a Spanish count, greatly sought after lor his immense wealth, some gentlemen were playing euchre; while, before the dim light in the next, you could occasionally see a stately figure move back and forth. These cottages are opposite the business portion of the house, so, after leaving them, I concluded I would take a look into the club room ; here I was much sur- prised to see more white-haired men than young ones. Two rooms were well filled, and in them I noticeil some gray-headed men, so old and feeble they could scarcely get up and down stairs, but still they were there, and while the faces of some were as cold and immuvable as though their features could never ex press an emution ; in the countenances of others could IN HIGH LIFE. 83 be traced signs of the deepest emotion — of hope and despair, of sorrow and joy. I went to the bar-room, which, like the parlor of the club-room, was crowded. A man was playing on the harp and singing, some were listening to the music, while others were drinking brandy smashes, mint juleps, etc., and were ordering them so fast, that I could not, for the life of me, tell whether the bar- keeper, when he received the money, put half into his pocket and half into the drawer, or all into one place or tlie other. I then went through a long hall that separated the restaurant from the staircase, tiiat led to the ball-room. There were six large rooms on each side of this hall; the three front rooms were very large bed-rooms, the others were private dining-rooms. This restaurant was for those of the boarders who did not get up at the general breakfast hour, which was from eight to ten. Those who did not attend at these hours, had breakfast there, and paid extra for it, and those wiio are going on the half-past one o'clock train, their dinner. In the private dining-rooms, on ball nights, the managers of the balls have a game supper given them, for their trouble in attending to, and getting up the ball. On passing through this hall, on that night, it was very gay and lively, some carrying refreshments to the ball-room, others busy in the preparation of the supper for the managers-, all hurrying to and fro, talking, laughing, and whispering. From here I went up the broad stairs to the ball- room. The stairway was lined with spectators, anxious to see the beauty and dress of the ball, but owing to the ill-nature of the bar-keeper, who gene- 84 A hair-dkesser's experience rally kept the door, many were disappointed at first ; in a short time, however, tlie managers came forward and threw open the doors ; they would not have tlie ladies stifled with heat, to deprive a few people of the pleasure of looking in. I afterward found out the reason of the bar-keeper keeping the door shut •, gen- tlemen from other places, not wishing to participate in the gayeties of the ball-room, would give him a little some thing, and he would slip them in to look on a while, and then slip them out again ; so he thought, by keeping the door closed, he would gain more for himself. This night the ball-room was crowded with beauty and elegance. I noticed a cler- gyman, his daughter, and her companion, tliere. The first season this reverend gentleman came to Saratoga, he was accompanied by a gay young gentleman ; he would strut up and down the promenade, with his white kids and high collar, during the week ; on Sun- day he would preach in the diflerent pulpits, and on ball nights, he was in the ball-room. The ladies dodged round and peeped at him, thinking he was either an old bachelor or a widower; however, he managed to get acquainted with some of the bon ton of Saratoga, which so perfectly delighted him, that, this season, he brought his daughter and her associate. Then the gentlemen were all dodging and peeping round, as the report had gone out that she was wealthy. I noticed, that night, she attracted as much at- tention as some belles who had been there some ten, twelve, or fifteen years. After taking a bird's-eye view of the ball-room, 1 passed on to the linen-room, which is the housekeeper's department, where the IN HIGH LIFE. 85 chambermaids were all assembled, some perfectly de- lighted with the way in which the ladies had treated them, others very much annoyed and mortified at the crossness and ill-nature of the ladies who fell to their lot; others, again, complaining of being tired to death, running up and down, getting this thing and that that was wanting for the ball. The housekeeper was try- ing to console those who had been aggrieved, by telling how she had been treated, herself, by some of them. I just then made my appearance, and told them where there were so many congregated, all could not be ladies. One of them said, I had the privilege of choosing who to work for, and if I did not like them I need not work for them, but it was not so with them, as they were obliged to, whether they were ladies or not. I told her, " Not so, remember the pocket-handkerchief scrape." A season or two before, a lady had come there and lost her pocket handkerchief. She blamed the cham- bermaid, and had her almost beside herself about it; she said it was worth twenty-five or thirty dollars — that it had been taken out of her room only that day. The chambermaid cried, and said, since she had been on that floor there had no such charge been made against her. A gentleman, who roomed opposite, hearing the noise, opened his door, called the chambermaid, and asked what was the matter. She told him, and with tears in her eyes, said the lady blamed her, and what a costly handkerchief it was. The gentleman turned into his room, and took up a handkerchief that had lain on his table for ten days, handed it to 86 A hair-dresser's experience the chambermaid, and told her that was the missino article. Tiie lady's name was on it, so she could not deny it, and when it came to be looked into, it was dis- covered the handkerchief, instead of being worth twenty-five or thirty, was not worth more than two or three dollars. The gentleman had picked it up on the stairs, where the lady had dropped it. I then passed through the hall, and on till I came to the ladies' saloon, where there is a notice up, "ser- vants not admitted here." Nevertheless, the notice did not do much good, as they usually congregated there in spite of all that could be said. The question of the merits and demerits of their different ladies was the general topic in the room. One of the maids said her lady was one of the most popular ladies in the ball-room, but was very tyrannical and cross with her servants, or those living with her, even to her gov- erness, who is refined and every way her superior. When she engaged this governess, in New York, she promised to treat her as an equal, but when she got to Saratoga, she did not wish this young lady to be with her friends. When visitors came in, she inva- riably said she heard the children cry, or would send them all out walking, and in many other ways she treated her badly ; her eyes were often inflamed with crying, and we are all waiting, she said, till we get back to New York, to leave her, coachman, chamber- maid, ladies' maid, governess, and all. After the ser- vants had finished the discussion of their ladies' merits and demerits, they all ran off into the ball-room. I then proceeded to the dining-room, Ibnnd everything put up and nicely arranged in its place ; then told the IN HIGH LIFE. 87 watchman, who attends to the dining-room, I wanted him to go with me to the kitchen, as 1 wanted to see how it looked at night. We went down, found the French cooks, with their white caps on, busy getting up a sumptuous supper tor the managers; everything clean and in its place. Tlie night scene was quite different from the day scene, as, in the day time, I have seen about a hun- dred servants standing round, with their white aprons on, waiting for the different dishes for those they at- tended, while the head cook would serve choice dishes to those gentlemen who provided them for themselves, game or such like, by that means making a great con- fusion among the boarders and waiters, many thinking they paid high board and did not get what others did, of course not being aware these gentlemen provided their own. I then went back to the ball-room, and staid there till its dispersion. It being late, and the night gloomy, I determined to stay all night in the hotel, so I thought I would witness the proceedings in the servant's hall. After the servants had put their ladies safely to bed, they returned to the fifth story to their apartments. About tliirty or forty had a regular concert ; some oi' them sang well, imitating ladies and gentlemen they had heard during the day. In the lower end of the hall was a party playing euchre, and from the appearance of bottles and glasses, I fancy there was as much champaigne, claret, aud good brandy drank there, as in the club-room. I was amused, on going forward, to hear a toast to the health of Mr. Longwoith drank by them, for his good old wine, to say nothing of how they came by it. Another set were dancing m A HAIR-DRESSER S EXPERIENCR and making a tei-rific noise, regardless of those who were sick or tired below. A great many messages came up from those underneath them, saying if they did not cease their noise, they would inform tiie pro- prietor; but these did no good, for they kept it up till three o'clock in the morning. Next morning, when I got up, I felt as though I had not slept for a week, but I was gratified to see the proceedings of one night in a crowd. On going down I met the servants belonging to Mrs. D. and Mrs. M., of Natchez. They asked me how I liked the ball ; I told them it was elegant. Inquiring if I had seen their mistresses, they began praising them very highly, saying they were young, beautiful and good ; they thought there were none like them in th.e room. I told them that was my opinion too. Both these girls were slaves, and had been treated kindly, and, as I before said, when a slave is treated kindly, no matter where they are, they will not leave their masters. I have given you a night's scene in a crowd, now I will give you a day's scene. After leaving those girls, I proceeded to the springs, where I never go but once in the season, as I determined to notice what was going on that day. When I got to the springs, the sun was just rising. The dew was yet on the grass, and as the sun peeped thr(»ugh the leaves of the trees, and made all glittir like diamonds, I thought I had never witnessed f^o beautiful a scene. At that instant the band struck up "God save the Queen," and in a moment it turned to the well known tune, " Hail Columbia." All was in perfect unison with my feelings; I staid there some time ; saw the difierent ladies IN HIGH LIFE. 89 coming down from the various hotels, some walking, enjoying the beauties of nature; some drinking a glass or so of the water ; and others going down to tiie little circular railroad. I amused myself going from one spring to another, seeing the different faces of the ladies as they drank the water. Some would go round the grounds, which are about half a mile, while those who did not take the usual walk on the grounds, went home and prome- naded the galleries. That morning there were between three and four hundred people there. It seemed to me they were of every nation, people and language under the sun. Going home, I saw some of the ladies and gentlemen who were at the ball the night before, promenading the gallery. The prevailing topic of conversation was the beauty and brilliance of the ball. I then went up to wait on a lady that I dressed every morning before breakfast. She told me of numerous ladies and gentlemen who had lost their hearts the previous night, among the rest were two young ladies I knew came there to get beaux. The eldest was very good looking ; she seemed to be amiable and artless, and whatever a gentleman told her she implicitly believed ; but the younger was more shrewd, she believed nothing that was said to her unless she was sure it was so. I was very glad, indeed, when I knew they had got beaux, as I could, I hoped, get their hair dressed with- out the interference of their mother. When I was dressing their hair, she was all the time telling me to make them look well, for Mr. So-and-So had arrived, or Mr. This-or-That danced with them, or looked at 90 A haie-dresser's experience them in the ball-room, or they were introduced to Mr. Siich-an-One, and she wished them to look their pret- tiest, as this was their debut. I always did hate to get hold of any one on their, first appearance at the springs, unless they were ladies of great refinement, and used to a good deal of gayety, as, if not, their whole trouble was to look better than Miss So-and-So. I know a number of ladies, who ac- tually, when they got to the springs, were so dissatis- fied with their wardrobe, that they had a full ward- robe made up to suit the times. Having finished dressing this lady and heard all she could tell me, I went down in search of some other ladies, who I thought might be through with their breakfast. I had engagements with ladies from seven in the morning till nine or ten at night, during the rush. When I got down I looked into the dining- room, and it certainly was a beautiful sight — the ladies all dressed in difierent colored morning wrappers. One lady I noticed, had on a blue silk with a dotted Swiss over it; another a white Thibet, with a large cape of the same bound all round down the front, and cape with a rich green moire antique ribbon ; another a white jaconet, ruffled all round the bottom, up the front and the cape, and handsomely fluted, and a pink liead dress set gracefully on her head. After looking in for a few minutes, I saw some other of my ladies, and secured another victim. By the time 1 had fin- ished dressing her, breakfast was over, and there was a general rush to the promenade and through the grounds, I never saw so many little groups, or so many promenading before ; and the whole conversa- tion was tlie ball, who looked best, and so forth ; while IN HIGH LIFE. 91 those that were not talking were looking out for the Saratoga papers, to see what was said about theni- selvt'S, and all the news. Suddenly I heard a great shout and huzza on the stret^t ; I looked out and heard a telegraphic dispatcli had come from New York with the intelligence that the Atlantic Cable was completed and all right. Then came orders for a general jubilee ; some began preparing speeches; some getting up difl'erent kinds of illuminations ; some doing one thing, and some another, but none idle. Through all the excitement, I got some twenty-two or three arranged for dinner, all dressed in their best for the occasion. After dinner, they tried to see how many could go to the lakes. I believe there were more carriages out that day than had been out for years. After dark, the streets were full of bonfires, houses and stores were illuminated, fireworks of all kinds were set ofi'; then came shouts for speakers ; some called for Washing- ton Irving ; some for Mr. Cooley ; some for Mr. Randel, of Philadelphia ; some again for Gen. Cad- wallader, and many others. Numbers of eloquent speeches were made ; all went well till an eminent lawyer got up and began quoting Scripture; he got to the passage, " He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm," — when he could neither tell whether the passage was in John, James or Genesis, and he made such a faux jpas that it afforded a good deal of amusement to the spectators. After the speeches were finished, all dressed exquisitely and rushed to the ball-room, where they spent a very gay and merry evening, all in honor of the laying of tiie cable. It was the topic of conversation for a few 92 A hair-deesskr's experience days, till at last, as everything began to get cold, and as it were, dead, they were freshened up by the pres- ence of three living lords — Lord Grosvenor, Lord Cavendish and the lion. Mr. Ashley. They staid for several days, playing off on tiie weak minds of some of the parents who had young daughters in market, and amusing themselves generally, as they were in this country to see all that was to be seen, and for their amusement, as our young gentlemen do when they make the European tour. I have often been amused in passing through the saloon — which, I have before mentioned, was at the head of the stairs, and was mostly used by courting characters, as a lady, gentleman or servant would not think of stopping one instant there if they saw a lady and gentleman in conversation — to see one of these young lords and a lady ; his seat was a little higher than hers, and she looked up to him, receiving every word as if it nourished soul and body, as the dew of a summer's evening nourishes a delicate plant. Then on going down to the parlor in search of a lady whose hour had come to dress her for dinner, I found her with another of these lords, occupying a coquette seat ; and on a sofa at a little distance, sat the other one ; beside him was a married belle from New York ; her mother sat on the other side, in perfect admiration of her daughter. They were all listening with as much earnestness as if they expected to be transfig- ured from Miss Whatever-it-might-be, to Lady So- and So. There were two or three of us hair-dressers who were amused at mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and all who had young ladies to chaperon. 'Twas like IN HIGH LIFE. 93 the sound of au old bell — ding-dong, ding-dong — '' Make her look pretty, for she might catch this lord." I would often smile at the request of some mother or chaperon — " Make her look her prettiest." 1 would smile and say, '' That is very easy to do." Whatever part of the house these lords would be in, there th-e ladies flocked, some with one question, some another; may-be a question as to the manners and customs of England, or the Falace, the Queen, the royal children, or anything else to elicit conversa- tion ; when they, as replies, would rattle off anything they would think of, let it be plausible or not ; and sometimes, if the three chanced to be near each other, they would throw a sign, as well understood by them as the sign of either Mason or Odd-Fellow. I was afraid, from the specimens at Saratoga that time, these lords would get a false impression of the American ladies, as not being sufficiently dignified ; but hearing they had sought introductions to our Cin- cinnati and New York belles, whom I have before spoken of, I knew they would redeem the character of those who had laid aside their dignity and run after them. After these lords had amused themselves a little longer, they left for the wilds of the West. I have given you many instances of marriages in high life. Now, before leaving Saratoga, I will give you a little account of a death in high life. It has al- ways been a painful subject to me since. A lady who lived in great splendor and elegance, and in her queen-like mansion entertained thousands — Madame R., of Philadelphia — died at Saratoga in the summer of 1858. After a flourishing summer, being gazed upon by 94 A hair-dressek's experience hnndreds of her admiring friends, she was strickeif down by erysipehis, caught by sitting in the gallery one very cold and damp evening. Her husband had been sick, and she was very anxious to have a letter from him ; so she sat out on the gallery watching for a letter. She did not frequent the parlor, as she was never known to be there more than five or ten min- utes at a time. She lay from August till October. Her friends were very kind and attentive to her while the visitors were there. After the season was over she got worse. The house was deserted, and also the cottages, except the two little rooms she occupied, with a little stove in the corner of one of them. Sometimes friends would come with a few grapes, flowers or other delicacy for her, which would be sent up with the compliments of the sender, and a wish to be allowed to see her. A cold, stern voice would be heard in reply — " Her compliments, and she does not wish to see any person." She had not even the priv- ilege to decide for herself, and we all know in severe sickness the kind hand of a female friend is very soothing. This she had not ; she had no attendant but her husband, a man, and a maid servant, and all know servants are far from being the same around a sick bed as those friends endeared by former associa- tions, and who are also in the same circle in life. Let my readers picture to themselves a hall two or three hundred feet long, where some weeks before there had been hundreds or thousands of people pass- ing to and fro. All is now deserted — the servants turned off. In this immense Iiall is one solitary can- dle burning, making darkness the more visible ; two IN HIGH LIFE. 95 fiiZ'nrcs are all that are seen moving out and in to those two rooms. Had you occasion to go to the top of tlie stairs, you could hear groans of mortal agony, with cries of ''Lord, help me! — God have mercy on me!" And when any one would do any little kind- ness to her to alleviate her sufferings, if but for a mo- ment, you would hear the same voice say, " May God bless you, my friend ! " We all know the comforts of a palace are as nothing to one who is struggling in the grasp of death; much less the bed and room which is appropriated to a few hot summer days. When many in health complain of these inconveniences of a watering-place, what must they be to one prostrated by sickness and per- fectly helpless. This lady was noble ; she had made many promises what she would do for the proprietor and house- keeper, if she survived ; and made provision to have all who waited on her, or were kind to her, remem- bered. One day she called her husband, and made him promise he would buy the very best dress he could get in New York city, and present it to the housekeeper for her kindness. Toward the last, it seemed as if there was some- thing on her mind she wished told, but could get no opportunity of speaking to any friend. She particu- larly washed to see a brother-in-law, but the wish was not gratified, as he was not sent for till to© late. She often wished to have a dear friend to close her eyes. When told her death was at hand, she replied, " God's will be done ; but O, I want to see my broth- er-in-law." While in the very agonies of death, she was closely questioned as to her papers ; she answered 8 96 A hair-dresser's experience clearly and calmly; told where they were, and how to be got at ; and then made arrangements how she wished her body disposed of. She said she wished a very plain shroud and coffin, and to be buried plain and quietly ; she said she came into this world plain, and her desire was to leave it the same. Her shroud was plain and her coffin of the plainest boards. When I think of this lady, her noble heart, her many kindnesses, not only to those she was ac- quainted with, but to those who required kindness of all nations, recur to my memory and renew the grief I felt at her death. IN HIGH LIFE. 97 CHAPTER IV. LEAVING SARATOGA — BURNING OF THE BAGGAGE OAR VISIT TO NEW YORK, The season at Saratoga having closed, I had to re- turn to Albany to get paid for ray clothes. I had for- gotten to mention that the season I have just been de- scribing, my baggage had been all burned up on ray way to Saratoga. I will now give you a description of the circumstance. I had intended stopping at the Yellow Springs that season, as many of our aristoc- racy were there; but concluded not to do so. I took the cars at Xenia for Saratoga, and after riding a day and night, when I was just two and a half hours' ride from Saratoga, we had stopped about ten or fif- teen minutes at a little place called St. Johnsville. The most of the passengers were asleep, but as I had scarcely ever slept on the cars, I chanced to be looking out of the window, and at the raoraent envy- ing the gentleraen in a refreshment saloon drinking hot coflee, when I saw a man walk hurriedly out of the saloon. He glanced with a look of alarm toward the foremost cars, and immediately hallooed " lire." 1 called to a number of ladies and gentlemen sitting around, and told them the cars were on fire. They laughed at me, and said I must be dreaming. I then threw up the window, and looking out, could just see 98 A hair-dresser's experience the least perceptible smoke coining out of the baggage car. I then threw a shawl around me and went out. Even then, although some moments had elapsed since the alarm, there was but little fire ; but no person seemed to be trying to put it out, or endeavoring to check it. 1 saw no one doing anything except the express- man, who was striving to save his own propert}', and lie having succeeded, it amused me very much, though in trouble myself, to see him quietly take his seat on his chest; and thinking he had done sufficient, now his little property was saved, he would allow no one to come near him. I then went into a room in the house and having sat down, tried to compose myself. I felt ver}' badly, till I heard the conversation of those around me ; many were in great distress, and were crying — they had lost their all. I then felt blessed that I had still a little something at home, and was going where I could make something too. Others had important papers and other valuables with them, who felt very badly about their loss. I myself was not among the fortunate ones, as I had some things no money could pay me for. On the next seat to me was a poor old woman, who had lost everything she had in the world. She had been to see some friends, and got from them yarn to knit stockings and socks for sale, to help her get over the winter. Her little bundle was burned up; and she was so much affected by the accident, that though my own losses did not force a tear from my eyes, I wept freely for her. We soon got another locomotive and went on. In- IN HIGH LIFE. 99 stead of turning; to the left for Saratoga, we turned to the right for Albany, the grand office being in that place. On arriving in Albany, I went to a well known fam- ily there — that of Mr. R. K. I was received and treated by this family in such a way as, should I live thousands of years, I never could enough express my gratitude to them for their kindness. At nine o'clock I went down to the office, where the first of the ofiicers I met was Mr. F. I was requested to come back on Monday morning. I went, and was again requested to call on Tuesday. While sitting there, I saw the old woman whom I before spoke of as having been so much afflicted, talking to Mr. F., and crying very sorely. After they had settled with her, she came along and told me she hoped they would do better by me than they had done by her, as she lost her all and got little or nothing for it. On telling me the amount she received, I was really ashamed for the company who could treat a poor old woman in such a manner, but at once determined they should not treat me so meanly. Their will was good, but thanks to my own perseverance, they could not. I went on Tuesday as requested, when they told me Mr, W. was not yet returned from Lake George. I went again on Wednesday, when I found him at home. He was a tall, thin gentleman, with jet black hair and dark eyes — had the appearance of one who would think a good deal and say but little. I at once read the man's heart, and read it well, as I was not disap- pointed. He sent me again to Mr. F.'s apartment, who wished me to call again, but I told him I had my customers in Sarat(>ga, and must go on there. He sent me back to Mr. W. ag-ain, who decided to give 100 A hair-dresser's experience me two hundred dollars, which Mr. F. thought was a great deal too much for me to handle, and thought one hundred enough, 1 took the hundred and went to Saratoga; there I found many and warm friends ; many of them wished to raise a subscription for me, but I would not allow them, as I said the railroad was able to pay me, and I meant that they should do so. I received more kindness and attention from the proprietor and house- keeper than I ever did before. It seemed as though every one wanted to do something for me. On the 12th of September I went back to Albany to get the balance of my money. It was the 18th be- fore I got away from there. They seemed all per- fectly astonished at the list of my clothes. Mr. F. was aghast at the idea of my paying thirty-five dol- lars for a moire antique dress, and said his wife never had a dress cost so much. I laughed, and told him I had a dress which cost me fifty dollars, and a mantle to suit which cost me fifty more ; and if his highness pleased, I had a suit that cost me one hundred and fifty dollars. It would have amused any person wdio knew the extent of my wardrobe, to be behind the door and see their wide-open eyes and hear their catched-up breath when they came to any articles more expensive than others; and when Mr. F. came, on the list, to a vel- vet basquine trimmed with deep fringe, he seemed to tiiink it was an impossibility; but there were so many persons both in Albany and New York that knew the extent of mj wardrobe, that he could no longer doubt. I was never more anmsed in my life, than at seeing the different railroad gentlemen pick up my list, look IN HIGH LIFE. 101 at and shrink from it, as if it were an impossibility for a working woman to have such a wardrobe. One of them seemed quite horrified at the ver}^ idea of my liaving ten silk dresses with me ; but it afforded me a good deal of pleasure to let him know I had as many more at home ; but I told him that did not make any difference, as I had to get paid for what they, in their carelessness, burnt up ; and it was nothing but care- lessness, as I myself was an eye-witness. I was put off from time to time, as the president was not there. After being nearly wearied out, I one day went and told them I must have my money, or I would go to the hotel, take a private room with plenty of attendants, and a doctor to attend on me too, as I was pretty near sick ; when immediately the one next the president gave orders to pay me and let me go; but some of the others determined I should stay there till the president returned, thinking to weary me out and make me go without my money. But they soon found they were greatly mistaken ; instead of my being the wearied one, they had to suffer. Every morning I went down to the office after breakfast, staid there till dinnertime; went to din- ner, returned, and staid there till night ; and I assure you my tongue never stopped, nor was I tired com- menting on all that came under my notice — ladies, gentlemen, servants and business men of all kinds. I finally determined to see the president myself, and as they said he would not return from New York for a few days, I made up my mind to go on to New York and see him, and tliere I went. On my arrival, 1 found the president had just left for Albany. How- ever, though a little discouraged-, I determined as I 102 A iiair-ubksskr's experience was in New York, I would stop awhile, as I Lad nu- merous friends there, and pass the time ofi' as pleas- antly as possible — which I did going to the operas, pie-nics, and clam-bakes. I suppose some of my readers would like to know what a clam-bake is. I will tell you. I was invited to a very beautiful place called Wee- hawken ; it was the prettiest place I ever saw in the woods for any amusement of the kind. Wlien we ar- rived at Weehawken, we found a handsome house tit- ted up for the season ; in front was a platform about one hundred feet square, with a railing round it and seats ; outside this railing was a place erected fur a full band of music. All commenced dancing the instant they arrived ; some even before they got their things off. While I, with some others who did not dance, went to see the preparations for cooking the clams. I was very much pleased, as it was something I had never seen before. First, they put on the ground thirty or forty logs of wood, with plenty of kindling; when these logs were burning, they put on a cart load of large stones ; when these became red hot, they covered them with sea-weed. They then took fish of all kinds that could be baked sweet, and Irish pota- toes, corn in the ear ; rolled them all up in separate pieces of paper, laid them on the sea weed ; then they made another row of sea-weed, on which about three barrels of clams were put; then another covering of sea- weed; and so on, till there was a pile four or five feet high, and all was in a short time beautifully baked. In the meantime there was quite a circle of boards erected round this bed of clams, where the people stood around and received from those inside IN HIGH LIFE, 103 this circle bowls, butter, pepper aud salt, and any- thing else they might require ; then last came along a number of forks to eat with. Then commenced such an opening of clams, handing round of sweet potatoes and corn — ^just which you pleased to have — and all seemed to eat as if they were the most elegant things imaginable, I sat aside and looked on, an amused spectator, as, though pressed by many to eat, and told how good they were, I could not eat them. There was an im- mense kettle of chowder, which they all seemed to enjoy very much. Tliey all ate with such a relish as if they never had eaten anything so good be- fore. There was a good deal of fun and merriment going on. After they had finished their clams, they took an- other dance ; then all retired to dress for a ball which was to be inside the house. They kept it up till eleven o'clock at night. The refreshment table was beautifully and elegantly set. Notwithstanding the attention and kindness I re- ceived, I got perfectly wearied, when I, with some others, started for the boat. When we got to the landing, which was a quarter of a mile from the house, there was a surprise. Instead of our splendid and commodious steamer, towering up to the sky, there was a contemptible little tow-boat, that we had to look down to find ; she had no cabin, nor any shelter from the night. It was certainly a stronger and safer boat, but the elegant cabins that were appro- priated to excursions were wanting. I was furious, and started back to the house with rage ; I outwalked them all. On reaching tiic house, the conunittee went 9 104 A haik-dresseb's experience down to inquire the reason, and found it was a mistake of the captain ; he had made a previous engagement. Notwithstanding our protestations to the contrary, I found we must either go by this little boat, or stay all night, I chose the lesser evil, and embarked, but from the time I started from the landing at Weehaw- ken, till I got to the landing at Spring-street, New York, 1 never drew a long breath. On my landing I bid adieu to all clam-bakes. The next day I went on Fifth-avenue, and all around, to see my friends, who were very kind to me at Saratoga, New York, or any other place they met me. It was at such times as these I appreciated my profession. I went through several elegantly fur- nished mansions ; they were so perfectly exquisite that I thought by some magic power, I was taken across the sea to some of the lordly mansions it had been my good luck to see while in Europe. When I was a child, I remember all the upper part of Fifth-avenue nothing but woods. 1 will now give you a little description of some of the mansions of my ladies in New York ; I am proud to say my ladies^ as 1 have worked for them so many seasons. I will commence with the mansion of one well known — G. L,, Fifth-avenue. The hall, to begin with, was as large as some of our parlors; on the left hand side were two reception rooms, one blue and the otiiCT green ; in one of these rooms was a large book- case, all rosewood and looking-glass ; it attracted my attention, as a most magnificent piece of furniture. On the right hand side were two very large parlors ; on entering, the first thing that caught my eye was a full-length likeness of the host himself. This parlor IN HIGH LIFE. 105 was beautifully frescoed in gay colors. At the back of these parlors was another large room, used as a dining-room on particular occasions; it ran crosswise, and was most elegantly furnished. There was the gi-eatest profusion of silver scattered here and there through this room, I ever saw in one house in this country. On going np stairs, I went from room to room until I had counted seven on the second floor, all exquisitely furnished in rosewood ; there was a great number of beautiful paintings. The third floor was fur- nished in mahogany, and was elegant. I then went down to the basement. In the front is an office, and a large family dining-room. Taken all in all, it is a large and magnificent house. I have always been treated very kindly by the whole family, from the oldest to the youngest ; so, like all travelers, I took some refreshment and left. I then went down the Fifth-avenue, to the house of Mrs. B. Her house is five stories high. In tlie basement is a kitchen, a billiard room, and an elegant parlor for her servants. In this parlor are mirrors larger than I have seen in many parlors even in the city. On entering the principal hall, there was a most beautiful figure in bronze of a horse as large as life. Certainly the attitude and appearance were very graceful. The first parlor was green and gold; the drapery around the numerous windows was superb. The second parlor furniture was the most delicate shade of blue and gold ; the wall was the lightest tinge of rose and gold; the mantles of the most pure and elegant marble, supported on each side by figures having the appearance of the old Knickerbockers. The tables looked like niasses of i!;old and njarble. 106 A hair-dresser's experience On one of them was a group in Parian marble repre- senting Moses and the ark of buUrushes, and Pha- raoh's daughter. It was a gem. The third parlor was drab and gold furniture, and wall to match. The fourth, which was used as a dining-room, was lined, instead of papered, with a dark drab morocco; the furniture covered with the same. . On my going up the stairs, the first room I came to was blue and gold. It was a boudoire, or ladies' sit- ting room. In each corner was a cabinet, filled with shells and all kinds of ornaments and curiosities. The doors of these cabinets were looking-glass. This room opened into a large and elegant bed-room, with a high and massive rosewood bedstead ; all the furniture rose- wood, to match. Next came a dressing-room: in either corner was an immovable wash-stand toilet, beautiful china vase; also, an immovable wardrobe, with three doors, the middle one of looking-glass. The next was a parlor, with crimson furniture. Around the walls were the portraits of the families of both Mr. and Mrs. B. This little parlor was exquis- itely furnished. It opened into an elegant bed-room occupied by Mrs. B. The ceilings were very high, and the bedstead tlie highest I ever saw in my life, with rich crimson damask curtains, looped tassels to match. This opened into an elegant dressing-room, the furniture of which was all black walnut; the room, instead of being papered, was waiuscotted with black walnut. I then went to the third story, and found all equally elegant, all furnished with the finest rosewood. The fourth and fifth stories were mahogany, instead of rosewood furniture, but in other respects the same. When I got to the fifth story, you may imagine 1 IN HIGIT IJFE. 107 would have wislied for some other way of getting down besides walking. • I am always delighted to see elegant houses, but more particularly when there are elegant ladies to grace them, which is the case here; for in every house I have been in, in New York, there were elegant ladies to adorn them. I remember, while in England, once going with the ladies' maid of a countess to see the splendid mansion of her mistress. Before leaving I wished to see the lady who graced such a mansion. To my surprise, on reaching the door, I found an elegant carriage, coach- man and footman, with certainly the queerest looking little lady, all shriveled up, that I ever saw. It made me wish I was a fairy, that I could transfer some of the fine-looking ladies from my country to grace such a mansion. The next day I commenced by going on Eighth- street, but, in consequence of sickness, I did not go through the house. On entering I found the house and grounds more like France than any place 1 had seen in New York. From there 1 went to Mrs. S.'s elegant and princely mansion. It was a large double house, with two parlors on one side and a large recep- tion-room on the other. Everything in the house is chaste and elegant; everything in these parlors is magnificent. The chandeliers are the most beautiful of any I ever saw. One in the principal parlor has sixteen burners. There are beautiful branches over the mantles, and at each side, with brilliant lights. These, with the pure white of tlie velvet-papered walls, give at night some idea of an earthly paradise. The dining-room is also a most beautiful room. On 108 A hair-dresser's experience the second floor are four ]iiv^e cliuinbers, elegantly furnished, and a most extensive library. Next came what I may call a museum, for it certainly was one filled with birds, shells, flowers, and animals of every description. The green-house was the most beautiful I have seen in New York. It was filled with very choice flowers, of every shade and color. My time was now getting short, and although I had numerous invitations from ladies to visit them when I went to New York, I did not have time to get further into many of their houses than the music- room or re- ception-room ; in fact, after leaving the Fifth-avenue 1 did not see anything to boast of over our own places at home, on the inside of the houses, but on the out- side they certainly were exquisite. I frequently visited the St. Nicholas, where I had many lady friends from the South, and also from the Queen City. Among the rest of my friends were Madame L. and her accomplished daughter. As usual, they were great belles. There were two South- ern belles there who tried to equal Madame L. and her daughter. The ladies themselves were very well, but the conduct of their father in past years made them too conspicuous. Not a hundred years ago, in passing through the streets of one of our Southern cities, he met a gentle- man on the cross-walk who had been drinking very freely. He ran up against this gentleman, who im- mediately knocked him down. The next day, when the gentleman got sober, he started to the house of the father of these young ladies to apologize, though not in fault. When the latter met him coming up the steps, he blew his brains out. When taken up for IN HIGH LIFE. 109 this murder, to save iiiiiiself, he said this gentleman visited his wife at unseasonable hours. This caused a separation between them for a long time. There were some six or seven hundred people at the St. Nicholas at that time. From there I went to the New York Hotel, where 1 found all pretty much one clique — all fashionable and elegant people ; the house and its guests very much like the Hotel Maurice in Paris. I then went to visit a lady I had been promis- ing to go to see for five or six years, who had been a great belle. When I arrived at the house I found her husband sick, and did not stay long. On my going to visit another lady, she told me what was the mat- ter with him, and she seemed perfectly delighted, as tiiey were very proud people, and thought few persons good enough to associate with. A bachelor friend of this gentleman had an elegant housekeeper. He told this friend she was inconstant. The lady hearing of it, took a carriage, and knowing his usual walks, met him coming from the Battery right at the Bowling Green, and stepping from the carriage, with a cowhide she cut over the face and eyes so badly he had to run into a little shop to escape from her. She then got into her carriage and drove home. He had to remain in the shop till he sent for a carriage, and was taken home, where he remained for three or four weeks. This made quite a stir among the gentlemen. I was now tired of my visit to New York, and made up my mind to go back to Albany and see after my money. I had no idea of being put oflf as I had seen others. I left New York in the evening, and the next morning I found myself in Albany. I went first to 110 A hair-dresser's experience the railroad office, and found several of the directors there, who sent me from one to another until I had gone to, it seemed to me, iialf a dozen. I got per- fectly furious at this kind of treatment, and as they all seemed afraid of the president, I, not being afraid of anybody, determined to see the president myself. I went fully determined to take him down a little if he had been what he was represented to be by the actions of his underlings; but, to my surprise, I found him a perfect gentleman, in every sense of the word, and he seemed to wish to do what was right. Though he did not give me what I thought was sufficient to repay my losses, yet he gave me more than the others were willing to allow. I took the three hundred dollars, which was the amount I received, and left. I do hope those other gentlemen will not continue to think thirty-five or forty dollars too much to give for a dress for their wives. I wish them all to remember it is not the dog that is chained up the tightest, and makes the most noise, does the most biting. IN niGH LIFE. Ill CHAPTER V. NEWPORT — THE MAID's STORY. I WILL now go back in my narrative to the season of 1850. I was that year at work at Saratoga. The nephew of President Polk coming there with his fam- ily, consisting of his wife, two children, a man and maid servant, and the lady wishing to have a maid and hair-dresser, I gave up my situation at Saratoga and went to Newport with them. We stopped at the Ocean House. I found the most of the company there from Saratoga, as it was a habit with many to go the early part of the season to Saratoga and drink the water, after which they sought the seaside to bathe. I found out this season why many of the ladies liked Newport so well; it was because at the latter place the ladies and gentlemen were thrown more together. As there was but a small hall to promenade in at Newport, ladies, gentlemen, children, servants and all were together, while at Saratoga the ladies had two very large galleries and the gentlemen one, so they were never thrown together, except those who had families or acquaintances. Tliis season the Gerraania Band was there, and I have often been amused, while listening to the music, to see the different dresses, dif- ferent appearances, and different cliques. There were five ladies there from the neil very beautiful. She was dressed in a pure while satin dress, with tulle over it, white satin boots, white kid gloves, and white japonicas in her hair. iShc was pronounced by many the most beautiful lady in tlie iState — while others thought Minnie bore oil" the palm of beauty. Minnie's sister had not the opportunity of showing oft' her beauty that Minnie had, as she eloped belorc she was of age. She has not had so many triumphs as Minnie, but as she moved through the streets sotne called her the i)retty lady. She was often followed by a number cf boys, who called her the handsome lady with the pink boots. lier street dress in Cin- cinnati was an embroidered dress with three flounces; her mantle was pink, trimmed with the most elegant and costly lace ; her bonnet was of the most elegant description of white lace, and trimmed with tlie rich- est pink bows. She had a peculiar style of her own of wearing her bonnet on the very top of her head, but it was elegant. On my going to see Minnie, she was always in- rpiiring what the people said of her, and was per- fectly delighted with the notice taken of her, both at the church and fair, and on the street — taking all as a great compliment. When she asked me, I would tell 142 A IIAIU-DRESSKK's EXPEKIE^X'E lier. I have known her to receive as a compliment what other ladies would be furious about ; and for that reason I would not tell her what folks were say- ing. 1 asked her if she had forgotten her promises and conversation while in the East. She said she had made so many she could not remember what; so I told her what her promise was : One morning, while in Boston, we were conversing, and Minnie said she blamed the way in which parents treated their slaves for the conduct of younger members of the family, as the sins of the parents were visited upon the children ; and when she went home she would set free a woman and her child who belonged to herself. 1 then asked her if she had done so. Her reply was, " No, mamma would not let me." I said, " I tlionght they were your own property." She replied, "Yes, but on my going home, mamma took all my property out of ray liands." She said she had often laughed at my coaxing her to say her prayers and read her Bible, while in Bos- ton. I asked her if she thought it was a laughing matter, and not a duty ; and asked her again, if she said her prayers now. Her repl}^ was, " No ; I have not knelt to pray, or opened my Bible since you left me. When my maid passes through the room, I often think of tlie conversations you and I have had, and say to myself, if she was to go aw^ay without leave, I would never look after her ; for I know, let servants be treated as well as they can be, they want to be free. A short time after this conversation, sure enough the maid did leave ; her husband was in the same IN iiirjr LIFE. 143 service. Minnie's mother sent this man after his wife, with strict charge to bring her back, or not dare to show himself there again. lie went, and when he got under the banner of Great Britain, lie wrote back to his mistress, saying she desired him not to come back without his wife ; but as she had made up her mind to stay where she was, and would not go back, he thought the best thing he could do was to stay with her. Some friends of the family were the ones that helped them to make good their escape. I learned, a short time after, that another of these fugi- tives passed through this city, who belonged to Min- nie's brother. It is a well known fact, these poor creatures could not make good their escape unless they w^ere aided by some influential people. I will, for the present, leave Minnie, but have not yet told one half that I know. 12 144 A itair-dressek's experience CHAPTER Vir. NATCHEZ — NEW ORLEANS. I HAVE spent many seasons in the South ; sometimes I was in Natchez and Yicksbnrg, and at the planta- tions along the coast, but generally the greater portion of ray time was spent in the city of New Orleans, I have been witness to many queer scenes in this south- ern country, the relation of which shall occupy this chapter. They were all written long after they oc- curred, and in the order in which they presented themselves to my memory ; so that this portion of my narrative will, perhaps, be more desultory and un- connected than any other. Some years ago, about the close of the winter sea- son, I found myself in Natchez, at the residence of a family for whom I had worked in New Orleans, and who had given me a pressing invitation to come to see them at Natchez, Having heard so much of the beauties of the residences in the vicinity of that city, surpassing those of the English nobility, and feeling myself quite mean at having seen those of England before the beauties of my own country, I determined to see and judge for myself. When I arrived, I was perfectly delighted both with the })eople and scenery, I went to Mr. 11, 's, and staid some two weeks, and during that time I assure you I was not idle. I was all around, in the country, in the IN HIGH LIFE, 145 town, and everywhere I could go. While staying at Mr. H.'s, I observed their treatment of their servants was far more kind than that of many ladies in tlie Eastern States, although they had it in their power to be kind or unkind ; while in the East they are com- pelled to bo kind at all times, or their servants will not stay with them. But you might well ask, how long did this kindness last ? After a while a change came over Mr. 11. ; somutiraes he would be very good, and at others very severe. I was very sorry to hear it, for he had been so kind to them that I knew tliey could not nor would not stand bad treatment. He did not treat them as many treat their servants. Mr. 11. had one particular body servant, wiiom he treated as a comjjanion, except that he did not eat, drink or sleep with him. No matter where he went, up town, down town, or in the countrj^, they were in- separable. Almost all gentlemen in Louisiana and Mississippi have favorite body servants, and they are always very kind to them, more particularly so than to any other servant. As regarded Mr. II., I can testify to his kindness to his servants that season, and as to myself, I was treated more like a guest than a person who was dependant on the public for a livelihood. Some years passed over. I frequently visited Natchez, and found Mr. H. and family much the same; iiis wife as lovely as ever. It happened that, from some cause unknown, Mr. II. fell out with his body servant and chained him to a log of wood, and whipped him severely. Tie went out the next day to repeat the dose, when the despised slave, enraged at the treatment, broke loose from the log, seized it, and 146 A II air-dresser's experience dashed Mr. H.'s brains out before the eyes of his fam- il}'. It appears that, althougli a slave, he was de- scended from one of the highest southei-n families, and inherited all the proud feeling and independent spirit the Southerners generally pride themselves on. After a short time had elapsed, I engaged with a gentleman and his sister, who came to New Orleans and engaged me to wait on a very gay lady, the gen- tleman's wife, who resided in the vicinity of Natchez, on a very beautiful plantation. The lady was not on good terms with her husband's family ; therefore, when I went, she was so provoked to think they would not allow her to retain her old maid, that she determined not to take me, because they had engaged me; and whenever she decided on doing anything in opposition to his family, she was not to be changed. She was, nevertheless, kind to me, for she had en- deavored to secure my services some seasons before ; but I was not able to engage with her at that time, owing to a prior engagement with a young lady who had been formerly engaged to her husband, and I be- lieve he loved her till her marriage. The gentleman's family and numerous ladies in Natchez felt very indignant at her disappointing me ; but 1 saw through it immediately ; it was because I had been waiting on the other young lady, who was perfectly' beautiful, gentle, mild and amiable, and more than all, immensely wealthy. Miss F. was of medium bight, splendid form, had large, full black eyes, and such a ])rofusion of curls as are seldom seen ; while the lady Mr. D. married had light hair, light blue eyes, and an alabaster complexion She also was called a great beauty in the East. IN HIGH LIFE. 147 Although the match was broken off on account of family difficulties, 1 can testify that the love was not broken off. This occurred in the fall of the year. The following winter Miss F.'s mother took her to New Orleans, where she reigned belle, but still appeared to cherish a fondness for her former lover. In the spring Mr. D. went East through the influence of his family. When he arrived there, some of bis friends set to work to make the match between him and this beautiful blonde, when it was well known he loved the beautiful brunette. In a month or so he was en- gaged, and in two or three months he was married. Mr. D.'s family and the family of Miss F. stopped at the same hotel ; in fact the rooms were so closely connected, they could both see and hear all the pre- parations for his approaching marriage. 1 knew all the particulars of the affair, though Miss F. was not aware of it. I could not but admire the manner in which she acted, as I knew very well the quarrel was not between the two, but between their mothers. 'Twas in the summer I was with Miss F. In the fall Mr. D. and the beautiful blonde were married. In the winter they went to New Orleans, where Mr. D., his bride, and Miss F."s family happened again to be in the same hotel. My services were not con- fined to either family, but while in New Orleans I worked for the families of all the planters of Louisiana and Mississippi. While attending on the bride, I often spoke of the amiability of Miss F., when Mr. D. would always join in, and declare Miss F. was perfectly beautiful, gentle and amiable — which seemed in no way to displease his bride, as she was at that time not only beautil'ul but lovely herself She had 148 A iiair-deesser's experience jnst commenced her career as belle, and seemed no way put out at the praises bestowed on Miss F. The season was gay and brilliant. The bride had many parties given in her honor; she attended all the "hops" at the St. Charles, and I have seen groups of people stand to look at her when she came down stairs ; and often, as she passed through the iiall, the different doors would be opened, and persons peep out after her — she was so perfectly beautiful. All this was, of course, very flattering to her. After a few seasons — and a very few — they com- menced picking her, as they did other belles, at hotels, watering-places, and every other place where belles are the general topic of conversation ; but she was perfectly indifferent as to the opinion of the world, as she had not only beauty, but wealth to back it, and had no worldly cares — neither child, nor pet of any kind. So she continued her visits to the fashionable watering-places, winter and summer. A young man who was grandchild to one of our great Kentucky statesmen, having gone to New Or- leans quite young, fell into the hands of gamblers. His father detected him in gambling, and made very severe threats what he would do, if he ever caught him again. It appeared that this young man had cul- lected some money fur his lather and lost it, and through fear of his lather, he chose death rather than meeting him. lie told one of the men at the gam- bling house to come at seven o'clock the next day, to get a check. The gambler came at the appointed time, and found the young man dead. lie had gone home, undressed, and, after getting into bed, put a pistol under his jaw and blew his brains out. I saw IN IIIOII LIFE. 149 the corpse witli my own eyes. IIo was tall and slim, veiy lair, and had dark hair. Did this throw a gloom over the honse ? No ; for that very evening there was a tremendous large ball. The corpse was immediately taken away, and placed in a vault, and at the first opportunity sent to Ken- tucky. For my own part, the gloom did not wear off for a month; and I thought if I crossed the hall, that ghosts and hobgoblins were right beiiind me; and when I would go home at night, I would light three or four candles and place them in every part of the room, for the hospital was just opposite where 1 lived, and I knew every death that took place — man, woman, or child — by the toll of the bell. When a man would die, it would strike three times ; a woman, twice, and a child, once; and never a night passed but it would toll several times. I must langh now to think how frightened I was one day in going down the back stairs. 1 heard some one coming down very rapidly behind me; when I turned round I found it to be a gentleman who had just left a lady's apartment who he had been in the habit of visiting in her husband's absence, and as soon as he heard him come up the front stairs, he would rush down the back stairs. I went to the lady's room to see what was the matter, and I found her almost fainting for fear her hus- band had seen the man ; while the husband, fright- ened, thinking his wife very sick, was putting back her massive curls to bathe her temples. The gentle- man was frightened for fear he had been seen; and I, also, friglitened on account of his haste. However, I got til rough that week very quietly, without seeing liobiJjoblins or beinir friiihtened to death. 150 A iiair-drksser's experience I remember well a lady and iier two daughters who, about this time, came to New Orleans. The daugh- ters were very gay, and very pretty. The first time I saw their mother she was in the hall speculating in pianos, and the next time I saw her she was in her own room. I did not know her again, as, when I had first seen her, she had jet black hair, a profusion of curls, clear red and white complexion, and magnifi- cent teeth; her eyes shone like diamonds; she was tall, slender, and apparently a magnificent form. On entering the room, I saw her sitting on a chair. I looked half a dozen times for the lady, when she ex- claimed, "Here I am; don't you know me?" "No, madam, I did not know you." " By George, no won- der; I have not got on my pretties." Her hair was white, and her beautiful curls were all false; her com- plexion was eau de heaute, hlond de j)earl, and rouge; her teeth were the most perfect deception that ever was made, and her beautiful form was a perfect skeleton ; and to hear her swear, I will acknowledge I was frightened for once by a woman. While I was speaking to her, a handsome, amiable- looking girl stepped in, and said, "Oh, ma, why are you not dressed before this !" She replied, " Oh, don't you know I was out playing cards till near three o'clock." Hearing her speak in this manner before a stranger, her daughter shook her head, when she said, "Oh, thunder, by gingocs, there's no use shaking your head ; she will soon get to know me, and like me, too." But she did not know me — for I did not like such ladies. Her daughters I became very much at- tached to; they were elegant, graceful and amiable uirls — the eldest rather more so than the other. IN HIGH LIFE. 151 In a few days I again saw this same lady in Camp- street, buying and selling bales of cotton ; at another time I saw her in a wholesale store, buying sacks of coffee, and speculating on them. There was a family in the hotel, from off the coast, who had with them a very pretty maid, and a very good hair-dresser. She made her dissatisfied with her owner, that she might purchase her; she told the girl that so soon as she would earn what she paid for her, besides fixing her two daughter's heads, she would give her her freedom. The maid brought home forty dollars every month, until she had nearly paid for herself; this woman then turned roimd and sold her for very near as much again as she paid for her — saying nothing of what the girl had paid her. She then left the hotel and went trav- eling. I did not see her again for a long time, but frequently heard of her. On one occasion I saw a very nice free girl. She proposed to this girl to sell her, and divide the money between them, and then she was to kick up a row and swear she was free, 1 have seen many ladies, but never one that loved money as she did. Notwithstand- ing all her improper conduct, her daughters kept a fair position in society, more particularly with gentlemen. Several seasons passed away, and I did not see or hear of this woman, till one season, on leaving Wash- ington City, she happened to be on the same train, but not in the same car, with me. Sitting in the same seat with her, was a green, country woman. On my passing through the cars, I saw her in deep conversa- tion with this woman, and knew immediately she was striking up some trade; so I took a seat in the same car she was in, to notice her maneuvers. 13 162 A hair-dresser's experience All at once I saw her jump up and, with the wo- man, go into a small room, called the ladies' dressing- room; in a few moments she came out, laughing, and I saw she had changed her dress. I then went up to her and asked her why she changed her dress; she said, "By George, I had a good chance to sell it, and I sold it. I have worn it for a year or so, and I got as much as I gave for it. It wont be long till the cars are in Philadelphia, and I have got a waist and long sleeves under my shawl, and then the girls will have plenty of new dresses for me from the mantuamakers." She went to Philadelphia, and I did not see anything of her till about in the middle of the season, when she came to Saratoga, The salute I got from her was, "Halloo, langy !" When I turned around and saw it was her ladyship, I told her she looked very well. She said, "Yes ; I come here to drink water, recruit, and get a husband." I asked her where she had been all this time ; she said she had been in the New York Hotel, she and the girls, raising the devil, and having more fun than a little, "Now," says she, "I have come here, and the girls are going to be helles here, I can tell you that. Moreover, Pet has got a rich beau, but he is so old he can hardly stand straight," and she laughed at the top of her voice. She made her youngest daughter make the old man believe she was desperately in love with him, and tiie mother pretended to give her consent. She could find no other way to speculate, so she speculated with her daughter's hand. The old man gave her a diamond ring worth several hundred dollars, an old family relic, they say. It was an expensive and elegant ring. She made him settle a large amount of property on her IN HIGH LIFE. 153 daughter, and got money from him herself. She went to a dress-maker's with the ring, and told her to raffle it off for three hundred dollars, at twenty-five dollars a chance. The dress-maker retained the ring for some time; but, as she did not feel very safe with it in her possession, returned it, and said she could not raffle it off. She took the ring, and there is no telling what she did with it. She then took sev- eral boxes of goods, and was going to leave them at the dress-maker's ; but the dress-maker would not have anything to do with them ; she knew there was something wrong, and a lady of her disposition did not care whether she got any one in trouble or not. The season ended in Saratoga, and she, getting as much money as possible from the old man, started for Europe. The old man died, and she married her two daughters off, and remained herself in Europe, on ac- count of the fuss about the property the old man set- tled on her. When I was in New York there was great confusion about the property and money the old man placed in her hands. The family grieved very much for the ring, and other pieces of jewelry belong- ing to the family. I suppose that many of my readers would like to know where such a noble lady came from. She was from the South, although, when 1 was there, the South- erners were not proud to own her; and I am sure the North would not claim her. In the mean time my readers might ask, where is her husband. A difficulty arose between a gentleman, a great gallant of hers, and her husband ; the former went in her husband's office one day and shot him, and he died some time after ; she ever since has been like the Wandering Jew. 154 A hair-dresser's experience A few years ago, in Louisiana, there was a family of three sons, one of them an invalid; they had a mulatto servant with them, who was, in stature, color and disposition, pretty much the same as the brothers, only a shade or so darker. This invalid brother would have no one to wait on him, he would not be tau^^ht anything, nor would he eat or drink unless he was waited on, taught and served by this mulatto. So they had to have this servant taught, to enable him to teach their brother. All this annoyed the other broth- ers very much. In the course of a tew years the father died. On his decease it was found that this mulatto was his son, and half-brother to those he waited on. The father dying suddenly, left him unprovided for. In a short time the sickly brother died, and then the two broth- ers tried to quarrel with him, and at one time tried to whip him, but he gave them a pretty good turn, and, when they were asleep, locked them in the room, and, taking as much money as he wanted, left the country. As he was in the habit of traveling with his younger brother, there was nothing thought of it till he got to New York, lie there married a white girl, and it was there I saw and conversed with him. He told me where I could find his mother, and requested me, when I went back to Louisiana, to find her, and tell her 1 had seen hira, and all the particulars at tlie same time. He told me he was never struck a blow but once in his life, and that was by his brother; and he said he felt he would be willing to die to have re- venge. Some may think it strange that a white woman should marry a colored man in the North, not know- IN HIGH LIFE. 155 ing he was colored ; but it is not more so thau a rich white lady of Virginia, who was a lelle at the St. Charles, and every place she visited, marrying a man, said to be a millionaire, whose mother was a mulatto, and his father a Frenchman, who sent him to Paris and had him educated. He came back highly edu- cated, a wealthy gentleman, and greatly sought after for Ills millions and his handsome appearance, and he married this great helle. Many knew who he was, but on account of his millions and his father, nothing was said. His mother I saw, a few years ago, in Mas- sachusetts; she would not know him if she saw him. And there are many in the same situation ; for I know two sisters now, who often visit Saratoga, from St. Louis, who married two brothers on account of their wealth. They are very nice women ; but it is known by many that they were born in slavery, but raised free, and well educated. On one occasion, while in Saratoga, they were coming to the dinner-table, and some ladies, who came along, said they were not white, they looked like negroes. One of their hus- bands, a fine-looking man, heard the remark, and af- ter dinner sought out the husband of the lady, who was a diminutive bit of a creature, and made him take back all his wife had said ; he was glad to do so with many apologies, and the next morning he and his family were missing. All this is nothing; for, in our Queen City of the West, I know hundreds of mu- lattoes who are married to white men, and lawfully married. Some of these pass for white, and some, again, are so independent they will be thought noth- ing but what they are. A few years ago there was a marriage in Saratoga 156 A nAIR-DKESSER's EXPERIENCE of a gentleman belonging to one of the best families of South Carolina. This occurred through the effects of alcohol. Several years ago a chambermaid was proved to be not respectable, and she was turned out from the hotel. She led an immoral life for some time, when Mr. married her. He could get no one to marry them, till at length he found out an old country parson, who performed the ceremony. There were great preparations for them to start to Charles- ton ; but, I am told, at a certain station she was shoved ofl* the cars, and they went on without her. Whether it was a compromise of bis friends, I know not, but the apartments which he had engaged for the ensuing season were empty in Saratoga. There are a great many queer matches; one of them was a match of a gentleman of high rank and standing, with an Indian squaw. There was a camp of Indians near there, and many gentlemen chose their wives from among the squaws. This gentleman married her in the morning, and took her away with him. Several of these squaws have married men of high standing. I knew a colored man who belonged to a family in Lexington, Ky. The children taught him to read and write, unknown to their parents. For some slight of- fense he was sold to a family in Bigbury; and the master found him writing passes for the servants to all parts of the city, and letters, when he was again sold, to a family living in Mississippi. They put him to work in a cotton patch, but the head waiter in the house used to steal him newspapers to read, and at twelve o'clock they, the slaves, would go to their meals and return in a very short time, and they would lay in the grass around a tree, while he IN HIGH LIFE, 157 sat in the tree reading to them out of the newspaper. At last it was noticed that the slaves all hurried through their meals, and it was thought so strange to see them all congregated together, that their master undertook to find out the reason. One of the young masters hid himself in one of the trees near to the one they were surrounding. They all came from their meals as usual, and he began to read the newspaper to them, he being in the tree, and they laying around. It was the time of the trouble between England and the United States on the account of McLeod, and he was explaining all the particulars, telling them Eng- land was threatening war, and what their course of con- duct should be. When the master found out what they were about, he called this man to the house and questioned him; he acknowledged what he had done as he always did from the first. They then told him if he would not tell the servants, and leave the coun- try in two hours, they would let him go; he did so, and went to Canada, 1 afterward saw him there at the Custom House, and we had quite a long talk. Some will say it is very queer and they can not un- derstand how the slaves get so enlightened ; it is very easily understood. Some of them are very easily learned, and if a family has a favorite servant they will treat them as one of the family, but for the slightest ofi'ense they will sell them, and if they can, to the farthest plantation possible, and they will of course teach others. When I commenced going down South, a widow and an overseer could, without difficulty manage a hundred slaves, now it takes three overseers and the master to rule the same number; times are fast, masters and 158 A haik-dkessek's experience mistresses are getting mure eulightenecl, and so are servants. I know gentlemen and ladies who would not put on a suit of clothes without the servants say it is suitable, but if the same servants chance to offend them, they will sell them to go as far as cars and boats will carry them. 1 know a widow lady who lives in Mississippi, she comes down to New Orleans every season to provide for her plantation. She is very much thought of and sought after, more particularly by merchants, on account of her immense wealth, her name is i\lrs. G. ; she came to the St. Charles and staid some days there. I had the pleasure of waiting on this honorable lady ; she left to go home, and I went in the same boat to make a visit to a plantation further on. It seems the steward had offended her in some way, coming down, and on our going back again, when the boat stopped at her plan- tation, the steward came forward, expecting a dollar or so as steward's fee, slie handed him a little package and told him to carry it for her; there were about tiity or so of her servants came down to see her on her arrival, and when the steward came among them, she told them that fellow had insulted her, when they all put after him like a parcel of blood-hounds, and he had to actually jump into the water to reach the plank to get on board the boat, or they would have torn him in pieces. Such devotion is from kindness. She is a kind mistress. In the same neighborhood, a short time before, a lady was attempted to be poisoned three times by her slaves for her cruelty to them. Was this lady a Loui- siana lady 'i No, she was not, she was from the North, and was one who had to work for her living before IN HIGH LH^'E. 159 going South ; these are always the worst of mistresses. 1 remember a colored woman who was raised in Cin- cinnati, and her parents and iamily now live in the midst of our city ; she is now a slave-holder in the city of New Orleans ; the most tyranical, overbearing, cruel task-mistress that ever existed ; so you can see color makes no difference, the propensities are the same, and those who have been oppressed themselves, are the sorest oppressors. It is a well known fact, those who are as black themselves as the ace of spades will, if they can, get raulatoes for slaves, and then tlie lirtit word is "my nigger." In the South, both whites and blacks, if they have but one garment to their back, must have a servant. I was a good deal amused one day to hear a dispute between a white and a colored woman ; the colored woman was from New York, but was very wealthy, having accumulated quite a little fortune; the white woman was also from the North, and she had not been so fortunate in worldly matters: their dispute com- menced on politics, and the white woman at lengtli got so angry with some remarks of the other, that she started for the house, while in a voice quivering with passion, exclaimed, I dont care, 1 have the law on my side if you have the money, while the other laugh- ingly replied, excuse me madam, I have both. Not- withstanding there is so much hatred between the two colors, and so much enmity exists, they will associate much more so in the slave States than in the free States. There is a great deal of sociability between the free colored and the rich whites in the slave States, but when you come to the lower orders of both, there is decided enmity. I will give you a little instance 160 A hair-dresser's experience that I saw with my own eyes, aiid I know both parties well, the white 1 knew when I was a little girl in New York. A family named B , having had some trouble in bank business, left New York and went to New Orleans. After my being in New Orleans several seasons, I found them out by visiting next door to them ; the lady next door was colored, and kept ele- gant furnished rooms. As I told you before, there are numbers here make fortunes, and it is a common thing to have these furnished rooms, and in no mean street either, but side by side with some of the very best mansions are these furnished apartments. They are generally occupied by gentlemen, who take their meals at the St. Charles, and sleep in these apartments ; and it is not thought anything if the landlady is colored ; even to this day, it is very fashionable for gentlemen to take their families to these rooms. The colored lady who kept the house I have men- tioned, was very beautiful and very wealthy; she owned a great deal of property and many slaves, and kept two houses more like some of the elegant man- sions of the nobility, than anything else. She in- herited this property by her husband and master, he emancipated her, and then finding himself about to be involved in his business, he made all over to lur — property, money and shares — a short time after, \\c died, leaving her in possession of all his wealth. Several gentlemen were going to see her at one time ; one of these gentlemen, was a Mr. B . They made proposals to her, not exactly' of matrimony, but. by them considered in the same holy light as lawful marriage; she flattered Mr. B for some time, ■ 4': IN HIGH LIFE. 161 making him believe she would take him for her lawful '''' jylaceyery'' but when the evening came on that he looked for the fulfillment of her promise, she deceived him, and took another. He went home and blew out his brains right in his father's house. Did these people treat her with contempt? No, they always treated her both before and after that as a lady, and the last time I was in New Orleans they were living beside each other, in good neighborhood and good fellowship, and she was seen daily going out to the grave-yard strewing flowers over his tomb. Such occurrences as these are frequent, I could neither find paper nor time to tell you half of such things as came under my notice. I will now tell you of a lady I know, who was raised in high life in New York. She married a gentleman from the South, a very elegant looking man, and she thought wealthy, supposing the wealth followed the looks — as the northern ladies generally think when a man comes from the South, who is fine looking, ele- gantly dressed, and so forth, he must be wealthy, but it is not so, for many come to the North to pick up a rich wife, that are depending on the wages of some poor old man or woman, and it may be, had their lands to mortgage to get the money for them to flour- ish on. I myself, went to the house this lady's hus- band brought her to, a few miles from Memphis, am! found it a log cabin; true she had a piano and som^ pieces of silver, and a great many costly things that were presented her on her leaving New York to go to her wealthy home. What a change for her from her three story brick on a fashionable street, to a little log cabin in the country, a few miles from Memphis ! 1G2 A hair-dresser's experience Gentlemen do not think they are deceiving ladies in acting so, as they know ladies are taking them for their good looks and elegant appearance, and of course they think themselves a prize ; and I know ladies who, on finding themselves so deceived, were ashamed to ac- knowledge it, and such often come to the North and boast of the riches and splendor of their southern liome. During the year 18 — , I was in New Orleans ; the season was as gay as any I had ever passed there ; all was bright and brilliant. The St. Charles was crowded with people from all parts of the country ; Madam Levert and Frederica Bremer were of the num- ber. Great preparations were making for Jenny Lind, who was then in Cuba ; among the rest was a gay married woman from Mississippi, whom I and numbers of others know to bo a gay and fashionable lady ; to my thinking she not only wore her crinoline but his pantaloons. She had at the hotel four children and several servants, and occupied two rooms, parlor and bedroom. She very seldom allowed the children to come in the parlor, but kept them with their nurse in the bedroom, unless on very particular occasions. One day, while the children and nurse were out walking, I was in her bedroom combing her hair, when there came a knock at the door, she said, come in, and, to my surprise, a gentleman walked in and took a seat. They immediately commenced a conver- sation in French, when he told her to take care, as maybe 1 understood French, but she said, no, she is from the upper country, and does not know anything we are saying. So I combed away, and heard all their conversation. Their plan was to go to a fancy store, IN HIGH LIFE. 163 on the corner of Royal and St. Lonis, a door opening on Royal and one on St. Louis. She was to go in at one door and a carriage was to be in waiting at tlie other, in which they were to drive to the Lake. The blinds were to be drawn, as if somebody was in it sick ; she then told him in French, he had better go, as it was near the hour her husband come to lunch with her. As soon as he left, I went and fastened the door, took my chair, and sat down right before her, and told her, word for word, what they had been saying, and told her never to treat any person with contempt before another because she was rich and highly educa- ted, for there were many simple looking people, and poor people, who understood more than those who were speaking of them. The lady became very much agitated, so much so that I feared she would faint, when I reassured her, by saying I would not expose her ; I told her the cir- cumstance I would mention, but never her name, as that should go to the grave with me ; she offered me money, but I told her money never would seal my lips, nor anything except kindness. I then told her of a gentleman from Lexington, who came to me and tried to bribe me to answer just one question about some circumstance that occurred in Kentucky, which would place a lady in his power, so he offered me a seventy- live dollar silk dress if I would only answer him. She asked me if I gave him an answer, I told her no, I never did, nor I never would. She told me it was only a joke, as she was only fooling the gentleman, and did not intend to meet him ; however, 1 had business at the St. Louis, and as it happened to be about the hour 164 A hair-dresser's EXrERIENCE I went there to comb that she had made the appoint- ment, I determined to see for myself, particularly as she had promised me she would not go. Shortly after I got there she came down the street, went in one door, purchased some little article, went out at the other door and into the carriage she went, I said no more to her, though I combed her for several weeks, as I had many such ladies, though their position was such no one would ever think of impeaching them. My associate hair-dresser had a lady who, she said, was very difficult and hard to please, so she gave her over to me and I gave her one of my ladies, both of us pretending the hours would not suit. I found lier very easy to get along with ; after combing her for some time I found there was something wrong between her husband and herself; she was from Pittsburg and he also; they had been coming there for numbers of years. She one day asked me if I could keep a secret. I told her most assuredly I could, but I could keep it better if it was not told me. She said she for some time had her eye on me, as she thought me a bold, independent woman, and she asked me if 1 would go with her that afternoon out walking. I agreed, and we went out. She took me into the French part of the city, where, after walking for several squares, we came to a little low, French built house, from appearance uninhabited, as it was all closed up, and looked as if no human being, but rats alone lived there. On going in the house she sat down and asked me if we had been seen coming there would I take the responsibility on myself. I told her that depended altogether on the nature of the case. Slie then told me the reason she had brought IN HIGH LIFE. 165 11)0 to this strange house. She had taken a letter out of her husband's pocket the night before, from a female, sa3ang she left the key with the hotel porter, and would meet him there, and if he could not come at that time not to come till the next day, as one of the other gentlemen would be there that day, so she got the key and determined to be there to meet her husband. I told her if I had known such was her object in coming I would not have come with her on any ac- count, as it might end badly, for assuredly her hus- band would not overlook meeting her in such a place, and I feared it would result in no good to her ; how- ever, after expostulating a long time with her I at length asked her to come to a fortune-teller's and have her fortune told and we could come back there again ; she readily consented to go. Before leaving, however, we concluded to look round the place, it was certainly as curious a house as I ever saw. The first room we went into was all lined, in place of papered ceiling and walls, with crimson oiled calico; there was a couch covered with the same, and also the chairs ; there was but one mirror in the room. The next room was lined in like manner with oiled calico, but instead of crimson it was blue ; the bed had a blue spread, and an elegant lace musquito bar; a wash-stand was in one corner with, everything on it belonging to a wash-stand, and in the other corner was a bureau, with everything on it a lady could re- quire, even to paint and powder. In the third room were bottles of good old wine, bottles of champaign, dry wine, old bourbon, and every kind of liquor that could be desired; on a table spread in the middle of the floor were two or three packs of cards, with 166 A hair-dresser's experience segars for both ladies and gentlemen ; and on the man- tlepiece were various novels. On examining some of these she declared most positively they were her books. While she sat down to look over them, panting for breath as if much agitated, I heard some one at the door trying to get in, I told her to keep quiet till I should go to the door ; when I opened it I found a well known old citizen of this city and a married lady, also well known, and moving in a very high circle, who was the mother of several children, I told the gentleman, in an under tone, not to come in as there was something wrong, but to meet me at the hotel in two hours and I would explain all things to him. He and the lady went away, looking very much excited. I went back and told her it was only a man inquiring for some family who had lived there, and that it was time for us to go. We got ready and started, I slipping under my arm the books she had been looking at. When we came to the fortune-tel- ler, I, having managed to get a moment's private con- versation with the latter, told her, among other things, to say to the lady she had been looking over some books and thought they belonged to her, but she would find hers at home when she went there. I told her also to speak well of the lady's husband. After staying there some time, I told the lady it was too late to go back to the house, so we started home. On the way there I pretended to have dropped the key and lost it, telling the lady to wait in the parlor while I went back to look for it ; I run up stairs to her room, and put the books under some papers. Return- ing again to the parlor, 1 handed her the key, and she \\ent up to her room; when she got there, she found IN HIGH LIFE. 167 the books there ; and as I met hor husband coming np stairs and told him enough to put him on his guard, he went up and told his wife of a letter he had lust out of his pocket, belonging to another gentleman of the same name that was in the house ; lie had got the letter and mysteriously lost it. The lady hearing this story, finding the books, and remembering what the fortune-teller had told her, at once became convinced she had been mistaken, and of course her husband, in her eyes, was exonerated from all blame. The next day, on going to my room, I found a very beautiful Cameo bracelet and ten gold dollars, together with a note of thanks for the shrewd and delicate way in which I had managed the little matter. Did this satisfy me? No, nor would anything else till I had given him a good lecture. I told him it was a good lesson for me as I never would be caught in a like manner again. I gave him such a talking to, 1 am sure he remembered some of my words to bis dying day. Some time passed away, and great preparations were making for the arrival of Jenny Lind. I was one day combing a lady in the fourth story, when I heard a great noise up in the fifth ; I ran out and asked what was wrong, when one of the servants told me there was a fire. I went back and told the lady they said there was a fire, but not to be alarmed, and told her to remain there while I went to see if there was any danger. I went up stairs and found they could not get at the fire as it was between the ceilings. The proprietor said there was no danger, and insisted there was no fire, but that a little smoke had got be- tween the ceilings. When the firemen came, they 14 168 A iiair-deessek's experience would not let them in, still maintaining there was no fire. In the meantime I had got two men, and had Madam L's baggage taken down although they still persisted in saying there was no danger. I had burs- ted open the door to have the baggage removed ; bv this time the flame had made its appearance, and every one was for himself. The news then reached Madam L., who, with Frederica Bremer, had gone to the da- guerrean gallery; they, with their servants, and some friends, then came home and took possession of their own baggage. 1 then went down to another room, where there was a gentleman and his wife sick, helped to dress them, took the lady in my arms, and carried her down to the parlor, and laid her on the sofa. The excitement that was in that house then, I sup- pose never was surpassed, since or before. Some losing all they had on earth, others destroying many things by the way in which they used them. Ladies who had gentleman friends there to assist in packing up, 1 am sure, on opening their parcels again, regretted the packing, as elegant brussels laces, fine bonnets, shoes, and everything were put together in a promis- cuous heap, in it may be a bed quilt, or some such thing. Those who had presence of mind to pack up their trunks, were ofiering porters five dollars to carry them over from the St. Charles to the Yerandah, which was only a few steps, but they could not get them to take the trunks for that. There were gentlemen shouldered trunks that day, I suppose never did such a thing before or ever will again, unless on a simi- lar occasion. 1 was a good deal amused at a young lady who was sitting in the parlor with her lover when the cry of IN HIGH LIFE, 169 fire was first raised ; she deliberately walked up stairs, got her bonnet and shawl on, and went over to the Verandah to secure a room ; she then went out to look at the house burning, as it was said to be the most beautiful and grand sight that was ever witnessed. She was asked if her baggage was saved, she said yes, when she had neither given up the key nor sent any one to look after her baggage, though it was very valuable ; it seemed as if she was so perfectly fascina- ted with her beaux, and so excited by the fire, she was perfectly sure she had her baggage secured, and so lost all her clothes and money too. Her uncle had been there with her, and had only left that morning. She did not know the contrary till evening, when she was to have her head dressed for dinner, for notwithstand- ing all the excitement of the fire, there were but a very few who did not want their heads dressed the same as usual. All those who were able, secured rooms at the Yeraridah or the neighboring hotels. It was amusing to see for weeks afterward, in all the hotels and boarding-houses such crowding together as there was. I could scarcely say which amused me most, to see the people running around, hunting up their friends, or to see them running into stores, on galleries, or the roofs of houses during the fire, to see the dome of the hotel fall. Many who were witnessing the burning of this grand floating palace, on their return, had no homes to go to, as their own had been burnt up. There were a number of houses burnt that day, and some churches. For my own part, I have no remembrance of ever making myself so generally useful as on that day, and was so worn out from ffoinj^ up and down stairs so re- 170 A hair-dresser's experience peatedl}'. that it was weeks before 1 felt myself well again. All the excitement of the fire was soon forgotten, and the gayety resumed ; and I had then to comb at the Verandah, and the St. Louis also. The first and st'cond time I went to the St. Louis, I found every thing pretty much like the St. Charles — every thing conducted with a great deal of order. It was but a short time till there was a fuss raised between tlie two sets of boarders — the St. Charles boarders thought themselves superior to those at the St. Louis, and the St. Louis boarders thought the St. Charles' presuming. While combing two ladies, from Bigbnry, who were in the habit of stopping at the St. Charles, I found tliem very angry, and, on inquiry, they said they owned hundreds of slaves, but would not sit at the table with negro-drivers and negro-traders. I said, "Neither would I, madam, sit at the table with any snch persons; even the Old Boy himself would not allow them a seat at his table; as I know well, neither in heaven nor on earth, nor yet in that unmentionable place, will soul-drivers or soul-traders ever have a comfortable place. She immediately exclaimed, "Oh, there is a necessity for such men, but I do not wish to associate with them." I told her I did not see any necessity for such people at all, as, if every man was honest, and earned his bread by the sweat of his brow — as you, madam, will see in your Bible — there would not be occasion for such terror at night, as there is no slave-holder, no matter how good he be, if he has any conscience at all, can go to bed at night with- out fear and terror." I felt my dignity more aroused at this moment than at any time during my seven IN HIGTI LIFE. 171 years' visit to the South. I asked lier if she had re- marked tliat society in the free States was purer and more moral than in the slave States. She said she did not see any difference; but I showed her a differ- ence by telling her " no man in a free State would dare keep his mistress in the same house, or a neighboring one, beside his wife; while in a slave State it was a common thing for a man to have his mistress in the same house with his wife. No matter how elegant or beautiful a woman his wife may be, he has a slave in the house as a second mistress. I do not say this from prejudice, but merely state what my eyes have seen ; from the minister down to the lower order of men, all keep their slaves." She observed, "Many have moved into our State recently from free States." I told her that when their hearts were black, and their deeds evil, they were glad to move into some place where they will be sustained in their deviltry. She then said she went North every summer, where she saw as many mulattoes as in the South. I said, "Just so, madam; those are children sent from the South to the North, as all our institutions are filled with gen- tlemen's children sent from the South. I spent my last winter in Oberlin, Ohio; between three and four hundred children were there — two-thirds of them being gentlemen's children from the South," I had now got so much excited I did not wish to continue the conversation, and told her I would see her again, when we could finish our subject, as I had staid past my time. 1 bade her good -by, and dashed down stairs, and on going down, I heard a great shout be- low me. I stopped on the stairs and looked down in the rotunda, and there was a slave-market. 172 A HAIR- dresser's experience On tlic stand was a young girl who, it appeared, had been born in New York, and had gone traveling with an unprincipled family, who had undertaken to sell her. The girl had the presence of mind, through the advice of many friends, to sutler herself to be sold, and, as the custom was to undress them to see if they were perfect or not, she allowed herself to be partially stripped, when, in aloud, shrill tone, she declared they should proceed no further. The man who bought her came up and told her she was his property now, and must do as she was bid ; and as they proceeded to use violence, she asked a friend who stood behind her for a pen-knife, and ripping open her corset, took out her free papers, and, holding them up, demanded who dare insult her, or use such violence any more! The rascal himself was not present, but the man in whose hands he had placed her, was immediately arrested and put under bail. I stood for some time watching this market. Sev- eral were put up and sold off to the highest bidder ; some seemed satisSed with their lot, and others, appa- rently, grieved to death. I then left, feeling more heavily burdened than ever in my life — vowing and declaring that 1 would never come another season to the South to earn the money that was made so hard by others. I finished my work that day. My ladies all noticed there was something the matter ; and when they asked me, 1 said, "Nothing, nothing;" feeling there was more the matter than either good feeling or conscience, in Louisiana, could relieve. I went home, and for several days played sick. Many ladies came to sec me; many again sent to know how I was, and what IN HIGH LIFE. 173 was the matter. I must say, while in Louisiana, I received not only good pay from ladies, but real kind- ness, and numerous invitations to visit the different plantations; and everywhere was kindly received, as cruelty to the slaves does not come under the observa- tion of the ladies' visitors. Did all this make me satisfied with the South ? No — it did not. A kind lady, thinking I was very sick, came and wished to take me on lier sugar .plantation until I should recover my health. I told her I felt very much obliged to her, but would not go, as I was not so sick, but only wounded. She tried to ascertain of me what I meant, and I told her I would'tell her before she left the city. The next day, on going to see the Misses M , I resumed my duties. The eldest asked me how I was, and hoped it was not our conversation had made me ill. I told her it was not. The youngest came up and said, "langy, you look nervous." I said, "Madam, I am not nervous, nor have I ever been ; do you think a poor working- woman could be nervous?" The eld- est replied, "Yes; we are all God's creatures, and liable to be nervous and sick in various ways." She then said, "Tangy, you are tired and worked to death; do come home with me and rest yourself, and see how we use our slaves." I thanked her warmly, and said I would, but I had promised to stop at Natchez and learn some ladies' maids to dress hair. We were in- terrupted by their father, and on their telling him I was sick, he insisted on my going home with them, and rang the bell and ordered a sherry cobbler for me. I thought how kind he was to me, and how many of his poor slaves might die before they would have one 17i A hair-dresser's experience soothing cup of tea made for them. He repeated his invitation to me, and said he would give me five hun- dred dollars a year to keep house for him and his daughters. I told him I would not take all he was worth in the world and keep house for him ; he asked me my reason, which I was glad to give him. I said I yet retained my reasoning faculties and good feeling, and if I was there I might lose them, as I have gen- erally seen, in slave States, all the people who came from free States, when they get slaves under them, lose all their better feelings. He gave in to me, and did not say anything more about my going as his housekeeper. I continued on combing the ladies but was now very anxious for them to leave so I could get away from this place, where I iiave seen people as white as white could be and as black as black could get, put up and sold in this elegant hotel. On my going in I always went by the private door, and tried to come out in the same private manner, but it seemed, in spite of my feelings, some loadstone or electricity always drew me to the rotunda, where I daily saw people, both young and old, bought and sold. I have often wondered to myself how men can speak so much on the glorious cause of freedom and speak of this as the land of lib- erty, while they are daily and hourly trafficking in human beings, not only that but getting others from foreign lands to come here, which does very well in free states, but in slave states those poor laboring men are looked down on, even by the slaves themselves, with contempt, and when the least thing occurs, you will always hear them call them poor white folks. Do you think the slaves think themselves the inferior IN HIGH LIB^E. 175 class ? no, they do not, for I have seen them in a cotton patch or tobacco field, and if anything went wrong the worst word of contempt they could have is, " too good for poor white people." I do not blame them, as mean masters always try to employ the most de- graded men they can get, without either feeling or prin- ciple, or some old pet slave who has been badly treated himself, and will do anything to curry favor, as an overseer. I saw, a few days ago, a notice in the papers, bur- lesquing the American officers for dancing with the Ilaytian natives, because the}' were black. Have I not seen as fine gentlemen as can be found in North, South, East or West, dance with ladies from snow white to jet black, and think nothing of it ? I will now tell you of a colored person who visits this State, whose husband lives in Mississippi, and they figure largely at the North, and when this person en- ters a store in Natchez or New Orleans, every clerk rushes to wait on her, on account of the influence of the man she lives with. She has two accomplished daughters, whom she occasionally brings to spend the summer in our State, and spends the winter down South. Her cruelty to her slaves was such, although once a slave herself, she was not permitted to stay iu Natchez and she had to make her head-quarters in New Orleans. She was so crnel to her servants that they undertook to burn her alive by setting fire to the room below the one she slept in ; she had just time to jump on the balcony to save her life, and although she tried to make her escape, she was arrested, and was not so fortunate as one of her head servants, who, du- ring her absence, collected all the rents, and taking all 15 176 A hair-dresser's experience the clothes slie could lay her hands on, passed through the city, and made for Canada. 1 knew a gentleman who was cashier to one of the largest banks in New Orleans who married a colored woman. He got a physician to transfer some of her blood into his veins and then went to the court and swore he had colored blood in him. A gentleman of high position from Pennsylvania, having gone down South bought him a housekeeper ; as soon as she became the mistress of the house, she became hard to please. One morning she went in the kitchen to com- mand the cook, who answered her impudently ; the lady flew to the gentleman, who gave her a note for the woman to take to the calaboose, saying, give the bearer thirty-nine lashes. The mistress, afraid the servant would not get the lashes, took the note herself; after reading it the ofiicers took hold of her and cut her back ahnost to pieces; she, running home furious, showed the gentleman her back, he flew to the cala- boose with pistol and bowie knife, but for fear of being arrested, did not use tliem. During m}^ visits to New Orleans every winter, I saw many amusing and afiecting scenes, one of which was the following: A servant went to New Orleans as nurse, a gentleman of high standing married hei-, he bought two slaves, one of whom was a very old woman, and, as every bond woman does, she treated this "Id woman ver}^ severely, made her get up at four o'clock and work about the house, and then do a day's work ; if she did not bring her day's earning every evi-ning, let iier get it or not, although she was a wo- man of titty years of age, she was severely punislu'd. The old woman went to a colored woman to get IN HIGH LIFE. 177 work, and as it is not the custom for free people to give work to slaves, she told her she had no work ; one day she went again to this free colored woman, and find- ing no person at home, she sat in a corner and cried ; when the woman came in she asked her what was the matter ; she told her if she did not bring home the money she would be whipped. The woman questioned her closely about who she belonged to, who she knew in Virginia, and how many children she had, and then asked her what marks her children had, and all about herself. She found tiiis poor old woman was iier own motlier, whom she had not seen for thirty- five years. She flew to embrace her when tlie poor mother cried and screamed for joy until she gath- ered the people round her for squares. It was just the hour when business men went to their business, but not many of them went to business that day, for I never saw men in my life show such sympatli}^ and feeling as they did on that occasion ; every gentleman was eager to purchase and liberate her if the daughter had not been able to have done so ; notwithsta'hding the woman was well off and able to purchase her mother, fives, tens, and twenties were given to the poor old woman to the amount, almost, of the sura required. The gentleman, seeing the sympathies of the people, asked a moderate price for her, but the lady, whose anger was aroused, would not give her up on any reasonable terms ; but at lengtii she was compelled to take for her a moderate price, or nothing, as there was so much excitement going on. Just at that time a few children were coming by from market, and they ran up to her, with five and ten cent pieces, saying, 178 A hair-dresser's experience here, Annty, this will help to buy you, making the scene more afi'ecting. People congregate at the St. Charles from all the different parts of the United States, and during the season many come from the different countries of Europe. I have known ladies to be six months pre- paring, and no expense or pains spared, when coming to this place. They are more particular at this hotel than any I know of in the Western or Southern count- ries ; for instance, every two weeks they have a soiree, to which the ladies are entitled to five tickets, and can invite any gentleman they wisii ; even the gentlemen that boai'd there are not invited, unless there are ladies who are acquainted with them. The more gentlemen a lady knows tiie greater belle siie is. I have seen seven or eight hundred people there at one time, all of whom came to enjoy themselves, and well they suc- ceeded. One afternoon and evening, I i)ad to dress twenty-five heads ; and indeed, it was very amusing to hear the different places they were going to ; some going to the St. Charles Theater, some to French Opera, some to Placide's Theater, some to soirees, some to public balls and some to private ones. One week I thought I would see how^ many queer things would come under my notice ; in the first |)lace there was a charming couple from Boston, passing as brother and sister, but when it was found tliey were not related, tiiey were quietly asked "out." Next day the lady wished me to comb her, and be with her as much as I could, although she seemed to be in great distress. Every day siie, together with a gentleman, would take a carriage and leave the hotel for a drive. For a day or two, she seemed more and more troubled IN HIGH LIFE. 179 and would pace the floor and wring her hands in the greatest distress ; once, on entering her room, I found her in deep thought, and, not noticing me, she looked up to heaven and said, "Uh, if I should fail," three or four times. Tiiat afternoon she got me to help her on with a double set of clothing, and, taking a bonnet under her shawl, she went away at her usual time. The next morning there was a great stir about a lady from the St. Charles, who had brought a set of clothing and put on her husband, who was in prison, and botli made their escape. I learned they were from Baton Rouge; the report was that he had forged a bill. In a day or two came ofi' one of the grand soirees, and it happened that an actress got an invitation, through the intimacy of a lady's husband. This raised a general row — some saying she ought not to be there, and some again saying she should be — the gentlemen taking a decided stand, and saying whoever tiie ladies, who are regular boarders, invited, should be admit- ted. The next day, trying to make my way through the ladies' private door, I was interrupted by the door-tender, who told me hair-dressers were not al- lowed to pass through that door, that they must go through the public door; 1 turned in and gave the boy a good shaking, and went my way, much to the amuse- ment of the ladies and the mortification of the man ; there were several ladies of our Queen City tiiere to enjoy the sport. I went in a room where there was a lady who had recently come from France, and found her perfectly furious — nearly foaming with rage and anger; she told me there was a lady who slandered her. It so happened that a cei'tain lady in the op})osite hotel saw a gentleman in this lady's room, and she 180 A nAIK-DRESSER's EXrERIENCE saw the lady dressed in her morning wrapper, which she mistook tor a night gown ; she came over and told a lady in the hotel of the circumstance. This lady was catholic and of Irish descent, and kept the money of both males and females of the diflerent servants, and this was the reason given for the appearance of tlie gentleman in the room; this raised a general stir. The lady the report was raised against was a grass widow and a very smart woman, and she plead her own case, so that nothing could be proved ; then she got several lawyers and commenced a suit for her character; the lady who made the accusation was an officer's wife and the officer had to sign a libel or pay heavily. I told my associate hair-dresser that I had promised to notice for a week or so, and 1 noticed what had happened for two or three weeks, and 1 was perfectly tired out, as there was nothing but quarreling and fussing, more than I ever noticed in the hotel before. That season passed away and I returned to the city. Tiiere had been many cases of 3'ellow fever in the hotel, but it was thoroughly purified and was filling up with visitors, amongst them was the family of Zachary Taylor; it was during the tiial of Gen. Taylor in Mex- ico, and great excitement prevailed all over the Union. While every one in the hotel was worried and troubled, the family did not at all look alarmed, and a gentle- man one day asked Gen. Taylor's daughter whether she did not feel worried about her father, she said, "Oh, no. Pa means and does what is right, and God will protect him." His daughters and neices i-eigned belles for weeks. Quiet was restored, no more quar- reling or fussing, and 1 never in all the days of my IN man life. 181 life, saw so many matclies made, fur truly, it was the t!;reatest market that had been seen in many seasons. The lirst thing asked when alady came there was, '' are there any rich planters or other rich men here," if there are the next saying is, "make me pretty." 1 will tell you of a circumstance that occurred at this time. Tliere was a young lady and her aunt, who got ac- quainted with a middle aged num who dressed very eleuantly, went every night to the Tlieater and Opera, and was called a very rich man ; he, however, was but an overseer of the plantation and property of a gentle- man who was at that time in France. The young lady and her aunt went to work to win the gentleman, thiidving it was a good match, and the gentleman striving to win the young lady, because he thought it would be very agreeable to have the aunt's money, as she was rich ; he took tliem to what he called his planta- tion, and both aunt and niece thought it a very good market. Tlie young lady came to me and said, " Oh, langy, I am engaged to be married, and I want you to devote your time to me for two or three weeks." I told here not to be too fast, as all is not gold that glit- ters, for I knew the gentleman was not what he seemed to be, but as her mind was made up it was not for me to say more. I myself s])ent some two hundred dollars buying little things, to say nothing of the aunt spending fifteen hundred dollars for the wedding. They were married, and he took her to the plantation and she enjoyed wealth to her satisfaction for some time: when the real owner of the plantation came home, he had married and brought his bride with him to settle up his afl'airs. The overseer's wife was very 182 A hair-dresser's experience indignant at tho privileges the gentleman and liis bride took, thinking all was hers ; but her husband said, never mind, she might make a short visit to her aunt till they would leave. When she got there she found her aunt was also engaiijed, and she s-ot married during; her stay. Tlie aunt's husband got tired of the niece's long visit — so she left and returned home; wlien she got there she found that the plantation was sold, and her husband was overseer of a neighboring plantation, when she, in a rage, kicked up a row, and went back to her aunt's. So this young lady lost her husband, and all his supposed riches, by her duplicity. There is no true knowledge to be had of the wealth of the South; for, on some of the plantations on the coast they live very sparing — indeed, some of the slaves have no hats on, and others are scarcely hall'clad, and that of the coarse stufi' that goods are packed in. Such families as these make the greatest show at the opera-house, in winter, in New Orleans, while, during the spring and summer, they barely have enough to sustain nature in themselves and slaves. Their slaves have nothing provided for them to either eat, drink or wear; they work hard all the day, and at night they plunder what they can from some of the rich planta- tions. If they are not caught, they are smart ; and if they are, they are punished. On every New Year they have to sell a servant to support the balance the rest of the year. While combing one of my ladies, she said, "Oh, langy, papa is going to buy a housekeeper to-day — there is one to be sold down stairs in the rotunda, and he is going to buy her. I hurried through my work to get my usual stand !■■■■■■■■— ^M IN HIGH LIFE. 183 to observe how matters got ulong with this gentleman, who said he was so good to his slaves. There was a very fine, bright mulatto put up to the highest bidder; this gentleman bid for her, but there was another bid against him, and thej put the girl up to one thousand dollars. The girl then declared this man need not bid any higher, as she would never serve him; but he said he was determined to have her, and made some threats what he would do. She said she did not like his looks, and that she had been raised by a lady, and al- ways led a virtuous life; and, as there was an under- standing between her owner and the seller, that she should not be sold to any one she did not like, the sale was put off till the next day. On the father of these young ladies going up to them, they said, from what they had heard of the wo- man, they wished him to buy her, even should he pay twelve hundred for her. The next day the girl was sent up for the young ladies to see. On talking to her a little, they liked her so well they told their father to buy her should it take two thousand; how- ever, he got her for twelve liundred. She was very much pleased with her young mistresses and master, bundled up with a good grace, and went with them. I did not see her again for some four years, when one day, as I was combing some ladies in the Burnet House, in this city, 1 heard her voice, and knew it. On going out in the hall I found her there, with a friend of her master, who had sent her up here to be emancipated. 1 asked ber how she got along, and how she liked the 3'oung ladies ; she was warm in praise of tliein, and said she iiad the first cross word to hear from any 184 A nAIR-DRESSEK''s EXPERIENCE one of them. These young ladies were cousins to a lady who married a trader in Nashville, Tenn. They often used to ask me about this lady, and I frequently remarked that it was a wonder to rae how a refined lady, as she seemed to be, could marry sucii a de- graded trader. I was not then aware that they were connections. This lady and her sister visited the St. Charles nearly every season, literally loaded with diamonds. All the fortune-hunters ran after her, as her husband, when he died, left her some millions of dollars; and these seekers-of-wealth cared but litttle how the money was made, though there were many ladies there who would not associate with her owing to her lowering herself by marrying such a man. I have known him bring, from Nashville and Virginia, the largest droves of slaves that were brought into the nuirket ; he has often taken a fine child from a poor-looking woman, and given it to a fine-looking woman, who had a deli- cate child of her own, to sell together, and given her little one to the other. Again, he would make a wo- num marry a man, let her like him or not, should a gcntlenuin couje along who wished to have a man and wife. Anything to make money. As the weather was getting warm, and the ladies leaving very fast, I determined, what I had not seen in past years, I would see now; so I went to the high- est circles, then to the lowest; to the free people, and to slave people ; and every-where it was proper for a woman to go. I could not but notice, in some of the wealthy families, where there were but three or four in a faniil}', and five or six servants, these were well treated; again, in other places, where there IN HIGH LIFE. 185 were nine or ten in a fiimily, and but one or two servants to do the work for the whole, those poor crea- tures had to get up at four o'clock in the morning, and not see bed again, probably, till one or two the next morning. These poor creatures are worked to death, and, when worn out and good for nothing, all at once a charita- ble feeling rises up in the master's breast, and he gives them free papers, puts them on the cars, and sends them ofl" to Cincinnati. This I can testify to, as I have one in my house now, in her fifty second year, perfectly helpless, atiiicted with rheumatism, and not able to more than limp around. From her appear- ance, she has been a hard-working and faithful servant. Her master one day took a charitable no- tion, came home and asked her if she would not like to go to Cincinnati. She told him she would go any place to get her freedom. He started the poor old soul off, with fifteen dollars in her pocket, to a strange place, where she knew no one. Had she not fallen in with friends, she might have been sent to jail, or the pest-house, where there are several at this time from the South and other slave States, who have been very charitably dealt with, and given their freedom. This poor old creature was knocked about from post to \)\\- lar, till at length I stumbled over her, and she is with me now. Her master is a captain on one of the nK»st elegant steamers that float on the Southern waters. I sometimes think it strange how so many of these creatures fall into my hands; but 1 can tell you how one woman and child, from New Orleans, fell into my hands, and I was very glad to let her fall out. There was a gentleman, from New Orleans, at Sara- 18G A IIAIR-DRESSER's EXrKRIENCE toii;a. From his appearance and conversation, and that of his hidy, I thought them New England people; his name was W . They begun a conversation with me on slavery, which is, with me, a very excit- ing topic, and 1 would much rather hold a conversa- tion on any other subject; but, being dragged into it, 1 did not fail to express my opinion. He showed how well some slaves were treated, and I showed how badly others are treated. I told him there was one blasting thing to slavery — how a man good to his slaves may die, and the slaves fall into the hands of very cruel masters, and can not help themselves ; their situation is a great deal worse than those that have had bad masters, and fall into the hands of good ones, lie then said slaves could not take care of themselves. I replied, they could if they had a chance: as a good slave would make a good citizen, and a bad slave a bad one; but give them a chance. He said he had a woman he would gladly give her freedom, if she could do anything for herself to make a living. I told him if she was a respectable woman I would give her a trade. His wife then spoke up, and said the woman was whiter than herself, and was very smart. 1 told them to send her to me. Some eigiiteen months passed away, and I got a letter, saying they would send the girl and her child, though, in the first place, they had not said anything about a child. She came, and with her a child some three years old ; and no one would' think there was one drop of African blood in either of their veins. Tlie woman had evidently been badly raised, as she was very profane in her speech, and tiiey must have been glad to get rid of her on account of her temper. IN HIGH LIFE. 187 She stayed with me a few weeks, and my husband would not allow me to have her about the house any longer. I took her child and put it in the Orphan Asylum, and got her a good situation in a family where she would be well taken care of; but her language and conversation were such they would not have her about the house. It was now easy to be seen why her for- mer owners wished to get rid of her — she was so white they could not sell her, and her language was so bad they could not keep her; so they determined to impose her on our so-called picayune State. These are the kind usually emancipated, either those who are too bad to keep, or too old to be made any longer useful. Now while running around, it was my privilege to comb a young Creole lady, who was married to a French gentleman, raised in Paris, but who owned several slaves in New Orleans. After she was mar- ried she went up on her mother's plantation with seve- ral of his servants ; after being there a little while, they sent for me to come up and make them a visit; not having much to do at that time, I went for a few days. On my going there, I was very well treated by every one, and they showed me everything to be seen, but tried to confine my attention to the cottages and scenes just around the house, and did not seem to wisli me to go out to see into the quarters. But as the family rose very late, 1 went out every morning to see ti)e slaves at breakfast in the quarters, and to my astonishment, 1 did not see any of them have anything for the whole week but a pint cup of buttermilk and a slice of bread, 188 A II AIR- dresser's experience those who could not take buttermilk, had a cup of coltee, inade of browned corn, sweetened with molas- ses. 1 never saw meat of an}^ kind given them while 1 was there. One morning I w^as in the Orange grove, sitting (•lose l)v the piazza, the young groom was on the piazza reading a paper; he suddenly laid his paper down, and said to his wife, "Annette what can be the matter with Julee, she looks very bad, she was quite fat when 1 brought her here, now she looks as if she was very sick." She said she did not know, but she would call her and ask. She did so, and Julee told her siie had been there some two months, and had not tasted meat but twice in that time, and you know master, said Julee, I had been accustomed to have meat three times a day. He laid down his paper, and commenced, in his broken language, to scold; when his wife said, "Pierre, my dear, do you not know the Creoles do not give their servants as much to eat, or the same kind of meat as the Americans do, as we think they work the better not to be over-fed." He replied, "Zounds, madam, how can a man or woman work and not eat?" She said there were, sometimes, years during which their servants had nothing but milk, unless they nn'ght catch some wild game fur themselves. He then said, to-morrow morning I shall send my servants home, which he did. I ran around a few days longer till they went into the city and took me home. I had been home but a day when there was a very wealthy Creole gave a soiree, and as I was favored with an invitation, I went just to see how the ati'air would be conducted. On entering I was met by the hostess, who was a tall, fine looking IN HIGH LIFE. 189 woman, ^vho loolccd as though she might be white, bnt a little sunburnt. She was dressed in white silk, with a head-dress of crimson, a full set of coral. Her fatiier was a pure white Creole, her mother a colored Creole, a brown skinned woman ; she was di'essed in black silk, with a full set of white lawn. The hostess' son was a very handsome man. Did he take j^ai't in the soiree? No, he did not, nor did any colored man take any yavt in the jiroceedings, unless in the capacity of a servant. IJe kejjt his own room, or once or twice was seen moving about the house, but having nothing to do with the affairs of the house, as it is a strange fact among these mixed Creoles, that the boys are never taken notice of in public. About eleven o'clock the rooms were crowded. I never saw in any assembly north, east, or south, or even abroad, unless it might l)e among the nobility, a set of people more elegantly and tastefully dressed. At half past eleven, in walked a most beautiful brown skinned woman, elegantly dressed in pink brocade, and a full set of diamonds ; she was led in by the Spanish ambassador. Slie looked to me more like an African princess than a Louisiana creole. You might ask, was there no one there but Creoles ? Yes, there were people from all parts of the country, when it became known a creole soiree was to come off, as there was generally a great collection of Creole beauty there. The gentlemen from all parts sought for invitations. I myself, saw a cler- gyman from New York there, together with a hundred or a hundred and fifty others, and did not see one there without his white kid gloves, and white vest. It might puzzle my reader to know wdiat class of peo- ple these Creoles are. Are they marrying people or 190 A iiaik-driosser's experience 'not? They call it marriage, but I do not. These young girls are brought up as particularly as any children in the world ; they have the very best educa- tion that can be given tiiem, are taught music, danc- ing and every branch of education necessary to the ac- complishment of a lady. They are never permitted to walk out to church or school, or any other place, without a servant after them. When they are mar- riageable, they are courted by the gentlemen the same as any other ladies, till it comes to the ceremony, then tliere is a large party assembled, and the young girl is given away by her father or mother, or botii ; this is cixW^id j)lacayed I it is the same in their eyes as mar- riage, but no license is required. Sometimes they live together till they raise generations, then again, others are like some of the license marriages, they stay till they get tired, and then go, some one way, some an- other. There came to this soiree a gentleman who had been placayed fur thirty-five or forty years, and had been judge in different states. He has, during that time, stuck to his integrity, and lives very elegantly. You might go through his house and see everything in it more elegant than another, and could not tell who his wife was, or what she was, unless you might discover a little tinge in her complexion. One of the Creole ladies 1 met at the soiree, I after- ward found to be one of the most cruel women I had ever seen or heard tell of. 1 told her I did wish I had her up in our state a little while, when she would wish she never had owned a slave, or never seen one. 1 got so outrageously angry at her proceedings, that I got a petition drawn up by an old citizen, and signed IN HIGH LIFE. 191 by a goodly number of tlie most influential citizens, which I determined, myself, to present to Congress, to prevent the colored people from owning slaves un- less through some change in law. As there are so many changes going on now, the whites hhould also own each other ; then let the colored people have their slaves if they choose to, I have even known slaves to own slaves before now, and treat them very cruelly. I now started for Natchez, where I told you before I was to teach some ladies' maids hair-dressing during my stay there. I had souie papers, among tliem this petition, put away in a box in my trunk, with some pieces of jewelry, that I valued very highly. One day being hurried, I forgot my keys, and left them in my trunk, when the papers were taken out. I always ac- cused a governess of taking them as the servants could not read, and I know the ladies of the family were above anything of the kind. I was in the house for several weeks, and saw the slaves there were well treated, not only the house servants, but those in the quarters. On one occasion an overseer misused a slave, and Dr. J. turned him off without a moment's notice. This worthy gentleman even kept pastors to suit his slaves; if they did not like their pastors they were changed. On account of his kind treatment of them, they seemed delighted to work for him. When he wanted to speak to any of them he did not speak as if to dogs, but remembered they were human creatures, and that he would have to give account for the man- ner in which he treated them. He also had his modes of punishment — he had his own jail, and was his own judge. During my stay there, I went round a good 16 102 A iiair-dresser's experience deal to the neighboring plantations and looked around. The next plantation where I was, all was different, the slaves badly treated, half clothed, half fed, and misused in every way, and said to be great thieves. On one occasion I addressed one old woman, by saying Aunty why do you steal ? do you not know it is sinful to steal? Her reply to me was, I don't steal — does not the Scriptures say reap where you have sown, and I have worked here and got nothing for my work. 1 take nothing but what I want to eat or drink, and hardly enough even of that. I left the old lady, very glad to get off without further question. I was glad to leave that plantation, for after seeing the kindness of Dr. J. to his people, the cruelty there was more than I could bear. 1 then got entrance into a gentle- man's plantation who was very peculiar. lie would neither let his slaves visit nor receive visits, nor would he ever receive strangers if he could help himself; lie was a very severe master. I will give you one instance of his severity in a free State, so you may judge what it may be at home. One season at Saratoga, he had with him a slave as a body servant; all at the the springs said he was a much finer looking man than his master. In the morning about eight o'clock, the newspapers arrive, and tiie news boys run around with them as soon as they can get them. This gentleman was sitting on the gallery, and sent his slave for a pa- per ; in the meantime, one of these little boys came along and the gentleman bought the paper himself; on the servant couiing in with the paper, his master cursed him for his tardiness, was very angry, and swearing at him, commanded him to go and bring him back his IN ITIGn LIFE. 193 money. The poor slave not having a cent in his pocket, some gentleman in an upper gallery hearing the whole conversation, and feeling both indignant and sorry, went down and gave the man the mighty sum of ten cents, which he gave his master. The gentle- men then consulted together, and thought so brutal a master should not take this man out of a free State, so the next morning, he with plenty of money in his pocket, was safely under the banner of Great Britain, and this was not done by abolitionists, but by friends of the master himself. 1 visited many places and was well treated, and saw slaves apparently well treated too, but that does not say they are all well treated, for there is a plantation in lower Mississippi, kept by some two or three planters, so that the slaves who in any way disol)lige their master or mistress, could be sent to this ])lace to be punished. It must be an awful place, for the slaves in general, would prefer going to perdition itself, to being sent there. After my seeing all the plantations, and going round as much as I wanted to, I thought I would now stay in the city of Natchez, where they sent for me every day. 1 would drive out and drive in. My visit to the plantations taught me many things, and amongst the rest to manage horses. One of the servants 1 taught hair-dressing to, in the city, belonged to Mrs. Colonel E.. anook of Queens. One of these pictures she told me was her sister, and another her aunt; while, a day or two befure, I had heard her tell some ladies tliat they were titled ladies, with whom she was very intimate. IN HIGH LIFE. 217 When she showed them to me I smiled, as though 1 thought all she was saying was really true. So, af- ter I had dressed her, and was starting out, she asked me to take a glass of wine. I told her I did not drink wine ; and seeing two bottles on the mantlepiece, la- beled " poison," I told her I did not like to take poi- son. She said she only put that there to keep the servants out. She went to the ball in full dress, and was the lioness of the evening. A short time passed, when she and her lover had a quarrel, which was kept up for some time ; several of the ladies tried to have it settled, and it was fortunate for him they did not succeed. She got in her pos- session the daguerreotype of an orator, which all at once turned up missing; either the orator had taken it away, or got some of the maids to do it for him; however, it was gone. She asked me to go to the gallery where it was taken, and have one taken from a picture that was there, as 1 was acquainted in the gallery, and give it to her. 1 refused, as I had no use for the gentleman's picture — she said no more, al- though she seemed displeased at my refusal. Soon after this she was discharged from the family by whom she had been employed as governess. A gentleman and lady were boarding in the house with whom she became very intimate, rather more so with tiie gentleman than the lady. She staid there a great while as the companion of the lady. There was a lady going to Europe for two or three years, and the governess persuaded them to rent her house and go to housekeeping. They did as she requested, and she went with them. She dressed as the lady's twin sis- ter instead of a governess. 218 A iiair-iiresser's eperience It was not long before she caused the wife a great deal of uniiappiness, and the wife's mother also said she did not like such familiarity, consequently they broke up housekeeping and the mother and daughter went to New York. The governess, having left Cincinnati, went to a Southern city, and stopped at one of the fashionable hotels there, where the lady's husband and a partner had business to transact. She undertook to cut her cards, and cut them well for awhile, acting the great lady, and reigning and domineeritig over everybody that was there, till at length one night one of the gentlemen got tight, and going to her room she would not let him in, when he deliberately broke open the door. This aroused the dignity of the proprietor, and the next day she was put out, A lady not long since, told me she had seen a letter from her saying she was in want of means, and was then seated by her cradle. After these things happened, I went to the lady with whom I had the conversation, and asked her if she wanted me to give her the five years hair-dressing. She said no, but she would pay me anything for the rude manner in which she had spoken to me ; " But I should like to know, langy, who the other humbug is you spoke about ?" I said I would not tell her just then, for there was a set of ladies who could be taken in easily by diamonds and titles, and when these hum bugs come if they did not find them out they would blame me, and if they did find them out they would know I was right, so I would not speak, but let tliem get bit to their lieart's content. After they came, I might speak, but there were several ladies in the house IN HIGH LIFE. 219 knew these circumstances as well as I did, and had determined not to say anything till they would see how long thoy would run. There now came a countess to the city. I will tell you how I came to know her, but not the particu- lars just yet. I saw her in Washington City, when she first came from Europe, while I was there with Minnie ; I did not see her again for several years, till I met her in Cincinnati, when she came direct to my house. I do not know how she found my number or house, but she did find them out, and left a note for me to go to the Spencer House and comb her. 1 did not then know who she was, nor did I wish to go so far to comb anyhow, and 1 did not go. Then three messages came after me to go and comb the great countess. It seemed that the proprietor and all in the house were ready to run at her command, on ac- count of her being such a great lady. On my way going down I stopped in the store of one of our most fashionable milliners, who showed me a bonnet she was making for the great countess at the Spencer House, and told me of the very expensive lace she had ordered for it. I told her I was on my way to comb the same lady as she had sent for me ever so often. On my arrival at the Spencer House, being shown to her room, I at once recognized her as the lady I seen in Washington City. It was with great difficulty I suppressed my surprise. When I saw her in Wash- ington City she was accompanied by her husband, who had recently returned from Europe. She received a great deal of attention in Washington on her hus- band's account. She went on home every once and 220 A iiair-dkksskk's experience awhile, and I would hear of her conduct but did notsee her ladyship again until I met her at the Spencer House. When I found who she was I told her I was in a great hurry and had to go. She told ine she wanted a maid, and wished rae to send one to her ; she did not want her to stop in the hotel during the night but merely to attend on her during the day. I told her she would not get any nice person to goto her at eight in the morning and stop as long at night as she might require her. Her reply was, if she Mas in Kentucky she would make her slaves do so for her. I told her there was no making in this country. She did not know 1 recognized her at all, and I was anxious to let her know I did recognize her. I said to her, " Madam, did you not leave France at such a time and on such a steamer ?" She gave me a very tierce look and attempted to deny it. I said, " Excuse me, madam, Ithoughtyou were the lady ; she was a great countess." She bright- ened up at that and said : " Yes, it was I, I am a cOunt- ess." I promised to go to comb for her but I did not. They staid there a little while and then she and the count left and went to Kentucky. In a short time they returned and put up at the Burnet House, he in the meantime, had changed his title from count to colonel ; so they put up at the Burnet House as countess and cousin. I met her one day on the stairs, she looked perfect daggers at me. On coming to the Burnet House she inquired who was their hair-dresser ? They said, langy ; she wished me to be sent to her room. Seve- ral of the ladies told me, but 1 would not go, as I had no desire to comb the countess, and would pretend 1 IN HIGH LIFE. 221 was engaged, when she at length applied to another hair-dresser who was in the house, and she had the glory and honor of combing a countess. The ladies were perfectly infatuated with the count- ess, and in love with the colonel. There were one or two ladies there who knew the countess and her cir- cumstances, and of a morning on my going to comb them I could scarcely get through my work for laughing. This colonel worked well in his own way ; he had letters to some of our fine families, and they went round with him and innocently imposed him on some of our first families, where the colonel was asked to a musical soiree, together with his cousin the countess, and to many other little entertainments, on account of his being so great a colonel and his standing so near the emperor at the christening of his son. He had promised many ladies if they would visit France he would present them to the emperor. There was a lady in the hotel who had seen this countess in France, where she had called on her, for if the countess ever heard of an American being in Paris, she always called on them, presuming on her husband's name; and of course, persons in foreign lands will speak to people and treat them with respect they would not look for at home. This lady treated tlie countess with great respect and introduced her and also the colonel, to all the ladies at the hotel. Every two or three evenings the colonel was sport- ing a new suit of regimentals. He could have played a good card with the set of ladies he was among, had the countess not beed so well known amongst the class he desired so much to play on ; many of them 222 A hatr-dkesser's experience knowing her former husband's friends feared her like a tigress. She threatened several times to slap their faces, till they were actually afraid to meet her on the streets. If they saw her coming, they would dart down another street, and they would not visit the hotel while she was there, even to see their best friends. The sisters of her former husband were afraid to walk on the street, while she was in the city. This went on for several weeks, till at length the col- onel was taken sick, when the ladies were running, one with a basin of water to wash his face, another with a bottle of cologne to cool his brow, some one thing, and some another; one with a little tea-pot of tea,, made by her own hands, and of course the colonel could not refuse to take that. Tlie countess was very kind to him, but getting tired of so many ladies wait- ing on him, she had him removed to her own room, This opened the eyes of the ladies, and they now saw what was going on. In the meantime, some one must have sent a dis- patch to lier second husband, telling him of these things, for he very unexpectedly arrived, and took her away with him. The colonel, I heard, went to a lady's where he had a severe attack of varioloid. Shortly after, he left and went to New York, where in in a short time, he was joined by the countess. There was in the hotel a very rich lady, that the colonel, while there, tried to court with the assistance of the countess. This lady was a widow, and had nearly half a million of dollars. The countess went to work to get some of her money, and for that pur- pose got up a raffle to impose some of her old jew- IN HIGH LIFE, 223 elry on this rich lady, and others in the house. She said it was for charity, as there were numerous poor, destitute families in her neighborhood, whom she wished to relieve. She got some twenty dollars out of this widow, and some two or three each, from the other ladies and gentlemen. This occurrence took place before the colonel's illness. The following sum- mer this widow met the colonel in New York, and received a great deal of attention from him, she intro- ducing him to a great many of her friends as a great French colonel, and very wealthy. 1 was at Saratoga that season. There was a lady came there from New York, and who said to me: " Oh ! langy, I am going on to France this winter with a friend of mine, who is going to be married to a French colonel who stood beside the emperor at the christening of his son. He is going to present us to the emperor and empress, and give us an introduc- tion at the palace." I said, "Oh, very likely, all red breeches are not royal ; so I stood up with the queen of England, at the christening of the Prince of Wales, but it was outside the palace, leaning against the walls, to hear the beautiful music inside." This colonel, at last, became a great bore to the widow, so much so that she became disgusted, and re- turned to Cincinnati. After a little while she received a letter from the colonel, asking her for a loan of a thousand dollars. She wrote him she would not send it. He wrote again, demanding it, and threatening in case of a refusal, he would try to make it appear she was engaged to liim. She consulted an eminent lawyer, and finding he could not do anj'thing, wrote him a decided refusal, positively declaring she would 19 224 A hair-dresser's experience hear no more from him. So he found, though he professed to be such a royal Frenchman, he could neither coax, persuade nor compel the money out of our Americau ladies' hands. One winter morning 1 noticed every countenance and dress I met on my walk — lirst was a man with his black beard whitening with the frost, muttering to himself; he looked as though he or some of his friends had been unfortunate. Then came another with such a smile on his face, looking as pleasant as thouiih he had some hot buckwheat cakes and nice rolls for breakfast, and had been spoken kindly to by both wife and children ; next I met two spriglitly young men, well known, who had at least taken a few hours to make their toilet, when one slipped down, and the other leaned against the house to laugh. Going on a little further, I met a gentleman coming along in such deep thought he ran against a lady and looked so surprised he did not know whether to say, excuse me madam, or what did you do that for, madam. After going my rounds that morning, I had to comb for a party. I went to the house of the gentleman who looked so sad, and told his wife I had met her lord that morning, and he looked as if his coffee was muddy, his bread had been burnt, or his cakes not very high lor breakfast that morning. "You are right, langy," she said, "both were bad, and he left in a very bad humor." I proceeded with my work all gay and cheerful, every one anticipating a good time. About nine o'clock, or half past, 1 had got through with a lady at the Jjurnet House, and i then went back to the IN HIGH LIFE. 225 bouse where the party was, as they had asked me to come and take a peep at the ladies, and see how they looked. As I walked along there were several persons behind me hallooing and hooping, and I could hear them say, "let us frighten her to death," but I did not feel at all alarmed, although many persons had been garroted, for 1 generally had in my basket a good protector. I M-ent on to the house, took a peep at the ladies, who all looked beautiful, and seemed to enjoy them- selves so much, that 1 staid rather later than I inten- ded. On my going home, there were two men stand- ing on the corner of Fourth and Sycamore — one went back, and the other walked a little distance behind me, until we got to near Race street, when he stopped before me, and he did not speak, but walked close to me. Stepping back, 1 told him if he took another step he would fall at my feet. He said he was not follow- ing me, he was going for a doctor ; and so saying he went up a gentleman's steps and pretended to ring the bell. When I got round the corner, 1 took a peep at him to see whether he would go in or not: he stood at the door till he thought I was out of sight, and then ran away as fast as he could. I am sure if he had had wings he could not have gone any taster. Tiiis shows that any man who will attack a woman on the street is an arrant coward, and a woman can frighten him to death. I was very glad to get home, and then made up my mind I would not go to parties any more, but settle down. The next morning I started out with a full determi- nation to go to no })arties and not be out later than I 226 A hair-deesser's experience possibly could help ; and, moreover, if I went to any person's house and they were talking about parties, I would not say a word ; for the morning after parties all the conversation was of how this one looked, or how that one was dressed ; it appeared as if they could think of nothing else. All these things would annoy me and take my mind ofl' what I had determined on doing — as I had a headache I thought I would go home and keep quiet for awhile, I did not go my rounds that morning, as I thought I was sick. Just as I was coming down Fourth street there were two little girls on the steps of a daguerreian gallery. As I passed by they said: "See here." Knowing them to be beggar girls, 1 turned with the full determination of assisting them. They then asked me, "how far I would have been if they had not called me." Forgetting my good resolutions, I got perfectly furious, and getting at them, though they hallooed, " it was not me," I gave them each a good whipping. Now that my resolution had been broken, I went home so angry that I did not go out that day, although I had several calls, but I would not go to any, simply because I was so provoked at breaking my resolution. When I made such resolutions some little thing would always occur and make me break them and I thought I would not uud^e any more. I went out next morning, leaving my long face and thinking it was not worth while to try to have a heavy heart when I had a light one, so I was a full hour going from Elm to Sycamore, stopping and chatting with one school girl and then another, passing along and noticing every queer thing that I saw. Going IN HIGH LIFE. 237 along the street I saw ayonnggirl in Bloomer costume, and said to her, "My dear child, go and pull off those breeches and put a piece on your dress to let it down, and don't be disgracing all woman kind." The girl, from her looks, made me understand she did not know whether to be frightened or indignant. I proceeded on to my work. I first went to a lady in the east end, whom I have been combing for the last seven years ; the task I have to perform there is a great deal more of pleasure than labor. On entering that morning I found the lady and gentleman at the breakfast table. The cat was at a little distance look- ing up in the lady's face, and the dog at his master's side looking up at him. I thought this was certainly the coziest dining room I visited daring the winter. From the appearance of the table you might think there were visitors expected, but not so, as this was a continual thing ; and if a friend happened in, they would not have to run after plate, knife and fork. As I before said, I have combed tliis lady for seven years and I have never seen either her or her husband in a bad humor. I finished my work here and then went to throe other places and found all cheerful but the fourth place I went to. I was a few minutes too late and got a good scolding. I did not say anything, but made up my mind I would not go there again, but I did return again and was treated a little better, but the old sound was in my ears, "My money, — my position, — no one likes me — I have got more money than such and such a one has, and I don't ask them any odds, and I don't care whether they like nii" or not — you seem to be very independent here lately, you don't care whether you comb a body or not." 228 A hair-dkesser's experience "Not so, madam, 1 said ; I am not so independent. I comb some ladies for mone}' and they employ me for ray work, and I don't care a snap for them ; but there are some ladies 1 would comb as well for pleasure as money, and some 1 love dearly." "I know you don't love me, you only comb me for my money." "I did not say that, madam, for to tell you the truth, I love your children dearly." 1 left the house, wonder- ing if 1 had said anything wrong or not. That night there was a small party in my aristocratic circle ; when I ^ot home 1 found among my orders there were several for another circle. I was then in a hobble ; 1 did not know what to do, and while meditating, the lady I combed in the morning sent for me ; then I was in double trouble, but determined to fill the fii-st orders that were at liome. There were some of my customers I did not go to ; 1 knew they would all ex- cuse me but this lady, and I thought she would not require me, as I had combed her in the morning, and there were others 1 had not combed at all. I went and combed the ladies, — a set I never combed before — they were not only pretty but graceful and intelligent. I combed that night ten beautiful girls, every time I drew the comb through their hair 1 would wish they were in our first circles. While going home — it was a very dark night — I was walking verj^ last, thinking of these beautiful girls and wishing I had the power to place them in the higher circles, when about the middle of the square, my foot struck against something ; on looking down I saw it was a man laying in the street, either dead or drunk. I pushed him and tried to rouse hini, but he did not move, he was dead, but dead drunk. I IN HIGH LIFE. 229 was so excited I thought he was really dead. There were some gentlemen coming toward me — I got be- hind a high step to see what they would do — they passed by and never noticed him. I waited and saw two gentlemen come along ; they noticed him, and seeing me looking at him, one of them said : " 1 be- lieve he is dead." They felt his pulse, "no, says the other, he is not dead, come along, he is only drunk." By this time several had come up ; when I saw the men notice him I started to go, but hearing one of them say, " Oh, let him be, he is only a drunken fel- low," I stepped up and said, "Gentlemen, if he is drunk he is a man ; let him be taken to the station house and cared ft)r, and be punished when he is sober." One of the gentlemen remarked that I was riaht, and called a watchman to lake him to the sta- tion house. I went home perfectly satisfied, and was })leased to think that 1 had at least got a man in the watch house. When 1 got home I found there had been many calls, some I was sorry to miss, and there were others I was glad I chanced to be from home when they came. It M-as now nine o'clock ; I sat down to supper, thinking I should have such a good time to rest myself and be quiet, congratulating myself that I had not been angry or said a thing that was wrong, although I had disap- pointed a lady or two. IMext morning I went my rounds. On going to the lady's I have before mentioned, I heard again the old sound — "My money and my position; such and such a one is supported by my money." I left those sounds behind me, and, on my way home, 1 met three ladies going to prayer-meeting, and they made me promise 230 A nAIK-DRESSEu's ICXPERIENCE to go, at eleven o'clock, to the prajer-ineeting at the Presbyterian Church, which I did. The services were so well conducted that, it seemed to me, any one who went once, could not refrain from going again. I continued going for a month, and dur- ing that time it seemed there were more little parties than had been in our city for a number of years. Then, again, 1 made up my mind to settle down and be quiet — to see and not see, to hear and not hear — but 1 found it was impossible to do this and continue my occupation as a hair-dresser. During this series of meetings, there were two large parties given, and I attended thetn both, notwithstand- ing I had promised myself, about four hundred times, that I would not go to any more of their gay parties. There was a young Misses' party on East Fourth- street, and all the elite of the city were there. The young girls were all pretty and graceful, and there was a great display of youthful beauty. At first 1 stayed lip stairs, and would not go and see them dance; but I loved some of them dearly, and concluded I must go and see them enjoy themselves. I stayed during the evening, and watched the young curly heads, smooth faces, and brilliant dresses ; they looked like little fairies flitting about from room to room: occasionally several bearded gentlemen were seen in their midst, whicli made them look even more fairy-like than before. The two little hostesses were sisters, and received their guests with all the grace and dignity of ladies that had been entertaining for twenty-five or thirty years ; they seldom danced, but kept looking round to see that all enjoyed themselves ; and at the supper- IN IITOn LIFE, 231 table they went from one end of the table to the other, to see that all were well helped ; and they did not take refreshments themselves until the guests had departed. After some days had passed, there was a neighbor- hood party given, in the East-end: the party was given to an officer of high rank, who was a particnhir friend to the hostess' son-in-law, who was also an of- ficer of eminence, and was universally beloved by all who knew him. The ladies were all in full dress, and looked very beautiful. The daughter of the hostess was dressed plainly, but very elegantly. All passed ofl' finely; tiie supper-table was elegantly adorned with flowers, and the room was decorated with Ameri- can emblems. Several pieces of music, suitable to the occasion, were played during supper, by one of our best bands. One or two gentlemen, who supposed there would be no strong drink on the table, came in after indulg- ing pretty freely of the water-of-life. One of them went to the table with a large handkerchief tied round his neck, as napkins are tied round children when they go to their meals; this caused a great deal of re- mark, and these gentlemen were generally remembered to be forgotten at future parties. A short time after, it pleased a lady in the West- end to give a party. She was a bright, brilliant young lady ; and, previous to her party, she had captivated some beaux the East-end girls had long set their cai)S fur. The latter now got so dreadfully pious they would not go to the party, and thought it was awful to have a party while a scries of prayer-meetings were going on. 232 A iiair-dressek's experience A week or two rolled round, when a party was given by the lady of one of our well-known Judges; some six hundred tickets were made out; the East-end ladies did not think it would be a sin to go to that party, as they supposed while in sight of their church or steeple there was no harm. It was well they so de- termined, for it was a brilliant afiair. The ladies were all elegantly dressed, a few of which 1 will describe. One lady was dressed in white silk, with upper skirt of silk, with white illusion puffings, which swept the floor for half a yard. One well-known East Fourth- street helle wore a double-skirt of illusion, small pufis about half a yard up each side; berthe to match, trimmed with little forget-me-nots, which could not be distinguished from natural flowers; her hair was trimmed with the same shade of blue flowers, droop- ing down on her snowy neck, which made her look more like wax-work than a human being. She liad not tuo much religion to go to either the East or AYest- end, whenever she thought it )>rc)per to go. There were many others tiiere — but 1 will only say they were all beautiful. I know a young lady, a native of Cincinnati, who was raised and educated in the same city, beautiful and liighl_y ac(.'ouii)lished, who lived principally at the most fashit)nable hotels, where she made the acquaint- ance of an Englishman, who was reputed immenscl_y wealthy, and who lell in love with, and married her. For a long time she thought two horses were insufii- cient to draw them along, and wanted four; she was so pampered that at length she fell out with all her young schoolmates. They staid through the summer, and left in the fall for New Orleans, where they re- IN HIGH LIFE. ^Jdo mained some time at the Yevandah. The gentleman there obcained possession of his Mate's jewelry, and, with all the money he could collect, left for parts un- known, and for several months was not heard of: when last heard of, he was still traveling. It frequently happens that those who marry foreigners for their titles or wealth, find themselves thus deceived. I can not but laugh sometimes to see how some of our upper tens get picked up. Some few years ago a gentleman came to this city, who passed himself off as the son of an Indian chief; he was gallanted here and there, and parties were given him by some of our first families. Tliis chief turned out to be a fugitive slave; he actually both roomed and slept with some of our gentlemen, and did not feel as if he had lowered himself at all. This went on for a few weeks, till a very large party was given him; but when they went to look for him they found him at what you call a "break-down shin-dig," in the lower part of the town. A few days passed, and he was captured by his master. Having been taken down South, he made master and friends believe he would not live in a free State, notwithstanding his being so pampered and allowed to go at large. The last 1 heard of him he had escaped to Montreal. He was as smart a man as I had the pleasure of convers- ing with in Toronto. During my servitude at Mr. L 's, while running around with the child, I one day noticed a little boy coming into the ofSce; he looked the very picture of distress. Mr. L. asked him what was the matter: lie replied that his mother wished to put iiim in a segar manufactory, and he did not want to go. Mr. L. 234 A IIATR-DRERSETl's EXPERIENCE then asked him what lie M-anted to do, when, much to tlie surprise of all, he answered, "I want to be a painter," He had made a drawing, which he showed Mr. L., who, in the rough sketch, detected evidence of talent, and sent him to one of the best painters then in the city. He staid there some time, and tlien left the city. A short time after, I went to New York, and the first little man 1 met, strutting down Broad- way, was this Mr. . Mr. L. had sent him on to New York, kept him there till he was prepared, and finally sent him to Italy, where he remained for some time; and when he left there it was said he was equal, if not superior, to some of the teachers. This is but one of the ten thousand good acts Mr. L. has done; hundreds of such acts have come under my own observation. Often have I known gentlemen in embarrassed circumstances go to him and get im- mediate assistance. Widows that were in trouble would ask him for help, and get it M'ithout question. Many and many a family that are now in comfortable circumstances, but for him would this day be without a roof to shelter them. Orphans, without the assist- ance rendered by him, M'ould be wandering round the streets, homeless and fireless. I have seen as many as a hundred, in one day, waiting before his door to re- ceive assistance, and none of them go away empty- handed. I have seen him pay out as much as sixty or a hundred dollars a day, when wood and coal were scarce, and hard to be got by the poor, to what we call regulars — that is, every-day visitors. An Irish lady came to this country, who had been very well off in her own land. She brought means plenty with her here, but by some misfortune she bo- IN HIGH LIFE. 235 came nearly destitute. She was a widow, and had a large family, and although in such straightened cir- cumstances, she still moved in a respectable circle. Her landlord insisted on her paying her rent, and, as a last resource, she thought of Mr. L., went to him and told him her story; he asked her no questions, but at once put her mind at ease by telling her she should have the money, twenty -three dollars, which he sent her the same evening. I have known families who, when beggars would call at their door, would always send them to Mr L., it may be at that very moment they having just arisen from a sumptuous repast, were sitting in their cush- ioned chairs, beside a rousing fire, the house heated from the cellar to the garret. Yet, these people having every luxury their hearts could wish, would not give one cent to the poor who were standing without their door, cold and shivering, but would send them, hungry and houseless, to Mr. L. because he was charitable, and good to the poor. Whenever I see an uncharitable act in a gentleman or lady, I think of the words I heard from a mass of people at the funeral of an old citizen. While they were bearing the body away, I heard the voices of many people saying, " Well, he is gone ; he was very wealthy, but he never did any good either to the State or city." In contrast to this, was the funeral of a young man, son to a well known gentleman on East Fourth street, he was young, but loved by all. While they were slowly bearing the body away, I heard the voices of many people, one saying he was kind to me, another, what will such-and-such a one do ; then again, oh, what shall we do, now, how will we get along with- 236 A IIAIR-DKESSER'S EXPERIENCE out him. Then there were carriai^es filled with such ])eople as do not usually go to such places, going to take a last farewell look at one, who in life, they so much admired. Truly, his charities were without number, and without ostentation, for his right hand knew not what his left hand gave. I knew him as a boy, and 1 knew him as a man, and always found him the same noble, generous, upright character; even his dearest friends or his parents did not know many of his charities till after his death. The last time he was seen by a number of his friends, was at a wed- ding, where he was more lively and gay than he had been fur a long time before. During that winter there were more parties and weddings than 1 had ever known beibre; among the rest was one given by a gentleman who presented his wife with a set of diamonds on the aniversary of her wedding, and she invited a large party for the pur- pose of her showing them off. Among the guests was one lady who was dressed in Avhite satin, and a full set of magnificent diamonds ; it was said her dia- monds cost as many thousand dollars as those of the hostess cost hundreds. Everything was elegant, and on the same scale of magnificence she always has her parties. Some few years ago I was sent for to comb some ladies at the Burnet House. 1 went and combed them, but did not know them at all. 1 had heard there were two ladies at the Burnet House, mother and daughter, very wealthy, and said to be old citizens. On my combing the young lady, I mentioned the name of a lady, and asked her if she knew her. She said yes, and was pressing me on to ask more questions, when IN HIGH LIKE, 237 I wa8 stopped by the very evident delight of the mother, wliicli at once betrayed to me wlio they were, though old citizens, by some means they were not known by the fashionables. Tliis lady was very elegant, and highly educated, but so very diffident, tiie ladies found it very difficult to converse with her. I soon Ibuiid out both mother and daughter were delighted at buiiig singled out and noticed for their wealth, an! as the Burnet House is known to be a l)Ouse to bring people out, she was soon brought into notice, and sought alter by fortune hunters. I remember the first party they were invited to ; it was by a gentleman who became acquainted wiih her when she was at school, and, through politeness [>aid attention to her. Tiiis alarmed some of the parents of the fortune hunters, aud they went to her mother to get her to leave, and go on a winter's tour. They suc- ceeded in this, but her fame for wealth following her, she had many beaux. On her return home, one fol- lowed her, and paid her a great deal of attention, till at length he was ordered out of the house by her mother, and forbidden to see the young lady again, while there was another whose visits were encouraged. When the latter got a little acquainted, he was run otf by another, and so on, till five, to my certain know- ledge, were run olf in this manner. At length she was taken to another State, a fugitive, to escape from a gentleman she had positively promised to marry. While there, she fell into the hands of one who was more shrewd than any she had been previously en- gaged to, and she promised to marry him. He came to visit her, the time for the marriage was appointed, 238 A iiair-dresser's experience and everything seemed fair; on leaving, he was not to come again until he came to claim his bride. Some mouths rolled around, and he came to claim his prize, when, to his great surprise, the word was, no, not now, and he was requested to go, and come again. He was about to do so, when he received an anonymous letter, saying " don't leave her or she will be run off; if you want her, marry her now, and take her with you." So he went to her and told her she must go with him, now or never. She consented to be married immediately. When her friends Ibund she was determined, and all ready, bag and baggage, consent was given for her to be married in the houso. I went there in the morn- ing, and I must say, among the hundred and fifty brides I have dressed, I have never seen so many rolls of paper unrolled, or so many lawyers in my life. I don't know whether they were afraid of herself, or her property running away, but certain it is, she had to sign one paper after another, and he the same, till they were tired ; at length, they were married. One day a lady came to my house in a private car- riage when I was not at home, and left a message for me to comb her, as she had cut her hand so badly she could not comb her own hair ; and as she said I had combed her at the Burnet House, I took it for granted she must be a lady I had been in the habit of combing. I was very tired when 1 came home, yet as the lady had cut her hand 1 felt it my duty to comb her. On going to her house I found it to be in the center of the city, and on one of our best streets, but it looked like a boarding house. It was not a customary thing for me to dress hair in a common boarding house, but IN HIGH LIFE. 239 I thonuht perhaps it might be soihc one who liad been livinu; fast in the Burnet Ilonse and had come down. 1 rang the door bell and a small female voice asked, "who is there?"' I said "the hair-dresser," but I thought it a very queer procedure. She opened the door and I went in. The stairs were in the middle of the house with rooms on each side. I took a peep in both parlors but saw nothing but a brilliant gas light and a bright lire, with a piano open in each parlor, a harp or one side of the piano, and flutes on the other ; and from all appearance visitors were expected. The little girl that opened the door, supposing 1 was going in the parlors, ran up the stairs hallooing "this way, this waj-." I followed on, having no suspicion of wrong till I entered the room. On going in 1 found it was a little black-eyed, curley haired woman that had fooled me and a pupil of mine before in like manner. When I saw her I did not know what to do, whether to tell her what I thought of her and not comb her or comb her and leave quietly. I thought the latter course the best. While combing her I asked if this was a dress-making establishment ora boarding house. She said neither, it was a private house ; but I had my doubts. When 1 got her about half combed there came in two or three girls and took a peep. 1 eyed them well. In a few minutes several more come in and as soon as they opened their mouths I knew what the creatures were. I was about fifteen minutes combing the woman, and when I had finished about half a dozen of them asked me to comb them. 1 refused, saying 1 had a previous engagement which I was compelled to keep. At this moment a tall lady came into the room whom I 20 240 A IIAIR-DRESSEU'S EXPERIENCE had often seen before in some of our most fashionable stores ; she asked me if I would comb her. As I wanted to know something about the house I agreed to do so, and went into her room. While combing her I asked her if this was a boarding house ; she said " Yes, its a fancy boarding house." I told her that woman had deceived me. She was angry when she heard this, and said the girl was entirely too bold, that she went to public places, concerts and even to the Burnet House hops, and took a pride in boasting of it. I have heard much talk of taming horses but I never knew or heard of any horse being so well tamed as a a gentlemen in high life not a thousad miles from our Queen City. Many of my readers, I am sure, know the gentleman ; his wife was in bad health, and on several occasions he was known to be cruel to her. Several of her friends and relations got together and determined to M'hip him, but the great trouble was to get him out of the house at night, as he was an arrant coward, as all men are who treat their wives badly. A very shrewd young gentleman hit on a plan — he got a horse and putting on a pair of spurs made the horse prance and make a great noise outside the door, at twelve o'clock at night, then put spurs to the horse and dashed oif at the top of his speed ; at this moment another young gentleman laid down at the door, groan- ing as if in great pain. This man, thinking somebody had been thrown off their horse, came out with noth- ing on but his linen, to see what was wrong; when he was pounced upon by two or three that were waiting for him ; taken to a thicket not far from the house and whipped in the public woods. Since then he has been IN HIGH LIFE. 241 a loving, kind and indulgent husband and his wife has perfectly recovered her health. One season on returning from Saratoga, I notictd among the passengers a Cincinnati lady returning home, bringing with her a lady from New York. This lady had no particular standing in New York, nor did she know any fashionable people there. The Cincinnati lady belonged to the third circle, but made her visitor believe she belonged to the first, and could introduce her into it as soon as she got to Cincinnati. I was sitting right beliind them, and as I had ahead- ache, I kept my vail over my face. They, supposing me asleep, kept up the conversation and talked over a good many of the ladies' names I worked for, and also my own name was mentioned ; it was with difficulty I kept still, but wishing to hear them finish their con- versation, I kept as quiet as I could. The Cincinnati lady began to tell what they would do when they got to the city. "In the morning," said she " we will go to Miss B 's and then to S 's dry goods store, and in the evening to Smith & Nixon's Hall ; next morning to the confectionery, and in the afternoon to the dancing school. Strakosch is expected, and we will then buy a handsome head dress, have our hair dressed, and go to the concert in the evening. The other lady inquired, with some sur- prise, "Why have you hair-dressers in Cincinnati !'' the reply was, " Why mercy, yes, yes indeed, we have hair-dressers in Cincinnati, and one is so fashionable she goes to Saratoga, Newport, and New York. I have never had her yet to comb me, but we wUl take a carriage and go for her to come and comb us ; and you make her believe you are in the habit of going all 242 A HAiE- dresser's experience round to the fashionable watering places ; but be care- ful to say you were stopping at the other hotel from the one she was combing at. After hearing their plans I tookanoppertunity of moving my seat and made up my mind to be prepared for them. Some three or four weeks had passed after my arri- val at home, when, truly, one day a handsome car- riage came to the door, and the occupants of it seemed to be quite fashionable ladies. They asked me to go down to the west end and comb them. I told them it was farther than I wished to go, as I was getting old now, but if they would send for me at five o'clock 1 would go and comb them. At exactly five the carri- age drove up and getting in, 1 was driven to the west end. I found the house very unpretending on the outside, but inside elegance itself. There were, besides the lady herself, two very beautiful girls, and the New York lady. She introduced me to the three — to the two young girls as her daughters and the other as a lady from New York ; and then requested them to leave the room till she was combed. When they had gone and I was combing her she told me this lady was one of the fashionables of New York, lived in a magnificent house on one of the most fasiiionable streets, and was one of the leaders of ton. I told her I could see she was, as soon as I saw one of them 1 could easily tell their position. She said : " I wish you to be very particular in combing this lady, as she has been in the habit of having her hair dressed every day in New York, her position in New York is fur superior to mine here ; yet I think this election will l)ring us near right, as we were at dancing school the other evening, and the ladies were all bending and IN HIGH LIFE. 243 smiling at ns ; some of them spoke who never noticed me before ; I suppose it was on account of my hus- band, who has a great deal of influence. I intend giving a party next week on my daughters' account, and am going to ask several whose acquaintance we made at the dancing school, and some of them I know you know very well, and througii your influence I ex- pect they will come ; do not tell me you can not per- suade them, as I know many places where you took children to visit and by that means the parents Anally became on visiting terms; you can do the same for me." I told her she flattered me, as 1 did not know before I had that influence with either children or parents; and then I observed to her, " Madam, I will tell you a better plan than that : i\.s you wish your daught- ers to be fashionable ; rent out your house, go to the Burnet House, take rooms there, and 3'our daughters, being beautiful and accom]:)lished, will soon be fashionable ; with the gentlemen there is noth- ing can keep them out of the fashionable circle of ladies. "I have known hundreds who were raised in this city in moderate circumstances, who, when they accumu- lated a little money, went to the Burnet House and soon became fashionable people. One lady from whom, several years ago, 1 used to buy apples at her little stand, when I was nurse for my children, afterward became a fashionable lady at the Burnet House. But, indeed, madam,! am a poor hand to give advice of this kind, as I myself am too high spirited to crouch to anybody for position or anything else." I had now finished, and the lady said, "you will now comb my 2M A ITAIR-DKESSEIi's KXPERIENCE friend; you will pluasc say nothing of our conversa- tion to her." The New York lady came in and took her seat be- fore an immense mirror, and I commenced to comb her. Her conversation was New York, and New York fashionables, her position there, and so forth ; she mentioned boarding on Seventh-street, with a Mrs. B ., when I said to her, "she does not keep a boarding house now, madam," She said, "No, but she did." I replied, "Yes, 1 know she did, and boarded many persons to whom slie was far superior herself. I knew her when she kept boarding house on States-street, New York, opposite the Battery, and had three beautiful and interesting daughters. Her husband failed in business, and she strove to do some- thing to educate her daughters, and to assist her hus- band. Many a morning have I seen her sit at the head of the table washing her cups and saucers in a cider tub, with the brass bands glittering like gold ; her little daughters would stand on each side of her with towels, one wiping the dishes and the other wiping the silver, before going to school. On going to school you would see them with their little ging- liam a])rons, made high to the throat, with a little ruffle, with warm hoods on and cloaks, trotting along through the snow. I was nursing nearly opposite where they lived. My attention was one morning at- tracted by the conversation of two little wealthy chil- dren who were taking leave of their mamma before stepping into an elegant carriage that stood waiting for them ; they were dressed not only warmly but in the hight of fashion. These other children were pas- sing by, going to school, when one of the little wealthy IN HIGH LIFE. 245 ones cried out : "Oh, mamma, look at those two little girls, actually walking through the snow ; may 1 ask them in the carriage ?" The other says, "No, they are poor children," wlien the mother cried : "Their parents are poor, and keep a boarding house ; you must nut ask them into my carriage." These children, though raised in a boarding house, are now married and liv- ing in style ; one in New Jersey and the other in Fifth Avenue, both wealthy ; while the parents of the others are broken up and noM^ actually keep a board- inof house, and not a fashionable one at that. The New York lady blushing, said : "You misun- derstood me, I did not mean to make any insinuations against her ; I merely mentioned I had been board- ing there." I told her when my friends were mentioned 1 did not wish to hear them spoken of in a slighting way, as 1 had a great habit of defending them. She turned quickly then, and inquired, " Have I not seen you before at Saratoga ?" I told her it might be, but unless she saw me at the United States, I reck- oned she did not see me. She said she stopped at the Union, but she thought she saw me at the springs. I told her she was mistaken, for although I had been going to Saiatoga these ten years, I had only been at the springs three times in my life. She then said she got acquainted in New York with a lady from one of the towns on the Ohio river. It was at the dress- makers and both had to wait a little while in the par- lor and thus got acquainted. She then began to tell me of Miss F.'s wealth, and how she was splud^ing it in New York, when I said, "Well, she may be spludging it around in New 246 A iiair-dresser's experience York, and boasting of her family and wealtli, but I know of one transaction she was engaged in, that does not add much to lier credit. I will tell you what it is 1 allude to. By some means they had in their family a slave w^ho was to serve for a certain length of time, and then get his freedom. The older memljers of tiie family began to think freedom was too sweet a thing to give this boy, and wanted to keep him a slave for life; but fearing the law, they tried to get him sent to Kentucky, but did not know how to accomplish it, when this young, artless lady made up the plot her- self. She sent the boy down to a boat for some apples which were on board ; the boy took the basket and went for the apples, but the captain being in the plot, when the boy came on board, shoved ofi' the boat and carried him away." There is another lady in the same neighborhood, who sports a splendid set of diamonds, and I will now tell you how she got them. "It has been a secret; even her neighbors to this day do not know where the girl is they saw so frequently about the house. This lady married a gentleman from a southern State, who owned several slaves, but was a good hearted man, and a perfect gentleman at that time. Being about to get married to a lady in a free State, this gentleman dt'termined to free his servants. He commenced by freeing a woman of, it may be, 22 or 23 years old. After his marriage, he took the girl as domestic in the house with his wife, the girl feeling she was free, and not being so well treated as she had been in the slave States, thought she would like to hire herself to some one else. Being very severely treated by this lady, IN HIGH LIFE. 247 and kept so bard at work, she had no time to make her clothes, unless at night. One night she was sitting at twelve o'clock, busy sewing, her clothes all open round her, when she heard a buggy drive up to the door, and the voices of some two or three men, one of whom called to her to come there. She went Ibrward to see what was the matter, when two of the men caught her and threw her into the buggy, where the other man stood ; he caught her by the throat and prevented her making any outcry ; the other two men jumped in, and they all drove off, still holding her tightly round the neck till they had got out of hearing of the people in the different houses. They drove down to the river where a skiff was wait- ing for them, which carried them across. They hur- ried to Louisville, and at once put her in jail therej lest any one should recognize her. The next morning the lady ran all around inquiring if any body had seen her girl, as when she got up that morning, the girl was gone. It remains a mystery to this day to some of the people of that city, what- ever became of that girl. I was, not long after this occurrence, on one of the fashionable steamboats going from Louisville to New Orleans. A few moments before the boat was ready to leave, this girl was brought on board by a I'riend of her former master, and given in charge of the captain and chambermaid. Wiien I saw the girl I immedi- ately recognized her, and asked her what was the mat- ter witii her eyes, as they were all blood-shot, and the mark of men's fingers were yet on her neck. When she told her story, the sympathy of many on board was excited for her, but we were going fast down 21 248 A HAIB-DBE89EK's expebiesce stream, and nothing could be done for her, although there were several on board who knew she had been taken from Kentucky to secure her freedom. They put her off below Baton Rouge." When I had concluded, the lady exclaimed, "Oh, heavens, I would rather go back to New York and work there, than be here among the fashionables." I told her if she belonged to the fashionables of New York, it was all the same, as a great many of the splendid mansions on Fifth Avenue, and other fash- ionable parts of the city were built with the price of blood ; for a great many southerners when they accu- mulated a little money, were in the habit of coming north every summer, and often secured homesteads in New York. "I will not stay here long, but before I leave, will come to see you and get you to tell me some things you saw and know of the South." I said to her, if you come to my house, I will tell you many things, and give you occular demonstration too, of the truth of what 1 have been telling you, for I will show you an old woman there, and she will tell you how she was treated while down South. The next Sunday evening while part of the members of my family were gone to church, and I was sitting alone. Miss came in, almost out of breath, as she had great difficulty in finding the house. The last time she had been there she rode, and as this was Sunday evening, the stores were all closed, and she found it rather strange, but making inquiries, and finding the street, she soon found the house. On coming in she told me she had but little time to stay, and she wanted to have a good interview with me; she said she had told the family she was stopping IN HIGH LIFE. 249 with, she was going to church, but she thought it wa8 better to come aud see me thau to go to church ten times. I made up my mind 1 would tell her several little incidents, but first I called in the old woman, who had been a slave for some fifty -tour or five years. During that time, she was sold four or five times; the last man who bought her, kept her for twenty-three years, and after working her almost to death, he forced her freedom on her, and sent her to Ohio with fifteen dollars in her pocket. After she had conversed freely with the old woman, the latter left the parlor, when the lady commenced the conversation with me by saying, "I am an abo- litionist." " I am very sorry indeed to hear that," I re- plied. She started, and looked at me in perfect amazement; when I said, "1 don't like abolitionists, nor any that bear the name, as I have seen so much in- justice and wrong, and actually speculation done in that name, that 1 hate to hear it ; but 1 like every per- son — slave-holders, freediolders, or any other kind of holders who treat all people right, regardless of nation, station or color ; and all men and women who love their Redeemer, will do this without confining them- selves to any one name to make themselves conspicu- ous. I have known many ladies here, who contribu- ted to causes that were good, but would have their names withheld, for fear they would be called aboli- tionists, for the name abolitionist is applied in con- tempt, to those who wish to do mischief. Miss — — then said, "I understand you now, and your princii)les; now tell me something about the South." " I will now tell you, madam, of a gentleman who 250 A hair-dkesser's experience went from one of the Eastern States to St. Louis, some thirtj^-five or forty years ago. After accumulating a good deal of wealth, he bought a woman to keep house for him, and raised two daughters. lie put them in a convent to receive their education, and when they were about seventeen years old, they came out, very elegant and accomplished girls. They lived with their father, his lawful acknowledged daughters. After a year had expired, he took suddenly ill and died, with- out having made any preparation for his daughters, or secured their freedom, as he supposed they would en- joy all the rights of children. "He had two brothers, who, hearing of his death, came to St. Louis to settle up his affairs; they, wish- ing to take home all they could with them, put these two girls and their mother up and sold them to the highest bidders. People from all parts came to pur- chase these girls ; but tliey declined serving anybody, they chose death rather than slavery ; but in spite of all they could say or do, they were put up. " The first one sold was the mother; she was bought by a man in Texas, and was hurried away forthwith. On leaving her daughters she impressed it on their minds, as her parting charge, to always live respecta- bly, to suffer death rather than degradation, and never to forget there is a God who has promised to hear his people's prayers, and deliver those who call upon him. "The youngest girl was sold to a man who took her up Red river for his ln)usekeeper. The other one was bought by a trader, taken to New Orleans, and sold to two or three diflerent people; but, on account of her refinement and determination, she was always re- IN HIGH LIFE. 251 turned to tiie yard, and every time she was taken back she received a severe lashing, "I was one day combing a lady at the St. Ciiarles who was in ill health, and had been there some time ; her father, while walking round, used to go into these traders' yards to see the slaves who were for sale. One day he saw this young girl, and was immediately struck by her appearance and accomplishments; as the traders had told him she was an accomplished lady's maid, he came home and told his daughter about her, and said his heart bled for her. The young lady expressed a wish to see her, when her father said he would have her sent up, as he did not know but he might wish to purchase her. I said I would be much obliged to them if they would not have her brought up till the next day, when I could be there combing, as I should like to see her. "The next day at eleven o'clock the girl was there; both the young lady and her mother conversed with her, and found out all about her. The young lady being in ill health, became so excited that she took one of her bad spells, and tiiey feared she would die. The young girl was hurried back to the yard again, when the trader asked her what was said, or would tliey buy her. She did not say anything, except that the lady did not want her. 'Then,' said he, 'that must be your own fault, as you did not make yourself as agree- able as you should have done ;' and he gave her a se- vere whipping. "If any purchaser comes into these yards to see the slaves, and they do not all rise up and make them- selves as agreeable as possible, so as to make a sale, on the departure of the person they are severely 252 A iiair-dresser's experience scourged. If the women are low-spirited, thej give them some stimulating drink to rouse them up and drive away their dullness or low spirits; while to the men, brandy, mixed with a little gunpowder, is given for the same purpose. The slaves and the apartments are both dressed up at particular times, when the pur- chasers are in the habit of coming in, "About a week after this occurrence, the young lady requested me to go down and see this girl, if I could, but not to let any one know what my object was. 1 went, and walked round, looking at them all, until I at length got to where she was, when, in a low tone, I told her the message sent by the young lady to her, ' to remember her mother's words, and what she herself had said to her.' She replied, ' Tell her 1 have made a vow, and it is registered in heaven — death hefore dislionor!' I returned to the hotel and gave the young lady the girl's reply. She was laying on the sofa, and her mother sitting beside her; she ex- claimed, 'God will hear my prayers, mother, I know He will.' "That was the last time I saw the slave girl until, some two or three years after, I met her and her mother on Broadway, in New York. I was walking when I met the two ; but having never seen them but two or three times, and not expecting to meet them there, I did not know her. However, she at once knew me, and spoke to me. We went over and sat down in the Park, when she told me all her troubles. After her mother had been about a year in Texas, she came across a gentleman who knew her former master, but did not know he was dead. On hearing of his death, and her having been sold, he was very sorry, and told IN HIGH LIFE. 253 her he owed her former master three thousand dollars, and he would now take the money and try and pur- chase herself and daughter. She told him she had his note, as she had kept it, and never given it up, still thinking she might meet him some time. He bought her, and went down to New Orleans, when he found the girl had been bought by very cruel people; and as they could never make her contented or satis- tied, they now regretted their bargain. He offered one thousand dollars for her, which her master took very readily: so he sent tliem immediately to New York, and then went up Red river to see if he could get the other daughter ; but she was perfectly satisfied with her situation, and refused to leave. 'And now, ray dear langy,' said she, ' I arrived in Boston in time to see my dear friend before her death ; I was there just three weeks before she died, and when I went into the room, she started up, and, clasping her hands, cried, Mother, God has heard my prayers! Mother and I now both belong to the same church; we are free, soul and body.' This man who bought these wo- men was born in the South, but spent a number of years in the North. "I will now tell you another little incident of a lady who lived in Louisville, and had a slave girl hired, who saw and knew a great deal of her chaste conduct. She feared she would tell her husband or some of his friends of her conduct ; so she told her master many tales on her, and got him to sell her to a man who would take her far away from her native land. There was a hair-dresser in New Orleans who was sold five diflerent times, for a thousand dollars each time, and, by each of her owners, promised her freedom when- 254 A haik-dkesser's experiencte ever she hud made the thousand dolhirs and given it to them. Incited by the hope of being free, she worked hard ; but as soon as she had paid eiglit or nine hun- dred dollars to her master, he would sell her to some one else, who would make the same promise, and then break it in the same shameful manner. At length the girl became so exasperated by her many grievous dis- appointments, that she lost her reason, and is now a lunatic. Her name was Louise. She was well known to those who stopped at the St. Charles and St. Louis. "1 will now tell you of a gentleman, who lived in Louisiana, who had a housekeeper and two daughters. He sent his daughters to Oberlin to school, and took a house there for his housekeeper to be with them. On going there, the Oberlin people would not let him stay unless he married the housekeeper." He did marry her, and settled a great deal of property on her and her daughters. In a short time he went to England, and on his return he brought her a magnificent English carriage ; her house is in keeping with her carriage — elegant, indeed. It was whispered by some that he would not dare go back South ; but he did go back, staid there awhile, disposed of his property, and re- turned to his wife. His daughters were mulattoes, and his wife was very dark. "Now, madam, I need not tell you anything more. I have shown you the dark and the fair sides of the South. Were 1 to tell you one-half what I know, it would take me every moment of a week." Miss , when rising to leave, said, "I have been much interested by what you have told me ; say no- thing of our meeting; I will give 3'ou my card, and come to see me in New York." IN HIGH LIFE. 255 Many years ago 1 was luirsiug fur Mrs. W , at the Broadway Hotel. My charge was a little girl, who has since grown up an elegant, accomplished and beautiful young lady — an ornament to society, and also the city that gave her birth. While nursing there, I was one night sent out for some coal — as Mrs. W. did not only mind her children by day, but during the night, to see to their comfort. It was about two o'clock. The coal was kept in a closet under the stair- way. While there, I heard a noise in the hall, which alarmed me very much, and on looking out I saw three gentlemen, stepping about very softly. I thought they were robbers, and went into the closet and closed the door. Presently I heard the voice of a female, when, get- ting over my fright, I opened the door and went out. Immediately a woman, running out, caught hold of me, and asked me to save her. I asked her what was the matter, when she said those men meant to kill her. She clung to me, and came with me to my lady's door, when I left her and took in the coal — telling my lady of the matter, and saying I would go back and stay an hour or so with her, which my lady permitted me to do. I found her to be a Mrs. , from Maine. She was of medium hight, had beautiful, wavy chesnut hair, and showed every appearance of having been well raised and of good family. After much persua- sion, I got her to her room. She would let no one near her but me, and i sat down on the floor, took her on my lap, and sung to her for six long hours, and by that means kept her quiet; but I was exhausted myself. 256 A iiair-deesser's experience About the seventh hour she got outrageous again. Her husband and some gen tleinen friends were in the next room, fearing she would become unmanageable and I might require their assistance ; but not so, as I lound in her o^reatest rao-e I could manao;e her. She raved throughout the whole day, but toward night be- came a little more calm ; then nothing would do but I must go to bed. Thinking I was asleep, she took a light and held it to my face, then she got a pair of stockings, pulled them on my feet, and decorated my head with blue ribbnns ; she then locked the door, took out the key and put it in her bosom ; then com- ing to the bed, she again looked at me, and still think- ing me asleep, gently opened the window. I now sprang to my feet and asked her what she was going to do. She said she was going out. I told her she should not do so, when she again got into one of her most ungovernable fits. 1 was afraid I could not manage her and called for assistance, but no one could get in as the door was locked and the ke}' in her bosom. I had at length to throw her down and take the key from her and throw it over the door top, when her husband got it, opened the door and came in : it was then about twelve o'clock at night and she raged till twelve the next day. Her husband and the doctor went out and procure^! a furnished house. The family owning it had left foi the south, and they took the house, thinking they couKl manage her better by having her quiet and still. I went with her to the house, and her husband employed another woman to assist me in taking care of her. I staid with her all the day and about eleven o'clock at night I went to bed feeling perfectly ex- IN HIGH LIFE, 257 Imusted and wearied out, leaving the woman and her husband to take care of her. I suppose I had been in bed and asleep about an hour when I was startled by hearing "langy, langy," called in tones of terror and dismay, and a very sudden loud knocking at my door. I sprang to the floor but was so frightened and be- wildered for a few moments I could scarcely get my senses together. At length 1 distinguished the voice of Mr. W, calling on me. In a great hurry, I ran down the stairs and found the piano upset, all the bed clothes and tlie bed on the floor, and the woman madly dan- cing on the slats of the bedstead. I called to her in a stern voice, and asked her what she was doing. She leaped down oft' the bed when she heard my voice and, throwing herself on my neck, told me they had been trying to kill her all the time I was gone, and that I must not leave her again. She raved till the morning, when I got her quiet and put her to bed. I was sitting beside her, while she was lying there, when some ladies came in to inquire after her health. Thinking she was asleep they sat down and began to question me ; among other questions they asked me if I was not afraid of her. Before I had time to reply she started up and said, in a furious voice, "And what if she is, is that your business ?" The ladies were so frightened they ran out of the room as quick as they could. She then turned to me and said, quite playfully, " Did I notdothat well,Iangy ?" Their hopes of her getting better were not verified ; she continued to get worse until they heard of a va- cancy in the Asylum at Columbus, when they at once made arrangements to have her taken there. There were three of us in the carriage ; the woman, 258 A hair-dresser's experience her husband and myself. She laid the whole day on my hij), but liad some drciub'ul tits of insanity. She took my bonnet oti' my head and put it down in the bottom of the carriage for a spit box, while I had to go on to Cokimbus bounetless. On reacliing Columbus we put up at the NlmI House, and after taking her to a room, I left her to get some things out of the carriage; I had not been gone but a few moments when I heard tiie woman screanung for me at the top of her voice. I ran up the stairs and found her taking down all the pictures and the mirror from the wall. I succeeded, in my old way, in quiet- ing her again, and got her laid gently on the bed. In her worst fits I could quiet her by singing. Wiiile laying in the bed she said to me, "langy, I am not mad now, I am only crazy ; wlien I get in my mad fits don't let me hurt you." She sometimes was very ferocious, and gave me some severe blows. She now gave me a short history of her life and what made her craz}'. She said she was a native of Maine and married. this gentleman against her parents wish, he took her to a hotel in New York and she was there for some time, until his friends thought he was making too much of a lady of her. They kept talk- ing to iiim until he at length went to housekeeping, and then two or three of his family came and lived with her, and were very ugly to her, even in her own liouse. Then her husband got to staying out at night. Often, while she would be at the window looking out for him, her hair was wet through with the dew of night. She also told me if she ever got married again siie would never have du old maid or a widow living with her ; for one day, having finished her dinner be- IN HIGH LIFE. 259 fore her husband, she left the table ; on goin<>- through tlie hall she saw a uote in her husband's hat which slie fuund, upon reading, was from the seamstress, then in her employ, appointing the time and place for a pri- vate meeting. She had nut finished her history till she again gut into one of her mad fits. I told her husband what she had said, but he told me there was no truth in her story, it was only a freak of her fancy. The carriage was ordered, and we went to the asy- lum. On reaching there we heard screaming and shouting; some preaching, some praying, some blas- pheming. She at once said : "Oh, laugy, this is the mad-house, and they are going to put me in," and she became, apparently, as well as she ever was in her life, and was perfectly calm and collected. On reaching the door two physicians came out ; she took an arm of each and walked in. On getting to the top of the stairs she turned back and looked at me and bowed her head. 1 burst into heartfelt tears, and I assure you I wept freely. I never shall forget her look, should I live a century. I have several times, during my narrative, men- tiuned dressing in Cincinnati, or its immediate neigh- borhood, one hundred and fifty brides. Many of them were very lovely, but none more so than the tenth that I dressed ; she was, indeed, a beautiful creature, and was as lovely in her disposition as in her appearance. She and her husband were universally beloved, not only in Cincinnati, but wherever they chanced to go. Their wedding was one of the largest ever witnessed in this city — there having been nearly a thuusand in- vitatiuns sent out — and a gay and brilliant party it 260 A HAIR- dresser's EXPERIENCE was. The bride's dress was very rich and elegant — she wore but a single ornament — a magnificent dia- mond cross, which had been presented to her a few moments before her marriage. There were two tables filled with elegant and costly presents. It has been my privilege to show the presents of many brides, but never have I exhibited any with the same pleasure and gratification that I did these, on account of the respect and love I felt for the parties. Some few years after this marriage I was called on to comb the grandmother of the groom for her gol- den wedding. One of her bridesmaids was there also, and heartily did the two old ladies laugh at the idea of having their hair dressed, as in the olden times, when they were married, hair-dressers were unknown and unthought of. Never again, do I expect to witness in this city, or perhaps anywhere, such a scene as I saw that night. There was an immense number assembled ; old and young and middle aged and all, seemed full of happi- ness. Tables were set in two large rooms that opened into each other ; they were elegantly and beautifully spread, filled with every delicacy, and all kinds of wine. In the parlor, which is so immense it is seldom or never used except on such occasions, I noticed a painting representing Ilamlet and Othello ; the figures were as large as life. This painting, which occupies one whole side of a room, was beautifully decorated with evergreens. On entering the house, you come into a large square hall, the walls of which are painted with beautiful scenery. On one side of this hall is the private parlor, where are all the family portraits, and numbers of IN HIGH LIFE. 261 other costly and elegant paintings. On either side of the mantle is a large ornamented case filled with all kinds of shells, geological specimens, and in fact, everything rare and beautiful. You might spend many days in going over this house and the grounds, and always find many things to attract your attention. Although the house is situa- ted in the most fashionable part of the city, the en- closure contains twelve or fifteen acres. You can there find rare flowers and fruits from every clime. While wandering through these grounds one can scarcely believe he is in the heart of a great city. Here are three or four handsome green houses ; a large fish pond, with a fountain continually playing in it ; a gai'dener's house ; a warren for rabbits ; a house for pigeons, and one for bees; and if you descend along that graveled walk, lined on each side with wild flow- ers, you will come to a large vineyard of the choicest kinds of grapes. Strangers are allowed the privilege of walking through these grounds and looking in the green houses. With all his wealth so unassuming is Mr. L. that after he has shown strangers through the grounds, I have known them when leaving to offer him money for his trouble, little thinking that plain and unassuming man was the owner of the magnificent place they had been admiring, and the wealthiest man in the west. On my going early to work one December morning, I saw a great crowd collected on the corner of Fourth and Elm. On coming to the place, I found the boys bad taken possession of their usual winter pleasure grounds. The driver of a soap-cart had presumed to intrude upon their grounds, and a number of the boys 262 A hair-dresser's experience fastened their sleds on to the old man's cart, while others were pelting him with snow balls' till in a short time you could not tell him from a snow ball that the bo3's often make and set up for a show. During the season of tiie snow and ice the boys have three streets to themselves, from Fourth to Columbia, on Race, Elm and Plum. On these streets, when there is any snow, it is very dangerous for carriages or teams to pass ; that is, when the boys have made up their minds to keep the track for their sleds. I have seen sleds of all sizes, from those that would hold one or two, to those that would carry twenty-five, going down these streets. Sometimes there are as many as two or three hun- dred at a time. Persons of all ranks and denomina- tions will stand and look on to see the boys enjoy the sport. The boys, during this season, are perfectly united, they will not suffer any one to be imposed on ; it is the only time you will find among children all prejudice cast aside. All sizes and ages, nations and ranks, are here collected together, and all are on a foot- ing of equality ; the ragged and neat, rich and poor children go down on the same sled. Going on a little farther, I found the boys had made a slide opposite the church; I slipped on it, and down I went. The little ones enjoyed it very much, to see a big woman fall down on their sliding place, not breaking any bones. I got up and went on to my work, for notwitstanding the pavements were one sheet of ice, the ladies were determined to be dressed for a party that was to be given in the west end. This was the first party given by this west end lady. Some of them thought the east end ladies would not go, and as they did not wish to go if the eastend ladies IN HIGH LIFE. 263 did not, the}' discarded their beaux and decided on not going. One lady in particular, who was very gay, I usually dressed late, and I went to her at ten o'clock, and she began to regret that she had discarded her beau, as she could not now go to the party. I told her I would take her. She said it was so slippery she was afraid to walk, and her coachman was away. She had never walked to a party and did not know what to do. I told her if she would not fall 1 would would not ; and away we both started, in spite of the sleet and rain. I never saw such a rainy, sleety even- ing in my life, but we got there safely, when I gave her up to her friends and beaux, and she enjoyed her- self just as much as if she had gone in her carriage. I can not refrain from telling you a circumstance that occurred with some young ladies, as young ladies like their fun as well as those little boys I have mentioned enjoyed their sled rides. I was crossing the Alleghany mountains, in company M'ith some young ladies, their fathers, mothers, broth- ers and sisters ; the party was so numerous they had chartered a stage. At night we stopped at a house on the mountains where travelers usually stopped, and this night the house happened to be full. The most mischievous of these young ladies was an heiress. When the travelers' boots were put outside their doors to be cleaned, this young lady changed them. She would take a large boot from one door and put a small one with it, and so on, all over the house ; then she made me get her some dough and she put that in the toes of some of the boots. In the morning when the horns were blowing for the up and down passengers, they would rush out already dressed and 22 264 A hair-dresser's experience commence pulling on their boots ; then there was a ter- rible swearing and pitching, ripping and tearing. Of course, such a dignified set as I was with, never would be suspected. On one occasion I traveled with the same party on a canal boat ; when night drew on, this same young lady said, "langy, we must have some fun as the peo- ple's faces are too long. Two hundred passengers, and nothing going on, this will never do." All my readers who have traveled on a canal boat know, that only a curtain separates the ladies from the gentlemen. The berths were generally swinging. The young lady having a sharp pen-knife for her own use, secured her brother's before he retired, and gave it to me. We moved the curtain a little bit, and sawed and cut the rope of the upper berth till it was almost cut through, A very portly old gentleman took posses- sion of the berth, and he had just turned himself over, when down he came with a most terrible crash, berth and all falling on a very small man, who was in the berth below him, and away they rolled into the ladies' cabin. Most of the ladies there had been asleep; being awakened by the noise, they were terribly frightened, and screamed dreadfully; this young lady screamed as loud or even louder than the rest, as if just awaking ; while the little man called out he was killed, and the portly old gentleman was trying to make apologies to the ladies lor frightening them. It was altogether a laughable scene. At last tiie ca})tain and chau)bermaid came, and the gentlemen rated them soundly for liaving such insecure ropes. The captain said, since he had been a captain, there IN HIGH LIFE. 265 had no snch accident occurred before. The whole boat was in excitement, and convulsed with laughter, I was at one time called on to comb three brides in one day, and the peculiarity of it was, they were in three distinct circles. One was of the higher order, the other in the gay second circle, and the third was the daughter of a mechanic. Should I be asked which of these I admired the most, first, second or third, I could hardly tell. The first was plainly, but elegantly attired, she lives in a princely mansion, and the guests were those I have been in the habit of working for, and been with since I have been in tiie city. The sec- ond was very gay, everything elaborate, the company quite gay, some very refined, some not so much so; I found persons there of every order. When I came to my third little bride, I found her very plain, but very intelligent. The house was plain, but was very neatly furnished ; the front room, where she was mar- ried, was carpeted with a very neat three-ply carpet, on the walls hung the family pictures, and on the cen- ter table were books of all kinds, by which any one would know our little bride had applied herself well to her studies — and there was also, in the parlor, a piano, with some very choice and diflficult pieces of music. In the next room, which was their dining- room, was a very neat home-made carpet and every- thing else was neat and nice. I went on to the kitchen ; the tins on the wall looked like silver, and the floor was as white as a floor could be made. I did not know there could be so clean a house as that, in our smoky town. Though this lady was raised in this little spot, she now lives in a three story brick of her 266 A hairdresser's experience own ; and instead of remaining in one position, she is always going higher. The following week I was called on to go seven miles above Covington Ky., to comb a bride there. When 1 was sent for I had a previous engagement, but promised, if they could bring me home again by seven in the evening, I would go. So when they sent a carriage and fast horses, I went ; and I must confess, I was a good deal disappointed, for I expected to find it about such a place as I once went to about eleven miles above Covington. Some few years ago some ladies called on me in a very elegant carriage, engaged me to go there and comb and shampoo their heads. On my arriving at the place, I found the grounds and the house itself in a sad, reckless state; the grounds seemed as if at one time there might have been a fence around them, as there was here and there a picket, while in the house there were bare floors. Silver goblets were scattered here and there. At one end of the room was a piano, but there were no curtains to the windows. It was al- together a peculiar place. From the conversation of the ladies, 1 found they had received but a limited education. When they engaged me, I thought it strange they should give me such a high price merely to shampoo their heads, but when I got there, I ibund one of them was to be married, and 1 was more than astonished to see three such elegant looking ladies, and two such elegant gentlemen in so queer a place. While the ladies were getting ready for me, I walked round a little, and on coming to the dairy, I found three or four little boj'S, black and white, with long straws poked in through the crevices or holes in the IN HIGH LIFE. 267 walls of the dairy, aud then in the pans of cream and milk, busy sncking it. I took a good laugh at them and then went on to a kind of old shanty, where I heard the noise of fiddles and banjoes. In here were several old men laughing and talking over the fun they anticipated to have at night. One of them said to me, "Lor', child, just you stay over here to night and see the fun. I played my banjo at the wedding of this child's grandmother and her mother, and now I'm gwine to play for herself and husband that-is-to-be ; he says he will take me to Ohio State and set me free." I said, " Uncle, you will be too old ; you won't be able to earn your living." His answer was, "Lor', child, I will die free, any how." While I was talking to the old man, there was a scream from the house for uncle Bob, as if the whole place was on fire, or some other dreadful occurrence had happened ; I started to see what was wrong, when I found the little boys, tired of drinking the cream through their straws, had turned ofi" the cider barrel, which was placed on the porch, and surrounded by old fashioned jugs of old Bourbon, and the best brandy. The boys not daring to drink so much of the cider as they did of the milk, turned it ofl' to see the fun, and before they were found out, had the bar- rel nearly left empty. I asked one of the little urchins what they did it for. He told me they were promised they should have all sorts of fun when Ann was mar- ried, and he says, sure, that is fun. I then went to my work, and promised when I was through dressing their hair, I would set the table for them. After combing them, I went to get the things 268 A haiii-dresskr's experience in readiness for the table, and found, to my surprise, and 1 must say, amusement, that the best and only large table-cloth they had, the boys had taken and cut up into strips, to tie on the cows' horns, and the horses' heads for flags ; so that all the animals about the house, were running around with white flags on their heads. The old woman was crying, and did not know what to do, while the old man ran ont in a rage, and caught the little white boys by the hair and gave them a good pulling; but the little blacks, fr<>m their hair never having been combed or attended to, had nothing to pull, so they slipped through his fingers and ofi'to the orchard, while I got some sheets and sewed them to- gether so as to make a table-cloth, and commenced to set the table. Before I got through, the parson came : so they concluded to get married and send the parson away before the frolic began. It was then about six o'clock. While the parson was performing the cere- mony, to the great surprise of all — as the boys had faithfully promised to behave themselves — the door was suddenly thrown open, and in rushed a large pig, grunting and squealing as only pigs can. The boys had pulled out the bristles, and then rubbed the sores with brandy — by that means making the creature mad with pain ; then they opened the door and, while the parson was in the very act of performing the cere- mony, they turned him right into the room. For a mo- ment every one ran round, trying to get the pig out, but could not manage it, and at last they had to let him stay there while the parson went on ; but every time the parson would begin, the pig would again commence squealing. The bride and groom both IN HIGH LIFE. 269 roared and lauo-hed, and even the parson could not contain his laughter. As for myself, I have witnessed scenes in America, England and France ; but I never saw anything, before or since, so ludicrous as was that scene. The parson, however, at last succeeded in join- ing the happy couple, and after partaking of refresh- ments, and, I expect, being well paid too, left. After I had finished setting the table, I asked them to have me sent home, and they did so. Had 1 not received anything, I would have considered myself well paid by the scenes I witnessed there ; but on leaving I was paid doubly, 1 may say trebly, more than I expected. It was to such a place as 1 have described I expected to go when I consented to comb this other bride ; but I was agreeably disappointed when, on reaching the place, I found everything in front of the house pass- able; the grounds around tiie house were extensive, and in pretty good order; the house itself was an ordinary-looking building, and had apparently been built for many years. The two parlors were neat and plain ; they were lighted up in the old style of illu- minations — candles, in little sockets, stuck here and there. The bride's room was furnished plainly, and, though it was in the spring of the year, a bright wood fire was burning on the hearth, on the old-fashioned iron andirons. Though the house was nothing com- pared with those I had been in the habit of visiting, it had to me a quaint, cheerful, country look, that reconciled me to its want of ornament. The appear- ance of the ladies was not in keeping with the house, as their dresses were rich and elegant. The bride's dress was silk, of the latest style; illusion vail, fast- 270 A hair-dresser's experience ened on with a wreath of orange buds ; her bride- maids were dressed in keeping, while her annt had on a rich black velvet, with angel's wings of black lace. Occasionally were seen two or three slaves moving about through the house; tliere being no more, was owing to there having ten or twelve ran ofi'from them a month or so before, over the bridge erected by a spe- cial Providence for them. That season there were two or three hundred crossed over on the ice to the land of liberty. Some few weeks passed, and it was rumored that Mrs. Colonel II. was going to give a party; every one expecting an invitation, had their dresses ordered be- forehand, as all wished to go to her parties on account of the elegance wnth which they were conducted. Before the invitations were issued, those who were doubtful of getting invitations, when they would meet me on the street, wuuld ask, "Oh, langy, am I invi- ted ?" " Do you know whether I will have an invita- tion ?" or, "Oh, how I wish I was going — I would so like to be there;" and such like, knowing I generally knew the different circles, and who would and who would not be invited ; they did not like to ask me to try and get them invitations, but, by repeating, "I wish I were going; 1 would give anything to go," they, as plainly as they could, hinted it to me. I have obtained many invitations for ladies to large par- ties, where they would not for one instant think of asking them had it not been for my request, as I work for a great many of those who give large parties, and they know I would not ask for any one unless I knew them to be ladies, both in manners and principle. The hostess at these large parties receives many la- IN HIGH LIFE. 271 dies that are not on visiting terms with her, or that she would not even know were she to meet them on the street. Many ladies would be entirely forgotten but for me, as, many times, at the issuing of invita- tions, I have been asked by the hostess, "langy, do you know any one 1 have forgotten ?" when I would call over some names; it may be all had been forgot- ten, but then they received their invitations. I will now tell you how I got an invitation for a young lady of this city, to the party of one of our grandest places in the city. 1 went to the hostess and asked her to do me a favor; she inquired what it was. I asked her to promise me she would do it ; she said she would if possible. I said she could easily. " Well, then," said she, "you may consider it done; now, what is it?" When she had promised, I knew she would do it, no matter what it might be ; so I told her I desired that she would extend an invitation to a young lady I knew, who was of good family, and in every respect worthy, but did not go out much in socie*"y ; and I knew if she invited her to her parties, she would then be sought after by every one. She said she would do so willingly, and she called on the young lady and left her an invitation for the ball. On going to comb the lady, it was amusing to hear her express herself, and wonder about the lady inviting her to her party. She said, "Oh, langy, such a lady has called on me, and asked me to her party ; I expect it is through Mrs. or Mr. So-aud-So" — when I knew I was the person, and the only one, but did not commit myself even by a look. I will now explain a little circumstance that oc- curred between a lady and myself; she was a lady, 23 272 A HAIR-DRESSEb's EXrERIENCE indeed, and I worked for her a number of years; she moved in the second circle, but never had got into the first. One of the ladies of the first circle was about to give a large party, when I went to her and asked if she would not give this lady an invitation to the party. She gave me the invitation, which I carried myself and left at the door, thinking she would be happy and proud of the honor — but, of course, thinking she would know too much of the etiquette of good society to go when the hostess had not visited her personally before the party ; but she did go, and seemed to enjoy herself very much. After combing her, a few weeks after, I saw a great change in her; she had given up talking of her own circle, and her whole talk was of the ladies of the upper circle — Mrs. So-and-So that she had so recently met. By much dashing and elegance, she at last got on intimate terms with a lady who had not been very long in the circle herself, and who was no friend of mine. She quite poisoned the mind of this lady against me, though I was the first one who ever got her into the position she then occupied. I promised to give you a little description of Mrs. H 's grand ball — and a grand affair it was. Her house is a large double one, with a very large hall ; on one side of this hall is a large double parlor, which has window-hangin««;s of crimson and lace, and two extensive mirrors, together with mantle ornauicnts and pictures, the most beautiful ever imported from foreign lands. On the other side is a reception-room, of blue and gold ; her dining-room is purple and gold ; these two rooms are hung with very appropriate pictures ; there is a jiainting of the Empress there, and of many of the old Kings and (iueens, together with many pic- IN niGH LIFE. 273 tiires of royal families. On the second floor were five elegant rooms thrown open — a gentleman's smoking- room and dressing-room, and two dressing-rooms for the ladies ; the fifth was a coflee-room. A great deal of beauty and elegance was displayed on that night. As for the hostess, she is the most queenly lady in our city. Among her guests were several helles. These grand entertainments she generally gives once or twice a year. I will now give you a description of a calico ball, which was given a few winters ago by one of our first ladies. 1 had often heard of calico balls, but was never fortunate enough to be at one before. It created quite an excitement through the city ; those who were going were in a state of excitement about what they would wear, and those who were not were continually talking about what tliey would have worn if they had been invited. The hostess wore a dark chintz, very plain and neat ; her sister-in-law wore a rich colored chintz, with a very long train, its figures representing clusters of roses ; it resembled a very old fashioned brocade ; her costume altogether was after the old style of Madame Pompadour. Mrs. wore a dress with delicate blue stripes, made with all the simplic- ity of a school girl. Mrs. Colonel H s dress very nmch resembled that of the hostess's sister; her coif- fure was of the old style of Madame Pompadour. Many of the dresses at a little distance, looked like the most elegant brocade. One lady, a Miss R. wore a corn colored dress, her head-dress and bosom piece were composed of pop-corn. Among the rest was a party of ladies who all wore bright crimson dresses. Mrs. P 's dress was a plain, red oil calico, with 274 A hair-dkesser's experience black side stripes ; she is well known as the authoress of "Belle Smith Abroad." The most beautiful scene of the evening was a quadrille, danced by four ladies, dressed in the style of the olden times. Mrs F 's train was held by her nephew while she glided through the dance. The whole house was thrown open and I assure you every one enjoyed themselves very much. There came to my house one day, a very nice look- ing gentleman, who told me he wanted to engage me to go to a lady's house to comb her for her marriage. I agreed to go in the evening. To my surprise, while 1 was engaged with the lady, the gentleman who had come for me came into the room and gave orders about the dressing of his sister's hair, and also the bride's. I found he was the groom, and that not only had he given orders about the dressing of her hair, but had ordered her dress altogether ; it was a heavy brocaded tan colored silk with a long vail of illusion, with a wreath of choice flowers. There were several chil- dren about the house, who made a great deal of noise, crying and yelling. The lady was very uneasy and restless in her movements, and apparently much an- noyed, but I could not tell the reason until she was dressed and the guests were beginning to arrive ; when I found she feared the children's guardian would in- terfere with her marriage. As there was no one there to receive the company the groom came up and wished her to go down and receive the company, saying that when the clergyman came she could come up stairs again; put on her vail, go down and be married; but I advised her to do no such thing; to let the guests receive themselves. It certainly was amusing to see the groom introduce liis couij-iany, clergyman and all, IN HIGH LIFE, 275 to tho bride. Just as the lady was going down stairs to be married, a servant rushed up and said that her guardian was there. For a moment she appeared quite alarmed to hear of his arrival. She trembled, and the color forsook her cheeks ; but soon recovering herself, she said, ^'He will not dare say anything to me, and if he does I will pay no attention to him." She went down and when they were pronounced man and wife the groom was perfectly delighted, as all New England men are when they think they have made a good "■ spec." The house was very handsome and was beautifully furnished ; it reminded me of the palace of beauty anera continued a whole month every night, except Sunda}', I am sure there must have been sat- isfaction given to all. The musical portion were sat- isfied with the music ; others who did not care for the music went to show offtiieir own elegance and see the elegance of others, and some went to see who went 294 A iiair-uresser's experience with Mrs. So and-so, and to observe things generally, so all were satisfied! I was amused to hear ladies say, "I am not going to-night, but am going to-morrow night, when there will be a crowd," as if they went to see the crowd and not to hear the music. Those who did not care for the music were the very ones who wanted some of the scenes cut off. One day I was combing some ladies and heard them rail at the dancing in one of the scenes of Robert Le Diable. These same ladies I have frequently dressed to go with their whule families to see the Ravels. I said, "Ladies, have you not gone yourselves and taken your whole families to see the Ravels?" They said, "Yes, but the Ravels were the Ravels, but we do not want dancing in the opera, that piece must come out, see if we don't have that part cut off." I laughed, and said to them, " I have never be- fore heard of any one having an opera altered to suit themselves, but I will tell you one thing you can do, and ought to do, and that is, prevent little misses and masters from examining the different plots. I myself, the other day, saw some little ladies and gentlemen very busy in examining the plot of Don Juan, and I do think that is a little. too far to go. I don't object to little people seeing the play and hearing the music, but I do think they should be prevented from examin- ing such plots ; that is, in my opinion, much worse than the dancing, and I do think in place of trying to raise a fuss, those who attend the opera should be per- fectly satisfied with having such an elegant house as an ornament to our city and should give all praise to him through whose energy it was erected." u :) -b' ^^<^ ^ , X '• ^^f-. ^ 'Jl ^o * * o ''j 4 ' \'^ / /.. ■^o ;-' ^^ "^^^ « 4^' "^^^ .'5^'°' .>Wa,'^ >^. .^ c "^M- '^■^.v=v^-' <^^% -.s^*" /\ ^>^v^.-" iO-r, C" ^^z;:^'- * - . ^"^^ v:^f,' .^^^ "^ ''■>^^.' .0 ^ -^ 'S^. •i' * o^-" » o V ^^ •'<*•.. ■• 4- .. ^<^. ^ .^e .^' V K % > ^^O^S'^' ^-^K^^ ^-^ C /^/?^^^ .4 o,.