|
|
|
|
Society Mrs. Hitchcock was strongly in favor of early hours so that we all felt like intruders if we lingered long after ten o clock; although on these occasions our gentle host seemed to ignore his hygienic p?s still greeting his guests with charming cordiality ignoring the late mad hour! Mrs. Hitchcock impressed her sweet vivacious nature upon every one - her smiles were revelations not masques - Her dainty caps trimmed in pink were according to the fashion of the day quite large and half concealing her soft curls, lent a pink cheeks and heightened her impression of youthfulness In her appearance quite unbelievable to a day woman who would flee a cap as she would her first wrinkle and mount any device instead in the mode of puff or cushion - She was mentally alert on every topic of the day; drawing and painting with natural ease and freedom in an untrained way, beside closely following every pursuit of her distinguish- ed husband. She was a woman not only sweet but stimulating earnestly energizing life and its meaning yet undaunted by its possibilities - I must speak of an amusing little episode in a lecture course of the Pres as characteristic of his chivalric devotion to her - He was lecturing on the now so well known bird-track of the Conn valley - These lectures were in a bare but decent hall in the third story of Sweetser's block (now Jackson and Cutler's) a cheerless place lighted with whale oil lamps & furnished forth with wooden benches of racking discomfort - As the fascinating lecturer stretched out his enormous maps and stated his theories of these monster petrifactions, a little gasp of unbelief ran through the audience - The Pres. smiled saying "if you doubt this ask my wife about it; for she loves the truth better than she loves me". (Dress of the time) For many years the dress that satisfied feminine taste and vanity among us was of the simplest and would oddly adorn the pages of the Bon-Ton Journal de Modes or Harpers' Bazaar - Soft merino dresses of H bMS Am 1118.95, Box 9
|
|
|
|
Not to be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Transcription and commentary copyright 1998 by Martha Nell Smith, Laura Elyn Lauth, and Lara Vetter, all rights reserved Maintained by Rebecca Mooney <rnmooney@umd.edu> Last updated on January 25, 2008 |
|