The Comanche Chief and Pioneer Exponent (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, December 12, 1913 Page: 2 of 6
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And now I have come to the last of the old
letter*, faint with the perfume of days gone by_
the many letter* that Betty wrote, describing her
day at Varcjon Manor. And as I tie the faded
ribbon with which t^tey were bound, and replace
them tn the tin box, the phantom figure's of
°\hr^n.tury with them—return to that colo-
nial Christmas day whence they came.
rose with the ol
iv and vanished^
;y had bowed f
ig light-
oreover,
ev leave
Of the Middle and Southern -Colonies
a UAINT pictures were they, those co-
lonial Cliristmases—a gallery of rev-
___elrv that began on the eve, unfold-
|gngj^j ing until the twelfth ni^ht had been
of old letters, bright scenes silently issue
forth. From failed annals riteps the gay com-
pany trooping in with all the sumption and
splendor of a Veronese canvas. Come the
Cavalier planters, like great lords of Surrey.
Wo see their curled perukes, their garments
of velvet and brocade, bordered in trappings
of gold. We see my lady, her abundant hair
• powdefed, her dress cut lower than her
rounded shouMers--all the belles and beaux,
the laughing, dancing children. Come eager
negro Servitors, who replenish the hearth
fires. A flash of yellow light, a scattering
of tiny reddish embers and a swirl of cin-
ders goes scurrying up the chimney. The
reflection is shining from the polished ma-
_^hogany of the room. It cascts a glow on the
stately ancestral beauties looking down from
green wreathed frames. We see tall* mirrors
brightened with holly; twinbd evergreen
makes odorous the dark hall. Boughs of it
adorn the horns of a moose, trail over old
whips, muskets of Indian days, some brash
of the hunt.
And so the Christmas of our forefathers is
Coming back to us .again—coming from the per-
fumed pages of an old package of letters. Not
the Christmas of New England but of the mid
die and southern colonies—the colonies ol ba-
ronial estates, of baronial revelry, which means
an overturning of the, horn of plenty for miles
around. And so we come to Betty Hollis, of
Westmoreland county—the little Virginia girl
through whose eyes we are to see the Christ-
mas that she saw—a day, 150 years old living
again. Only because I happened to visit an
uncle recently do 1 know how Betty dressed
for the holiday. In the house of this uncle, who
lives near Alexandria, are many old letters and
from one of them I learned that Betty had gone
forth in her “new yellow coat and the Cap with
the blue ribbons that father gave me. They
cost the terrible sum of 45 pounds. I had on
my black belt and the new apron, the pompe-
dore shoes*. J guess that was all the new things.
Oh, no! I wore the handsome locket that my
Aunt Jane gave me.”
So tiiil Betty come with her father and mother
tn spend the holidays at Vardon Manor, the ”
home of her mother’s brother who lived ba?k
among the hills whose base the Potomac washes.
It was twilight when the coach drew up before
the house and as they embraced UtlCle Vardon
and Auntie Vardon—a cheerful, couple xjith fat.
smiling faces—a sound of commotion was heard
without. Came tlje blaring of a'huntsman's horn,
the bayipg of dogs, .the clattering of hoofs, the
sound of horsemen stopping, exclamations, laugh-
ing. and the next instant five of uncle's guests
had hurst into the hall. Their appearance was
a signal for the household to gather around and
listen to the talc of the hunt. Then Uncle Var-
don led the wav to a room where a punch howl
of steaming toddy awaited the riders and’every-
body joined in toasting the poor Fox, vyhose tail
bung from a saddle without.
Dinner over, the actual preparing for the diy
began. On Christmas Eve,, the preliminary
rites, so to speak, were observed. The log of
Yule was burned; the mistletoe was cut—won-
derfully important features by the way, that took
the place of our frantic fortnight of Chriatmas
ahopping. But the Yule and the mistletoe came
across the seas to the colonies, came from far
ba^k—from the groves of the fire-worshipping
druids whose priests held forth in Britain long,
i before the coming of the Saxons and the Ro-
. mans.
- For months. Uncle Vardon had had the log
selected—a fipi piece Of wood it was, just at
the edge of the clearing, not far from the house.
So with the meal ovdr, the guests drew on their
wraps, hurry ing out into the cold air to watch
the-first rites of the ceremony under blazing
torches ami swinging danlemsl With consider-
able pomp, the huge log was cut. In «■«
?r<! across the snow and placed unon
hearth. Ami as it passed, Betty
lifted /icir
old wrongs and enmities. Then with all the
guests and family gathered around, a piece of
last year’s log that had been saved carefully was
brought from its hiding place and used as a
kindler. And now in the room rose a low sin£U
ing, a soft refrairi, almost a chant that ended
, in a sweet harmony of voices—“Welcome rule!"
On the hearth two servants stood listening, their
faces reflecting the awe within them—listened
until the last notes had died Sway. Then at a
signal the log was raised. Across' the huge
andirons it fell blazing into cheery yellow light
under the repeated contact of the kindler. This
piece of the old year’s log, by the way, was sup-
posed to safeguard the house, and if lost, would
bring dire luck.
Following the lighting of the Yule log the fun „
began. It always delighted Betty, that spirit
of Christmas Eve. With thl first blazing from
the hearth, ceremony ceased to exist. For the
night the indefinable barriers of servitude were
lifted. Near Unde Vardon she saw his poor
white bands, the men from the stables. All were
sitting about in happy union, in complete equity.
Somewhere out in the night lay the slave quar-
ters, where the negroes, happy in the spirit that
had descended over the manor, were making
nerrv in their irrespessible childish way.
Then the mistletoe was hung—rthe white, waxy
berries that had been cut from the top of the
tallest oak and brought to Uncle Vardon that
very morning. Betty watched them hang it on
the \ceiling with rising nervousness. Then she
stole a quiet glance at the men in the room and
the nervousness grew.^ Most of them were good .
looking—very good looking—young Virginians,
expert love makers who loved fiercely and proved
their love by marrying early. To them a pretty
girl was the one ambition, marriage the most
important duty in life. But Betty knew, too,
that it was their custom to talk freely of such
affairs to their Servants. With young Dacey
over there, for instance, he might seize her under
the mistletoe and—then he would, like as not,
go home and discuss her charms with Black Tom.
Indeed he would probably confide to the old
negro that he had about made up his mind to
“go after Miss Betty."
Betty she unconsciously made a grimace at Dacey
and stamped her foot. But now a commotion
had been raised; a scene of delightful evasion
and struggling had begun. Betty saw the young1
er women run laughing and screaming to the cor-
ners of the room. For them the mistletoe brought
little Of-the superstitious veneration that the cus-
tom was supposed to create. Besides, its ob-
servance was attended with false unwillingness
and subsequent submission. Smiling, she saw
elderly women led beneath the boiigh ahd em-
braced by elderly men with all grate and deco-
rum. Higgling, she saw pretty Jahice Willard,
dragged from behind a curtain where she had
taken refuge and transported screaming across
the floor to be kissed by one of the young Vir-
ginians. Blushing, she felt herself being pushd
under the bow—tout why tell of the embarrass-
ment of poor Betty. Why, when the man was
young Dacey? And so the eve of the day came
and went with all the delightful rites and pranks
that tradition had brought across seas to the
colonies.
The fox hunt, having been held, the afternoon
before there was no need for early rising oh
ChHfctma* morning. Instead of leaving her warm
bed by candle light Betty awoke when the house
was a-clatter with preparation for the festal day.
Breakfast was served at 8 o’clock and after the
meal, the whole family and all the guests, be-
ing pious, went to church. To Betty the ides#
of beginning the day by receiving Holy Com-
munion was delightful.
Back tq the manor and formal Christmas sal-
utations Were exchanged. Then -all the slaves
came from outlying quarters and gathered in the
main room. Waddling mammies stood holding
the hands of frightened pickaninnies. Yet, was
it fright.? A closer, more searching look and
Betty saw in their black faces an expression of
unbelievable hope perhaps about to be fulfilled.
With the mammies and old white-haired uncles,
though, it was different—grins of smug hi
nulling that what had
re would happen again.
tered the room and behind him walked the fam-
ily, their arms loaded with packages. And a
wonderful happiness came over Betty as she
watched these packages, with their contents qI
clothes and trinkets, being distributed to the
slaves. It was good, to .see- the thankfulness in
their big eyes, in their eager gestures—to hear
the chuckles and shouts extolling “Massa,"
they shuffled from the room. Had she not heard
the minister say that for the meek was the in-
heritance of Christmas?
The morning was spent out of doors, every-,-
body visiting Vardon pond, now a pretty mirror
of ice fitted between two hills. Here Betty de-
lighted in' thq skates her uncle had given her.
They had all vcome all the way from Holland
and were better, she noted with a young girl’s
satisfaction, than any of the guests’. Indeed, so
keen was the sport that it-was not until early
afternoon that the company returned to the house.
At half-past three, dinner was to be served and
it was well the preceding hours had been spent
in The cool air. Under the open sky are appe-
tites bbrn and to those at Vardon Manor super-
appetites were necessary. In colonial times, the
eating of a Christmas dinner was serious busi-
ness—almost a fine art. •
As is obvious, it was not her first jChristmas
dinner that Betty sat down , to, but it was her
first at Vardon Manor. And the massive (that’s
the only w.ord) proportions it-took caused her
to regard the laden table in much the same way
as the pickaninnies had regaerded the gifts of
their master. *She knew her uncle to be one of
the richest men in Virginia but the liberality and
luxury of his board surprised even her. There
in the dining room stood the great table, white
in fine linen and rare china, shining in silver,
steaming with platters of odorous good things;
ot meat, of vegetables, of spices, of—but they
were too many to count. Betty sighed—a thank-
ful little sigh.’ She was glad she had spent the
morning in the open air. A
Then the company was seatdr and Betty had
a better chance to lookvaround—to inspect this
Ed.cn of food come down among them. Before
her were plattefs, three deep, ranged round the
table—oval swells of plenty issuing from the
center of the- board, as water circles when a
boy casts a stone into a pond. And as a monu-
ment to them rose in mid-fable a tall ornament
of plaster of Paris mounted on a silver rimmed
pedestal of mahogany and flanked by pyramids
of fruit. Behind her moved the servitors, bright
in new livery, one to fevery two guests.
While her Aunt Vardon carved (it was the
woman’s function in that day, to carve the Christ-
mas turkey) the guests were supposed to help
themselves and others from the platters before
them. Flanking the turkey were great platters
of fried chicken, partridge and duck. Every kind
of meat and game known to the colonies lay
steaming on the table. As in England there
were roasts—venison, lamb, mutton, beef, both
hindquarters and ribs. Down by her uncle Betty
saw three hams, sugar cured as the Virginians
alone knew how to cure. Just across from her
young Dacey was sitting: Two little stickling
pigs that were taking the place of the old Eng-
lish boar’s head were at his elbow and near him,
her nephew and her niece Molly were quarrel-
ing over the tail*.
The only Vegetables were white and swcft
potatoes and peifs. The colonists were meat
eaters. Pickles, preserves ana jcllie^abouaded,
however, and with them Betjty busied herself.
She liked her aunt’s gobs^belry jam far better
than her uncle’i gamey partridge. And 1»o the
■dinner was served with everyone eating >n..a
way that would make a gourmand of today drop
his hea/d in incompetency and jshame. The pla-
ter* cleared, /the servants brought on the pics
and puddings and ..when 'these had been done
away with the cloth Was withdrawn, exposing fhe
shiny surface of mahogapfy. Upon this bowls of
fruit and nuts were set (while from cellar closets
decanters of Madeira *nd Port made"
pcarancc. Like all tho ladies, Betty
servant to pour but ji taste in
a lady to take more (than a sir
Betty was bantering young Dacey
she was enjoying it most she saw her
courtesy to her uncle and leave the
bowed profoundly and it was a
ladies to go. So Betty
curtsied, received her bow
ished, wondering if Dacey
and with more warmth than
What happened next Betty learned
she married, after she became the
her own house. No sooner
drawn than toasts to them
proper to drink their health
Proposed Dacey with the
“I give you Miss Betty,
Westmoreland county!”
And the glasses would
It was 5 o'clock when Betty
the reception rooms 'upstairs,
ladies, saw her aunt send a servant
ed candles to their lords downstairs,
she noted that not until7 o’clock did
the dining room.' - i_
Of course there was no supper and when tne
company reassembled it was in the main hall.
FJere games were played, the younger men, fresh
despite their rites behind closed doors, entering
into them with zest. No longer did the girls
try to escape when caught below the mistletoe.
No longer did the older folks embrace beneath
it with courtly decorum. Now they were sit-
ting back, watching the others—as was then
as is now at all Christmas gatherings. Betty
thought one stout man particularly amusing.
He had been rolled in a chair frbm the dining
room and appeared to be growing testier every
minute from the gout that was coming into nia
foot.
...Games of blind man’s buff, hunt the slipper
and similar favorites pf the day were ptfcyed
amid much romping and kissing. Then the chor-
isters from the parish church who had spent the
afternoon at the house down the road, came along
and delighted all with their quajnt carols. Betty
was glad the house was open to them. They
looked so poor, some of thpm, so thankful when
Uncle Vardon directed the butler to set before
them meat and drink. Many more masks, and
fantastic costumes — masks, Betty found, that
•sometimes hid thankfully the sorrow of a face.
Then the huge Christmas candle was lighted
on a table in the parlor. A tall column pf white
wax it wras, calculated to last until every one
of the Yuletide’s twelve nights had been burned.
Betty watched it grow from a splutter to a bright
glowing light that set narrow shadows to mov-
ing across the floor. Then the shadows stood
still and Betty saw that a servant had closed
the window.
Indeed the servants were vefy busy just
' They were preparing the room for the Christ-j
mas ball, the ceremony that closed the day.
long narrow room it was with paneled walls
sortie dark wood and a white ceiling that curved
down to meet^ them. Jn a corner, bowered it
holly and evergreens **t the two best tiddler^
of the negro cabins. Proud of their selectior
they had .left a ’possum feast and a song of th<
darkies had followed them out into the night-
a song of joyous beautiful faith, that Betty al-j
ways liked to hear— "r - ^
“Oh chillin,.Christ is come
To heal you of yo’ danger, _
Pray dat you may be rekonciled.
, To the Babe dat lays in th’ manger."
,And then little flickers of light began to shoi
around the room. The servants were passing
from one old silver bracket of candlesticks U
another, always leaving a kindled wick behinj
them. Then the carpet was* rolled back;
fresh log was thrown on the hearth; the fid<!l<
scraped and with the master and mistress of Var
don leading the couples, the dance began. Oul
in the hall, the grandfather’s clock chimed eight!
For two hours they danced-^-danced the grace-'
ful figures of tl\* period, .the easy movements ofj
the double lines, the deep bowing of the men, the
pretty curtsies of the women. Then came the
Virginia Reel, the last figure bf the ball, a roU
licking, laughing reel, during which the old be-
came young and the young no younger. Up ini
a little gallery three old negro mammies were
"holding the children who would not sleep and
against the railing ttheir flat shoes held a shuf-
fling rythm to the time of the music. And as It
came Betty’s turn to go romping down the
laughing, jostling corridor of her kinsfolk and
friends she saw her partner was to be young
dark-haired, smiling Dacey—-and she was’ glad.
; A moment later the clock chimed ten and every-
body fcaid good-nighty-Betty and Dacey longer
servant to pour but ]L taste in her
those days, considered the height o|
little
Th*fl Betty •aw” lyfer uncle rite
hi* feet and drink fa to*Vt to
followed five (minutes ol
^nversa-
t f/'
\
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Bell, Tom H. The Comanche Chief and Pioneer Exponent (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, December 12, 1913, newspaper, December 12, 1913; Comanche, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth870410/m1/2/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Comanche Public Library.