The Sunny South, or, The southerner at home [microform] : embracing five years' experience of a northern governess in the land of the sugar and the cotton

Front matter

OR,

EMBEACINQ

FIVE YEARS' EXPERIENCE OF A NORTHERN GOVERNESS

Preface

As most of the Letters embraced in this volume were written for the Editor of the late American Courier, and appeared therein, from time to time, the writer thereof has not seen fit to alter the local allusions, the style of address in the Letters, or the appellation of "Needles," by which they were originally designated. As these Letters were commenced, and ' many of them published before Mrs. Stowe's Uncle Tom was written, its pictures of South-western life have no reference to that work nor were influenced by it. These epistles are not replies to any attacks on the South, but a simple representation of Southern life, as viewed by an intelligent Northerner, whose opinions are frankly and fearlessly given. —

The object of this work is to do justice to the Southern planter, and, at the same time, afford information in an agreeable form to the Northerner ; and if these objects are obtained in any degree, the writer, in consenting to its publication as a volume, will be fully rewarded. One important fact ought not to be overlooked, which is, that ninetj'-nine out of every hundred of the governesses, tutors, professional men, and others, who flock to the Soutb, "ten thousand a year," for the improvement of their fortunes, remain, (the young ladies, if they can obtain " Southern husbands,") and identify themselves fully with

the Southern Institutions.

Letter I. Dttboductobt

rum

Titles, how selected — Their value to a hook — The difiScalty of choosing of a good title — " Dots and Lines" — Scissors and Needles — Female Authorship — Woman's pen-trials — The Author's happiness — Ambition to be in type 19

LETTER n.

A western home — Cole — Beautiful scenery — Cotton and tobacco fields — Shelter — Mail coach — Lions — Doves and childhood — Negro quarters The overseer's house — The Cumberland river 26

LETTER in.

The planter and his retinue — The African servant and his dog — The ^ hunters' departure — The slave girl, Eda— The numerous servants in a southern house — The difference between the field and house slave 31

LETTER IV.

The hunters' return — The two strangers — The authoress' story — The village and the widow — The brothers — The beautiful Ida — The mischievous boy and minister's horse — The authoress — The normal school — The private equipage — Col. Peyton and daughter — The surprise , 37

LETTER V.

Touring among the mountains — The letter — The struggle — The opposition— The little invalid scholar — The parting at the school-house — Sympathy — The tour west — Arrival in Nashville — The " Lodge" 45

LETTER VI. v/

Author's looks — Camel's hair pencils — The plantation bell — Waking hours — The mint-julep — The luxury of a domestic — The breakfast verandah — The dinner — The evening ride — The drawing-room — Hoars of retiring 60

LETTER VII.; Fox-hunting — Kate's courser — The young Tennessee hunters — The separation — The master and his slaves — Reflections — The Peacock and mule — The fight — A race, but not a fox-chase — The catastrophe. 56

LETTER VIIL The morning start — The ravine and dogs — The negroes' invitation to Reynard — The baying— The flight of the fox — The conflict and leap — The entanglement — The veil and the death — Kate presented with the brush 61 c/

LETTER IXi

The rural chapel — The gray-haired pastor — The authoress attends church — Group of Madonna and child — The singing of master and slaves — The mistress and her servants — The ebony baptisms 66

LETTER X.V Nashville — Its approaches — The Hermitage and tomb — The capitol — President Polk — Fashion and gayety — Authors— Poets of the west —French in newspapers — Candidate for authorship 71

LETTER XL

Enlisted as contributor — Gratitude — The hopes and fears of authorship — Love of poets for their verses — Lovo of self — Newspaper poetry — What is immortality— The fame of the year A.M. 6,000 77

LETTER XIL The invitation — The intelligence of the horse — Nineveh — The nobility of man — The scenery of the woods — Squirrels — The old negro and culprit — Charms — The Indian hunter — The story of the old warrior — The hospitable planter — Kate pays toll 83

LETTER XIIL The good and true — Kate's bravery doubted — The old mansion — Di Vernon rivalled — Hospitality in silver goblets — The portrait and

PAOK

character of Jackson — His mercy — The deserter — War-relics — The major's war-horse — The deer-stands — Military posting — The deer in sight— Perils— The shot , 91

LETTER XIV. y

The pet fawn — Buck and wolf — The uproar in the kennel — The canine epicures and Mam' Daphney — Old George and his fiddle — A slave village by moonlight — True music — Young Africa — Com dance — Biding a bull for a wager — Songs of the people 102

LETTER XV. v^

The scenery about the lodge — The Polks — The " needles" in danger — The bloodhound — A rescue and the dirk — Aunt Phillisy — The aged African — Care of southerners for the old slaves — Conversation with Cusha — Comparison between the Indian and African — Female politicians and patriotism — Clay and Webster 112

LETTER XVL

Emerson and his thoughts — Female writers — The colonel reads no book written by a lady — Shirley — Groldsinith — Shakspeare — Fame and Tom Moore — Opening an Indian mound — Discovery of idols — Geology en amateur — Thunderbolts — A lover's quarrel — All owing to a prescription — A story proposed 121

LETTER XVIL y

The Nashville convention — The site of the city — Two South Carolinians— An old Roman — The party attend convention — Politeness in public assemblies — Madame de Stael upon honor and duty — South • /' Carolina orators — The handsome mayor — Speeches of Virginia dele-^'' gation— Hon. Wm. Colquitt— General Pillow— W. H. Polk— Selflaudation — Adjournment of convention — Thanks to the ladies — A gift from South Carolina 129

LETTER XVin.

A mysterious letter — Not a declaration — The fame of the authoress at a premium — Invitation to write — A tale proposed — The master and slave — An African wedding — Brilliant costumes — The supper — Ethiopian gentility — The sea-captain — New Africa ignores Old Africa^ The captain rides 142

LETTER XIX.

FAOX

The authoress writes a tale — A word to editors — Isabel and the wounded soldier — A noble reply — Orthography and warm hearts — An adventure with a Bengal tiger — The perilous situation of the ladies — The power of music over brutes — The rescue — The death — Birds, and monkeys, and little negroes ; 160

LETTER XX.

Fishing — Costume for the woods — Isabel in becoming attire — Men's hats and women — The pic-nic-basket — A betrayal of red sealing-wax — A merry party — The captain's craft — Towing into port — Cooing — The forest brook — The lovers — Lessons in fishing — The dinner in the forest — Old Hickory's memory 159

LETTER XXL

Ralph Waldo Emerson — His philosophy — A critique — Where his philosophy is defective — School for young statesmen — College for diplomats at Washington — Foreign ministers to be able to speak foreign languages — Dickens and his books — Mrs. Fanny Osgood and her pen 109

"LETTER XXn.

No more book — Proposed departure to the Springs — The carriage and how it was stowed — The cavalcade, not omitting Dickon and his boots — The led horse and beautiful mule — Mules aristocratic animals — Negroes' admiration for new shoes — Gentlemen's hats — A suggestion to promote conversation in the parlor — An expression of thanks in a P.S 17i

LETTER XXin.

The secret — Visit to Columbia — The birth-place and mother of a president— The Gothic institute — The professor and his halls — The curiosity of a bevy of girls — A lioness — The unlucky poet — Kate's indignation— The colonel's surprise — The punishment — The forgiveness — The dreaded poem 186

LETTER XXIV.

The Eden of Tennessee — The editor's excursion — Duck river, or, what is in a name? — A beautiful villa and grounds— Bishop Otey at hia home — Refleetions upon death— Beautiful scenery — The art of smoking— A few feminine suggestions and criticisms on smoking cigars... 194

LETTER XX V^.

PAcn

A watering place — Its tedium — The last resort — Description of the

place — Noon-day scenes — The fishing lawyer and bis horse — The fat

gentleman and his Catastrophe — An alarm — General waking up —

Dinner-bell — The bonhommie of the slave — Unbroken forest — An

Etbiopian dinner — Night and it« sounds 200

LETTER XXVLv/'

The hour and pen for writing — The return home — The village of Mount Pleasant — Ken Hill and scholarly men — Donald M'Leod — The neglect of education — Count Meolis — Bonbons — The delights of home — Keep moving — A proposed trip to New Orleans — The power of song — Jenny Lind 212

LETTER XXVIL ^

The novelty of south-western life — An enumeration of objects of interest— The young southerner — The fair maiden of the sunny south y — Run-a-way matches — Sargent's song — Bats in the room — Terror of young ladies — The battle and victory — The colonel lectures on bats — They devour musquitoes, not maidens 222

LETTER XXVIILv^'

The baggage — Parting at the park — Pets — The mystery of brute life — Scenery — Arrival at the steamer — The noble America — The beauty of the verandahs — Elegance and luxury — The promenade — State-rooms— Departure of the boat — The last bell 233

LETTER XXIX.

The beauty of the Ohio — The pirates' cave — The river robbers — The good old keel -boat times — Life on the river fifty years ago — The grave beneath the sycamore — The old pilot's story — The assassination — Revelations of the future — The exquisite and bis hat — The deserters shot — The pilothouse — Father of waters 241

LETTER XXX.

Entrance into the Mississippi — Meeting of the waters — The dark river — The dangers of the Mississippi — Beautiful sun-set — Chain of lakes Night on the water — The woodmen's fires — The captain's story — Signal fires and the ruse — Earthquakes — The bear and alarm 251

LETTER XXXL /

V PA»X

The city of Natchez — Its elegance — The beauty of its suburbs — Its polished people — The magnolias — Drire from town — A superb villa — Visit a charming garden — A lovely prospect — Southern flowers — The night-blooming cereus — The grave of "good old Peter" — Reflections upon " faithful servants" ^ 259

LETTER XXXII.y

■ The old family — The position of governesses in the south — Of tutors — 1 The evil of northern interference with the 'south — The meeting of \ Kate with a friend — The education of southern boys — The dead shot — The Indian chief and Sharp's rifle— The Indian grave and the Christian chapel — Subject for a poem 267

y

LETTER XXXIIL Lost needles — The old parson — The carefully entrusted package — Letter from the editor naming the loss — Reflections upon missing MSS — Two parcels lost — Value of manuscripts to authors — " To be preserved" 276

LETTER XXXIV.

In Louisiana — Letters from the prairies — Narrative resumed — The steamer in sight — Fort Rosalie — Go on board — AVaving of kerchiefs — The fawn's leap — Opulence spoils authors — The elegant steamer — The mysterious passenger 283

LETTER XXXV.y Interior of a packet— The fine old southern gentleman — Happy world — Wanderingpen — The interesting in valid — Superb piano performance of a stranger — Operatic stars — Not Jenny Lind — Who is she? — Musical genius of southern women — Biscaccianti — Parodi— Letters from Louisiana , 289

LETTER XXXVL ' The lower Mississippi — Scenery on the shores — A vast cotton field — Wealth of cotton-planters — The way to get rich — Baton Rouge — The home of General Taylor — Old Whitey — Ladies of Baton Rouge — Members of the legislature — Voyage resumed 296

LETTER XXXVIL The old pilot — The red pole — A corsair of Louisiana — The old times of river buccaneers— A hint for a story writer — The pirate's death — The

' FAei governor's bride — A bit of romance — Senator Benjamin — His appearance— Discussion and talent — Tiie intellect of the Jews — Their ambition — President of the United States 302

LETTER XXXVIII.

The sugar estate — Chateau and quartier — Sucrerie — Cost of opening a x sugar estate — An enchanting scene — Signal Ores — The two convents ^ — Education of girls therein — Dame Ursula and her legends — The influence of convents over the minds of pupils — Romanism — Prayers and pedes 309

LETTER XXXIX.y

Descendants of the French in Louisiana — View from n balcony — Passing steamers — Sugar fields — A Louisianian chateau — Tiie slave village — Sugar house — M. de Clery's son — A secret — Proposed visit to New Orleans — An engagement — Lovers to be chosen for their good temper.. 316

LETTER XL.

Music by night — Isabel — Musquito-bars — The carriage road — The levee — Danger of the dwellers on the *' coast" — What a crevasse is — How it begins and is stopped — The authoress guardian over a lover — The midnight tocsin — A conflagration — A prayer for those in danger 322

LETTER XLL

First impressions of a city — The foreign aspect of New Orleans — The Indian war-whoop — The conductor and the old lords of the soil — The poodle-dog — The Frenchman and his bird — The cake — The conversation with the prisoner in the cage — The grandpa meets his family — The joy of the household — The escapade — The consternation and pursuit. 328

LETTER XLIL

Approach to the city — Gardens and villas — Arrival at the depot — An Irish hackman — Chinaman with kites — Handsome bouquet seller — The parrot man — Isidore buys a bouquet — The drive to the St. Lonis -Its palace-like accommodations 334

LETTER XLIII.

nan The leveo at New Orleans — Ride along the quay — The ships of Sweden — Jenny Lind, Thorwaldsen, and Frederika Bremer — The halfmasted flags — The ships of England, France, and Spain — Wharf for steamers — The glory and splendor of commerce — The fate of all ancient commercial cities 338

LETTER XLIV.

The model hotel-proprietor — Diplomas — Hotel-keeping an art and profession— The French part of the city — Shops — The old cigar-smoker — Indifference to observation of the French — New Orleans composed of two cities — Children even speak French — An exile — A German prince — nearly all languages spoken in the city 345

LETTER XLV.

The peculiarity of the streets — ^Young ladies taught philosophy — The Place d'Armes and its gay scenes — Visit to the cathedral — Veiled lady — The confessional — Secret of power — The picture of the Passion— Mariolatry — Reason for it in the inseparability of the Madonna and Child— St. Patrick's cathedral— 111 built church 362

LETTER XLVI.

Return to the country — Correction of error caused by misplaced notes — Nicolene — "Who is she? — Friendship without sight — A greeting to the loved unknown — A wedding in prospect — Taxes upon taste — Isidore— Aunt Cloe icing cakes — Bosting-way 360

LETTER XLVIL

Danger of postponement of wedding — Objections now to the nuptials — Isidore in despair — Kate the consoler — Colonel Peyton condemns all fashion — A new idea — M. de Clery is charmed with it — Whipping around the stump — The excitement of preparation — What daughters exchange for husbands — Blessings on the happy pair 364

LETTER XLVIIL

A wedding — Men's curiosity — The dogs, birds, and sable urchins rejoice — Old Bonus — A howling dog supposed to be an ill omen — Muzzled — The visit to the chapel — The parson and his mule — Beauty of scenery — The chapel — The grave — Reflections upon life and death — Parting with the bride fills her heart with tears 371

LETTER XLIX.

PAOI

The cortege — Slave costume — The wreath of orange blossoms — Beautiful girls — Twenty-four bridesmaids — The wedding — The kissing — The congratulations — Return to the chateau — Dinner party — Lost and won hearts — Betrayal of a secret — Intended departure for New York — An old maid of two and twenty 376

LETTER L.

Preparations for Havanna — The dignity of Webster — A letter to Charley — The unfledged blue bird — The trouble of its parents — Congress of the forest dwellers — The efforts of the friends of the unfortunate — Kate's compassion — A ladder and cotton — Moral to little boys 382

LETTER LL

Descending the Mississippi — The Balize — Singular appearance of the vessels — The beauty of the first night on the gulf — The splendor of Orion and Pleiades — Were there ever seven stars ? — The native poetry of children , 388

LETTER LTL

Havanna — The Moro Castle — A line of battle ship — The scenes in the streets of Havanna — The British flag — The glory of America — The empire of republics — The Triumviri — Who takes their place? 394

LETTER LUL

New York — Neptune — Calm seas — The living heart under the sea — Vessels met in the ocean — Our passengers of ten nations — The Israelite— What is a Jew ? — Has he a country — The future commercial splendor of the Israelites 399

LETTER LIV.

The departure oversea — Leave the city — Cars to Boston — M. de Cressy — The aspect of Boston — Literary society — Germon — Mrs. Partington — Her literary ambition and failure — Homeward bound — Quiet of (he country 405

LETTER LV.

My native village — The scenes at home — The visits of neighbors — The deacon inquisitive — Bible trees — The new dresses — Buttonhole and his seven suits — The proposition to print a book — The proposed title — Diffidence of the authoress — Farewell to literature 410

J

M CONTENTS.

LETTER LVI.

PASS

A surprise — Marriage of Kate nearly three years ago — Letter from her friend, the editor — Letters to be resumed — Little Harry — Little needles — Consent to write — Quiet and elegant home — Kate a southern matron , 416

LETTER LVIL

Mistaken for another — The European Miss Conyngham — Letters unwritten of a tour — The route to Thibodeaux — Bayous and boat-sailiug-^Sugar fields — Customs of the people — Saturday gatherings — The barges of the planters — A charming country 421

LETTER LVIILV

Illawalla or Lover's Lake — Beautiful lawns — The house and grounds — Imaginary letter of the editor — Description of a southern home — Kat«'s criticisms — Homes and heaven — What constitutes a home — The words of Jesus — Cities the results of the fall — Race with a deer — The Indian lover's death 430

LETTER LIX. ,

The picture — Aunt Winny — Florette and Harry — Aunt Winny's experience— The voice and silver trumpet — The old slave's argument about tongues — The vision — The preacher and baptism — The miracle and superstition of the slave — Reflection upon negro conversions — An answer to an inquiry 437

LETTER LX.

Shopping — The new fashion — Chloe and the mode — Dissertation upon hats and fashion generally — An academy of fashions — A suggestion to the ladies of America — A good result from an American court of modes — Preparation for a picnic 448

LETTER LXL

The commissariat's department — Harry and the doctor — The baskets and parcels — The Xebec — the floating boudoir — Uncle Ned the steersman — The two sisters — Louis the lover — Harry not Cupid — The bayou — Breakfast en voyage — Accession to the party — The good wishes — Harry's accomplishments 463

LETTER LXII. "

Talkative pens — Thibodeaus — Enter La Fourche — The voyage begun — The torch-light funeral of the nun — The goddess Mary — The prophecy and a little theology — The sugar estate — The savannahs — A deer— An alligator— The Gulf, ho 1 462

LETTER LXIIL^

Authors and money — The sight of the Gulf— Hoist sail — The sugar sloop — Gulf trade — Children's speeches—The condition of the slave. — Northern interference — Southern humanity — When a black Moses is wanted, Heaven will send him — The anchoring — Tent pitched — An alarm 471

LETTER LXIV.

Identity of authors — Speculations — Pen — Names — Our tent lodgings — The Revenue Cutter — Successful sport — Visit to Barrataria Bay — The apparent volcano at sea — The sphericity of the earth — The needle and light-ship — Lafitte's Fort 482

LETTER LXV.

The summer resort of Louisianians — The Roman Chapel — " Mary and Paul" — Adoration of the mother — The marquis — The post-mistress and her brave father — Captain Hearn — Gentility — The mound and Indian warrior — Bathing and swimming 491

LETTER LXVL Leave the Pass — The Oregon — Lake by moonlight — The beauty of the sea by night — Meeting a vessel — Grass Patch — The Fleet Anchorage The Cutter — Captain Douglas Ottinger, inventor of the Life Car — Mobile — Its bay and watering places — Hotels 500

LETTER LXVILx/ The Southern clime — Society in Mobile — Beauty of suburbs — Society Madame Le Vert — Absent in Europe — An adventurer of the female sex — " Noble friends" — The jewelry discovery — Flight of the countess 505

LETTER LXVIIL-^ Leave the hospitalities of Mobile — Its pleasant people and fine drives Sail up the Alabama — Montgomery — Ring left at the hotel — Conduotor'/j promise — Augusta — Columbia a Paradise — Charleston and South Carolinians — The Triumviri ., 513

LETTER LXrX.

PAGB

An old Virginia Inn— First Families— Walter Raleigh — Scenery of Virginia— The son of nohles — The Inn parlor — Sumptuous table — •Trip to Europe — Farewell 521

OB,

THE SOUTHERNER AT HOME.

LETTER I.

Not that you are very " dear" to me, for' I never saw you in all my life, but then one must begin their epistles, and as everybody says dear, and don't mean any thing by it, I say dear too, and don't mean any thing by it, so don't flatter yourself in the least ; for, if it were the fashion, and the whim hit my fancy, I should just as likely have written " Bear." You editors presume so much, you need to be put down.

I was going to begin my letter by saying why I call my letters "needles." Not, you may rest assured, because they are likely to be sharp and keen, for I have no doubt that they will be vastly dull, but one must have a title, and what must one do for one? Simple '^Letters" would never tempt the eye. The pill must be gilt. You would, no doubt, laugh very good-humoredly if I should confess to you that I have been

2J0 THS SUNNY SOUTH ; OR,

^otliefing my poor little head for three hours to-day for a title. A celebrated author once told me, — for I have seen such lions in my day, and talked and flirted with these lords of the quill, too, — that he thought more of his "titles" than of the matter of his books, and that was no slight matter either ! He said he had sometimes written out on a long paper, (like a subscription list, I suppose,) a score of names, and then carefully studied them, fancied how they would take the eye of the lounger in the book-stores, or the passer-by, who should glance at the big poster : he even used to go so far as to set the title up in type, an amateur fount of which he kept by him for this purpose, before he fully fixed upon his " clap-trap."

Now, I can imagine all this to be very necessary, and 1 give this author credit for no inconsiderable knowledge of human nature. Half the novels are bought by their titles by half the world. I used to buy them so. When I took this weighty fact into consideration, I was sore perplexed. "Letters" I was resolved not to have. "Epistles" looked like the New Testament, and I felt it too sacred a word for me to make light use of ; for I was very properly brought up to reverence any thing about the Scriptures. I thought of " Pen and Ink" sketches — a nice title, but Mr. Willis had invented and used it : happy gentleman with a gift for happy titles ! for his "Pencillings by the Way" is another that came into my head, and I tried every way to parody it, but I couldn't manage it at all, and gave it up. I thought of " Dots and Lines," but somebody had got it before me, and nothing seemed left but Dot and go One; when, in my troubles I pricked my finger with a needle that was in my needle-book, which I was turning and turning in my fingers while I was cogitating about my title. Instantly the idea flashed upon me, and the words, "Needles from my Needle-Book !" I seemed to read in the air before my eyes. For fear I should forget the happy combination, I scribbled it down on the spot, and determined to adopt it.

No doubt you will expect to find something short and shrewd, ascetic and attic in my articles, but I promise you that you must look for nothing of the kind ; for it only takes great authors to write books that have nothing to do with their titles, nor their titles with them. The only defence I can make of my caption is that it is very appropriate to my sex, being a fair weapon either of offence or defence, as well as the glittering shuttle of female industry. Would you believe it, sir, my pupil, a wicked rogue of a beauty of sixteen, (for you must know I am a governess, and but nineteen and a little over^ myself,) she has seen my title, and says I had better put, " Scissors" to it? Scissors and Needles ! Dear

us, ]Mr. ! what would you have thought to have

opened my package, and had this title met your astonished editorial eyes ?

"SCISSORS AND NEEDLES:"

"by A YANKEE GIRL."

You have had in this specimen a touch of my South-western pupil's mischief, and you shall know more of her by-and-by, perhaps, if you print this letter and don't say any thing saucy about it ; for editors, who have lady correspondents, ought to be exceedingly well-behaved and mannerly, and appreciate the honor done them.- Now, having introduced my title to you, how shall I introduce myself and all the subjects I intend to let my pen run on about ? I shall not give you my name, nor give you any clue to it, if you should be never so curious to find it out ; for men have so much curiosity ! even where there will be, as in my case, nothing worth the trouble of finding out, for I am not so vain as to fancy I shall ever be worth asking after. It will take more ink and paper than I shall ever destroy, to make a lady who would be "literary" singled out of the troupes of has bleu that fill the land like the golden-winged butterflies in May. But I will do what I can to please, for my poor, innocent pen has got to travel a weary length, and I long to make happy more than one dear heart in this world. Authorship is not woman's sphere by nature, but by circumstances only. Oh, how many a gentle lady has the needle of poverty pricked on to seize, with trembling fingers, the awe-inspiring pen ! and dip it into her heart, to write out its life for bread ! Weary, oh ! weary is the path to woman's little feet — the path furrowed deep by the ploughshare of penury. In the furrows she drops the seeds of hope, and waters them with tears. It is a rough way this path amid types, and in the hustle for popularity and pennies, the sex is not spared by the ruder ones, and the critic's iron point, that maddens the strong man, pierces to the heart the timid woman ! Yet, once started, she must Avrite or die ; or, worse still, be dependent ; and this, to a proud woman, is the first death of this world's deaths.