| Show CREOLES OF ORLEANS ORLEANSI I Graphic Pictures of the rood Old Times They Enjoyed SKETCHES OP THEIR MANSIONS Changes Since the War 5lanv Piospcroas Creole Men of Business Creole Beauties Southern Sketches 11w OIILEANS La Sept 3 1890 Special correspondence of TIIE HERALD j Standing before this old mansion on St Louis street once the home of a wealthy Creole family one realizes what changes the years have wrought Though now the great double doors of the courtyard are battered and devoid of paint there was a time when in opening they afforded enchanting en-chanting glimpses to the passerby vistas of green flowers in prodigal profusion bordering the flagged pavement tropical 1 plants in tubs waving their broad leaves I with a rustling whisper and fountain that caught a thousand rainbows in its leaving spray falling again into the marble basin with a cool and pleasant sound With the closing tf those doors you shutout shut-out the vulgarnoise and hurry of the busy world Within the mansion a broad hall led to the double parlors furnished in mahogany ma-hogany in the massive style which suited best those lofty and spacious apartments The polished floors were reminiscent of fair France and the drawn shutters > tout t-out the glare of the sunshine making a I pleasant dimness restful to the eye There was a kind of stately simplicity observable in the adornment of these roomsfine pictures statuary and bronzes were there but none of the litter or lirica Tirac and cheap prettiness superabundant cushions and draperies which are so marked a feature feat-ure of the modern drawingroom The same severs elegance prevailed in all the furnishings of this old time residence In the second story of the wing which ran out at the back of the house were the comfortable com-fortable quarters of the slaves and it maybe may-be mentioned in passing that fifteen servants ser-vants to attend upon a family or two or three was rather the rule than the exception excep-tion Below was the culinary domain shining with neatness and no less daintily cared for than the parlors t ti ft rV rj1 i11 2L < 6 Q 0 4 Yri I r G > dJ z A t v t fj11J = rf1lnn I t F r = = FASHIONABLE CREOLE QUARTERS This was the town house of a rich Creole who spent the gay season in New Orleans repairing when the heated term set in to his great sugar plantation in St James parish or if madame and the little ones needed a breath of sea air to Lost island then a highly fashionable summer resort Very gay indeed was that gay season with horse races lively regattas upon the Bayou St John balls and parties and other social diversions and it may be believed that that temple of music the old French opera house on Orleans street was crowded on fashionable nights to its utmost capacity Hospitality was both a duty and a pleasure in those days Each family kept np a running run-ning tiro of entertainments and among neighbors there were many minor festivities festiv-ities of a more informal character The stranger within their gates was made royally welcome Everything was on a lavish scale open house was the rule and it was nothing uncommon for a large family of course aided by their numerous guests to consume a cask of claret in a week There was so little social intercourse between the Creoles and Americans that it could not be said to count There were certain customs ana tradition tradi-tion faithfully followed by the best Creole families The daughters of the house were sent to convent schools where it must be owned they learned little except embroidery and graceful deportment The sons fared better for they were dispatched to the universities of France to acquire that polish of mind and maurer which made them the courtly gallant gentlemen they were Coming out at fourteen or fifteen in all her blushing f rosebud beauty madamoiseiie was speeauy married tine affair fair being arranged between the parents of man and maid though there was no forcing of inclination and the young lady had the privilege of declining the proposed suitor if ho appeared unpleasing to her Once married even if she had been the veriest coquette in Christendom sho usually settled set-tled down soberly to the management of her great house in which she took a housewifely house-wifely pridemonsleur be it whispered was a decided epicureand as family cares increased she often occupied herself in rearing her numerous olivebranches often ten in number The negro nurse or Mam as she was affectionately termed by the children was an important personage in the household Though she never laid the weight of her finger upon her houng charges she stood next in authority to their mother She was quite an imposing figure in her stiffly starched percale gowmvithits fullgathered skirt and white neckerchief and the tall brightcolored Madras headdress or Ugwm rendered still higher and maintained in its l lofty position by a comb artfully arranged inside In the time of bereavement her mourning garb was of blue and white ging ham the gay tirjuon changed for one of black or white V 1 VV I t tspr p q J41 I 1 A CREOLE MAAM Mam1 seemed to consider it part of her duty to keep up a constant rumble of grumbling but perhaps because custom hid staled its effect or perhaps because they knew she doted on them the children paid little attention to her growls or threats She attended upon their toilet and bath she sat with the older ones while the connedthe morrows lessons and on pleasant days she took the flock for their walk abroadan occasion requiring many excited directions for their good behavior and safety Ga pltl fats cntcntionto pas tombs dans Ic fosse Tciombo mo In robe Take care little ones dont fall in the gutter Catch hold of my dress She it was also who rocked the youngest to sleep in her tender arms crooning meanwhile some such quaint slumbersong asJ Dodo Minette Trots pfcaillons du lait Pou bcbe quo va faire dodo Pou sa mere cherie Or Cest la paulette blanche Qui pond sur la planche Qui va faire un petit coco Pou Minette qui va faire dodo Dodiche Dodiche Endormezmoi cette enfant Jusqua Page de quinze ans Quand quinze ans seront passes ille sera bonne a marier Dodiche Dodichc All sorts of coaxing and meaningless pet names fell tripping from Mams tongue Jfiucttc boulattc cocattc toutuutc and seeming seem-ing to fancy that the very Christian names of her nurslings needed softening she transformed Celestine into Titine Amelie into Mimi Corinne into Coco GJustavo into Tatave and Gaston into Tonton The eldest son of the family her pride and darling dar-ling was usually addressed fondly as tit nommc petit hommc The glory of those days has vanished past as the suns that set o When the young Creoles returned from war they found society disorganized It was a new and strange order they were forced to confront and be it said in their honor they met it like men Face to face with poverty often with widowed mothers and orphaned sisters depending upon them they were obliged to take the first position they could obtainusually a small clerkship clerk-ship in a bank or some commercial house Energy and ambition did not allow them to remain long in the lower ranks and among those who have worked up into positions po-sitions of honorable responsibility one may mention Mr Jules Tuyes a veritable type of the chevalier of olden timeswho is now president of a well known New Orleans insurance company and Mr Alexandre Landry who could sign himself I 1 Alexandre Landry de Freneuce de Saint Aubin had not his ancestors deemed such titles unsuitable under a republican form of governmentmanager of the Southern Oil company The fortunes made and rebuilt re-built since the war wrought financial ruin in the souta have not been achieved by Americans alone for the names of Lanaux Lanata Chaffraix Aldige Gelpi Cassard Lazende Lop = eyre < and Hernandez are synonymous with business enterprise and good luck That there is no lack of wealth among the Creoles of today the handsome mansions upon beautiful Esplanade street now the fashionable Creole quarterbear witness Some it is true t of the old families witnessI have sunk into poverty 7 pov-erty and obscurity but taken as a j whole the Creoles have held their own t i 1 bravely Hampered I by traditions of lI t luxury and leisure 11t > > P l the struggle of the I u young men has been A CREOLE MAIDEX a hard one They are further overweighted for the reason that they have a generous objection to letting let-ting the women of their family work as breadwinners and although the latter may perform prodigies of economy yet when there is only one wageearner and many dependents the strain must necessarily neces-sarily be sbvere The sons of the rich are given a university education and the choice of a profession whereas commerce is the resort of those upon whom the need of an immediate income is pressing But society becomes more and more Americanized each year and differences between the two races grow less Studying aide by side in school and college they have learned to know and understand each other V and reciprocal prejudices have vanished Canal streetis no longer the rigid line of demarkation between the Creoles and Americans that it once was Some of the rich Creoles have left their downtown precincts and moved uptown and intermarriages inter-marriages have completed what social inter 1 It i0r a1t sjji a oIt course began It is a common thing to find I the children of such unions chattering French to mamma and English to papa or I vice versa The happiest results may be hoped for the grafting of creole gayety and grace upon American progressiveness and clear common sense One of the most marked traits of the Creole temperament is buoyancy They know how to enjoy They carry lightly that yoke of labor which seems to press so heavily upon Englishspeaking peoples The wisdom of inhaling the perfume of the moment is known to them They do not go forth on a gala day to push and shove and growl they brush little annoyances annoy-ances aside with s laugh and a jest in a crowd they are gay and goodnatured Both men and maidens are passionately fond of dancing and even the warmest weather does not make their enthusiasm flag The love of music is deeprooted in their natures it is to be questioned whether they could live without it Poor indeed must be that Creole who foregoes the Sunday opera matinee and no pinching or stinting is deemed too severe if that pleasure is in view In personal appearance the Creoles are a welllooking race and even when they have no positive beauty there is a symmetry which is pleasing Grotesqueness of form and feature almost amounting to deformity deform-ity flat waists high shoulders and thick wrists and ankles are almost unknown among them The men are usually good looking sometimes strikingly handsome in the brunette type and though short of stature they are broadshouldered and muscular At her best the Creole girl is irresistibly pretty the dark wonder of her I great longlashed liquid eyes further enhanced en-hanced by a stormcloud of hair about a low smooth brow brilliant white teeth delicately molded features and a clear I olive complexion Her figure is lissome and roundedsupple and slender without angularity or attenuationand her hands and feet are small and dainty Now and then a strain of Andalusian blood produces a charming milkwhite blonde with violet eyes and shimmering golden hair doubly piquante among her darker sisters V A j yj1R pl ae x 1 It I r CREOLE CHILD Though the rigidity of the old system of chaperonage has somewhat relaxed tho Creole girl is not allowed as much freedom as her American friends and in many respects res-pects she is more unsophisticated For instance she does not understand lovemaking love-making for fun for the men of her race donot think it honorable to indulge in such unquestionable jesting If one of them I pays certain marked attentions to a young lady it is understood that he wishes to make her his wife Such matters are looked upon seriously and the rupture of an engagement is considered almost compromising com-promising to a girl The Creole damsel is not tailornjade by any means When money is not plentiful she is her own modiste with very charming charm-ing results for her garments are coquet ishly feminine and become her as its gay plumage becomes a tropical bird Feminine Femin-ine Ithat is the keynote to her character She still believes that it is womans duty to be pretty and pleasing above all things and her family do their best to shelter her from coarsening influences Perhaps from this springs the Creole prejudice against public schools it will be remarked that even when they are poor they strain a point and send their children to private seminaries Somewhat timid and conservative the Creole girl does not go in for culture quite as energetically as the American girl she does not belong to so many clubs and classes for mental improvement she does not want to vote nor does she yearn for a mission Like the French Jcinic idle she is apt to look forward to marriage as the feminine fem-inine destiny being eminently iltted for wifehood by her sweetness of nature and domestic tastes As a mother she errs on the side of overdevotion to her children That she grows stout alas Iwith increasing increas-ing years is tile only dark spot in the picture pic-ture but you will find that the Creole matron ma-tron though she may have lost the lithe grace of maidenhood has preserved much of her beauty of face most of her foicte de cneur and all of her smiling good temper Although the Creole girl is not addicted to delving among dead languages she has aften three or four modern languages at her disposal and is also clever with brush and pencil An excellent taste in music is common to all and there are many who are distinguished by musical talent which is cultivated to a pitch far beyond the limits of a drawingroom accomplishment The marvelous flexibility of Miss Adelaide Grimas high birdlike soprano and the admirable skill of Miss Lisette Delvaille both as a singer and pianist are well known in the best New Orleans circles while the magnificent contralto voice of Miss Anita Eustis now Mrs Keenan has created a sensation abroad Not only the silvery notes but the fine vocal method of Mrs Nott Bouligny were enthusiastically enthusias-tically commended by Gounod during one of her trips toParis It is an honor to New Orleans that these gifted ladies received their musical training here under the guidance of Mme Boudousquie To see the Creole belles in their glory you must visit the French opera house in Bourbon street on a Saturday night At such times the horseshoe curve of the balcony might well be called the line of beauty There one may note the lovely Legardeur sisters Miss Delvaille and her I sister MrLe ayer both pretty blondes I t b i i the charming Burthe and Villera sisters the Pitots brune and plquante the Bou lignys distinguished for their personal attractions at-tractions beautiful Mignon Cartier now the wife of an American charming Miss Aldidge Miss Laure Lanaux tall and of l I r W7iGwri r b I 1 I A CREOLE nELLE i stately figure Miss Castellanos a golden tressed Juno and her pretty brunette sister sis-ter Mrs Fernand May these are but a few of the bewitching faces that seem under the spell of light and perfume and music to blossom into redoubled beauty Not so many diamond necklaces to dazzle the gazer as may be seen at the New York metropolitan but the shoulders are as white as any in all the broad land and a single glance will convince you that the Creole girls have not lost their family jewelsthose lustrous brilliant eyes that have come down to them from generation to generation JULES DArer |
