AUNT PETIGRU--MY FIRST GERMAN
_Charleston, Oct. 25th._
My niece is too fascinating, tiny, red, squirming! I have never been on
intimate terms with so young a baby before, and cannot be content to
hold her but a little while. I want to hold her for a long time and
realize her individuality, but the nurse disapproves, so I continue to
find her fascinating.
_Oct. 30th._ I am having a delightful time. Aunt is very good and kind.
She is the widow of Mamma’s brother, James L. Petigru, who was a
distinguished lawyer and codified the Laws of this State. He died in the
midst of the War, heartbroken, they said, at the suffering and distress
for his own people that he saw ahead. Poor Mamma, it was awfully hard on
her, for she simply adored Uncle, and Papa was as strongly in favour of
secession as Uncle was opposed to it. So those she loved best were
absolutely opposed to each other. Her opinions went with Papa, but she
felt intense sympathy for Uncle, and felt it killed him. The Yankee
Officers have been ordered by the Government to treat Aunt with the
greatest consideration. She has but to signify a wish for it to be
gratified at once. She was a great beauty and has never forgotten it
through years of terrible ill health. Uncle spoiled and humoured her
always, and now it seems the most natural thing in the world to have
everything she wants, have officers at her beck and call and live in
luxury, when every one else is almost in want. But she is most generous
with her comforts and luxuries, having Nannie, her maid and nurse, seek
out her friends who are ill or in need and sending them baskets from her
stores. She does not hesitate to say that she did not in any way
sympathize with Uncle’s opinion as to the War. She is always in bed, and
with a much befrilled cap which only reveals a few curls of light yellow
hair, receives the officers sent to her for command. She has a very
small single bed quite low to the floor and looks like a child, and
speaks in a high childish voice, most authoritatively. She has what she
calls a “Lazy Scissors.” It shoots out to a length of about three feet
and picks up things she wants. Nannie, her black maid, rules everything
and everybody, and I am thankful Nannie happens to approve of me for it
helps the situation. Aunt has a critical eye and loves beauty, and I am
not pretty, but she also loves to laugh, and I can amuse her by my
accounts of all my adventures when I go out, for I never stir from the
house without some adventure. Just now I am trying to get Aunt to
consent to my going to a party which is to be given by the young men at
Miss Annie Savage Heyward’s house, corner of Lamboll and Legare. It is
the first big dance given in town and I want to go, but Aunt has not as
yet given her consent. Mamma has gone in the country for a while and
there is no appeal from Aunt’s decision. I have got Nannie on my side.
The trouble is there is no chaperone to go with me, only my Cousin
Charley Porcher will come for me and bring me home. He fought all
through the War and came out alive, and I’m sure that makes him fit for
anything.
_Nov. 5th._ Well, I went to the party and had a grand time, no
refreshments but water, but a beautifully waxed floor, a great big cool
room, that is, two opening into each other with folding doors, and a
great wide piazza all round outside to walk in after dancing. But first
I must tell about my getting off. There had been no question of dress, I
was thankful for that. Aunt seemed to think of course I had a ball
dress. So when I was arrayed in my best black merino skirt--I was still
in half mourning for Papa--and my bleached pink paper cambric baby
waist, and Aunt sent Nannie to say she wished to see me before I went, I
trembled. However, I summoned up all the diablerie in me to meet the
ordeal. Really, I felt most uncertain of my appearance already, but I
would not show it for worlds. When I went in to the darkened room, Aunt
ordered Nannie to light up everything, candles and lamps, and as I stood
trembling inside, while the lights asserted themselves, Aunt surveyed me
and burst forth.
“Bessie, you are a fool! My God, that is no costume for a party! You
look more like a funeral than a big fashionable dance! Come here and let
me see that skirt. My God, it is really what I thought, black merino!
Plain and full! You cannot leave my house for a party dressed like
that!”
“Aunt,” I said, “If you say another word I will begin to cry and then my
costume will be lighted up with a red nose to please you.” This made her
laugh and I went on. “You have not looked at the exquisite lace on my
bodice. Mrs. Pringle said this was an ideal young girl’s waist.”
She looked, examined the lace, and relented. “Nannie, open that top
drawer to the left and get out that set of old Mexican silver. This
child must have something to relieve this stern effect.”
Nannie arrived with a box and Aunt took out and had me put on a pair of
broad silver bracelets like manacles of fish scales, a string of silver
beads round my neck which though not plump is called pretty, and in my
ears carved silver earrings about three inches long and weighing about a
ton apiece. Then Aunt surveyed me once more, gave me a little push and
said, “Now go, all this excitement has made me feel very ill. Do behave
yourself and don’t cry if you don’t get a partner.”
Thankfully I escaped and went down to Charley, who was tired waiting for
me. He was all admiration of my appearance, but Aunt had injected a new
and fearful thought to my mind. “Not get a partner,” what an awful
thought! I had always had my choice of partners, but now that I came to
think, I had been away from town all the years of the War. Papa and
Mamma had never allowed me to accept invitations to stay with my friends
who had remained in Charleston. It was said that society was too
informal and too gay for them to be willing for me to join it. Most of
the dear boy friends whom I used to dance with had been killed or
disabled, and I really was going into an unknown company. I suppose it
was well that Aunt’s words had made me realize this, for it might have
come with too great a shock without that. As we went in, Charley gave me
my only pair of well worn slippers which he had carried, and I went into
the dressing room and, taking off my walking boots, (an awful pair of
English shoes, miles too big for me and stuffed with cotton, which I had
worn for two years, we having been lucky to get them through the
blockade), put them on. Then I braced myself up and went upstairs with
Charley. Miss Annie Heyward received us and put me at my ease at once by
asking if I could play a galop, for none of the girls who could play had
arrived yet, and so she had to ask me etc., etc. I was delighted and
went with alacrity to the piano, which was arranged most considerately,
so that you faced the dancers, and you could enjoy watching them as you
played. This was my forte, dance music. In Plantersville they said I
could make any one dance, and it gave me almost as much pleasure as
dancing itself. Soon the floor was full of whirling couples, and I had a
chance to see how many of them I knew and how many I didn’t know. Alas,
the latter were vastly in the majority, but, I reflected with joy, when
ever I had no partner, _I could play_. So when Miss Heyward came to
relieve me I was in a gale of spirits, and C. came to claim a promised
dance; so I went through that, though with reluctance, for he was not as
good a dancer as he had been fighter. I got on _tant bien que mal_,
until glasses of water were handed round and people began to settle for
“the German.” This was unknown to me, and I watched the bringing in of
chairs and the happy couples placing themselves around the big room. Mr.
Joe Manigault, a great society man and exquisite dancer from “before the
War,” was to lead. Nearly all the chairs were filled and I was still at
the piano. Then I saw Mr. M. take one young man after another into the
piazza and walk them up and down, and I knew he was trying to induce
them to let him present them to me so that they could ask me for the
German. I could see them glance at me surreptitiously through the
window, while walking. One after another returned to the room, not
having yielded to Mr. M. At last, he found one who valiantly came
forward, was introduced and asked for the pleasure, and I accepted with
great alacrity, and never began to tease him about having ignominiously
allowed Mr. M. to choose his partner for him until the German was well
under way. And then I pointed to the row of “stags,” as they were called
who would not take partners, relying on being “taken out,” being all
good dancers. Then between times they could retire to the piazza and
smoke. He was bright and able to answer my ungracious attacks, so that I
got quite as good as I gave. Add to this that, as soon as any one danced
with me, being thrown together in the figures of the German, they always
wanted to dance with me again, and soon all the stags came up and were
introduced, eager to be “taken out” by me; but nay, nay, I let them
ornament the wall as far as I was concerned. And oh I had a glorious
time, Mr. M. himself selecting me very often to lead the figures with
him. He had to tell me just what to do, but I soon learned, and when it
was my turn to play he would not let me, but suggested to one sweet
quiet girl that played very well that she should take my turn, saying I
had played twice my share earlier in the evening. We broke up at 12
exactly, as all the men are working hard and must get their sleep. They
have formed a Cotillion Club and are going to give a dance once a month
and I have been asked by three men for the next German. My ears are so
sore from my adornments that I don’t think I will wear them again,
though they are beautiful. Aunt was delighted with my account of the
party, and laughed and chuckled over my first German partner, saying,
“Men are fools, and always will be.”