Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/182

 122 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI moderate in their use of wine ; most genial and kind toward all who eame in contact with them; crime was practically unknown among them, and the courts had little, even, of civil business to transact. Those who saw them in this favorable light were impressed by the dignity of the people which arose, in part, from the feeling of security in which they lived. They were in the midst of plenty, land was cheap, and the soil produc- tive. The woods were full of game, and trade with the Indians was profitable. There was no reason for any to worry concerning a livelihood. From these conditions there seems to have developed among them an ease of manner and a dignity born of assured po- sition that left its impress upon all that they did. The women were said to possess un- usual refinement, to be devoted to their fam- lies and to have uniisual ability as housekeep- ers. On the other hand, some of the early trav- elers saw the French settlers with different eyes. They said that they were inclined to be slothful ; that they were content with a bare living taken from the soil ; that they were given to indulgence in strong drink ; and that the children were not properly in- structed, but allowed a great deal of freedom and liberty in their lives. The dress of all the French, whether rich or poor, was distinguished by its simplicity. The men wore a long coat and cape, so de- signed that it could be thrown up over the head. From these circumstances it was called the "capote." They wore shirts of various kinds of cloth, usually linen trousers and Indian moccasins. The women, too, dressed with great simplicity, but tried to impress visitors that they were not altogether out of the fashion. The centers of fashion were many hundreds of miles away ; yet, in spite of these conditions, the women of the French communities generally managed to know something of the styles. They, too, wore the Indian moccasins, and it was the custom of both men and women to cover the head with a handkerchief, usually blue in color. It should be said, too, that most of them were able to possess, even when they were comparatively poor, clothes which were set apart for Sunday wear and for holiday occasions. The inventory which has been preserved of the estate of some of the French settlers, discloses that the love of dress was present among them. All accounts agree that the great majority of the French settlers were noted for their devotion to truth and for strict honesty in their dealings with one another, and even with outsiders. It is not to be supposed that, even in these remote places, amusement w^as not sought after with the same eagerness that it is pur- sued elsewhere. The French settlements al- most universally observed a sort of carnival season, when a large part of the time was given up to celebrations, and to the pursuit of various amusements. Of these amiisements, the one most pas- sionately followed was dancing. Sunday af- ternoon in these settlements was, usually, de- voted to dancing. The children and young people came together under the supervision of their elders, and all of them engaged in that pastime which they most thoi'oughly loved. Some of the travelers say that these Sunday afternoon assemblies were really schools for the instruction of the children in good manners. Be that as it may, they were held, and it was a well known custom in Ste. Genevieve and other of the French towns. The season of the vear when amusement