Please don’t slam the door
by July 28, 2011 8:54 am 101 views
story and photos by Ruby Dean
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A small group of girls, ages 7-12, came to the Clayton House on Wednesday to learn house etiquette and games in the “Please Don’t Slam the Door” event held at The Clayton House.
The wood frame antebellum house served for years as the family home of William Henry Harrison Clayton, the federal prosecutor in the court of celebrated frontier judge Isaac C. Parker. The home was built in the 1850s, and was remodeled and enlarged by Clayton in 1882.
For a $10 fee children were able to explore life in the grand Victorian home in which the Clayton children grew up in the 1880s. The participants learned the rules of graceful living, enjoyed a “children’s tea (punch) with savories, made an old-fashioned corn husk doll, and played popular games from the 1880s such as croquet and “Graces hoops.”
The types of games children played in the 1880s helped them learn skills they would need later in life. Games taught children how to aim and throw, how to solve problems, how to do things with their hands and how to follow directions and rules. They also learned to be kind, wait their turn and to use their imagination.
Upon arrival, the participants made their “calling card.” The calling cards from the 1880s are not the same as we have today. It is not a prepaid card used to call someone by phone. A calling card is also known as a “visiting card.” During the 1880s it was a tool of etiquette with sophisticated rules governing their use.
The purpose of the card was that one person would not expect to see another person in her own home (unless invited or introduced) without first leaving his visiting card for the person at her home. Upon leaving the card, he would not expect to be admitted at first, but might receive a card at his own home in response. This would serve as a signal that a personal visit and meeting at home would not be unwelcome. On the other hand, if no card were forthcoming in return, or if a card were sent in an envelope, a personal visit was thereby discouraged.
Each person had a unique card. The cards had their name and address on them. The designs on the cards had distinct meanings. If a card was left with a turned corner it indicated that the card had been left in person rather than by a servant. Today, people have business cards.
The participants enjoyed a game of “Graces hoops,” an historic outdoor game, primarily designed to develop feminine grace. This game was brought to the New World from France. Playing these games gave the children a first hand way to study the 1880s history of toys while having fun.
The children were given a tour of the house. Upon finishing the tour, the girls enjoyed a pail lunch on the front porch. After lunch, they each made a corn husk doll. Each participant learned about the history of the time period along with house etiquette and toys.
Julie Moncrief, director of the Clayton House, hopes this is the start to many such events to the Clayton House.
