"His (John Rutherford Jr's) sisters, Misses Nancy, Jane, and Celia, were pious, amiable, modest ladies.
Miss Celia, the youngest, having associated more with other refined ladies of her set, was not so peculiar or eccentric as her sisters, who wore old-fashioned, long hood-shaped bonnets, of dark green silk, without bows, possibly indicating that they did not want to catch beaux. However, this may be they were much attached to their bowless bonnets, which were certainly attached to them. In proof of this, I will give an incident. At home or abroad they were never seen without them. About the year 1829 or 1830, these good ladies made mother a visit, and concluded , at her solicitation, to spend the night. At the time there were several young girls of "sweet sixteen" boarding at my father's going to school. One of those was full of curiosity (not unusual with her sex) and mischief. Eliza G. Tate of "Hickory Grove" got permission to sleep in the same room with the Misses Rutherford, in which there were two beds, determined, as she said, to see whether they slept in their bonnets. The next day, she gave the following account of what she witnessed: "I went to bed before they came upstairs. The fire was burning low when they entered the room. They sat down near the fire with bonnets on, whispering in low tones. I thought they never would go to bed. Finally, the fire went out, they undressed, put on their night robes, bonnets 'status quo' on their heads; when, lo ! They blew the candle out and all was dark. I said to myself, 'Never mind, old gals; I'll catch you in the morning.' I waked early; it was hardly light, and behold! There they sat in their night gowns with their everlasting bonnets on."
Miss Celia, the youngest, having associated more with other refined ladies of her set, was not so peculiar or eccentric as her sisters, who wore old-fashioned, long hood-shaped bonnets, of dark green silk, without bows, possibly indicating that they did not want to catch beaux. However, this may be they were much attached to their bowless bonnets, which were certainly attached to them. In proof of this, I will give an incident. At home or abroad they were never seen without them. About the year 1829 or 1830, these good ladies made mother a visit, and concluded , at her solicitation, to spend the night. At the time there were several young girls of "sweet sixteen" boarding at my father's going to school. One of those was full of curiosity (not unusual with her sex) and mischief. Eliza G. Tate of "Hickory Grove" got permission to sleep in the same room with the Misses Rutherford, in which there were two beds, determined, as she said, to see whether they slept in their bonnets. The next day, she gave the following account of what she witnessed: "I went to bed before they came upstairs. The fire was burning low when they entered the room. They sat down near the fire with bonnets on, whispering in low tones. I thought they never would go to bed. Finally, the fire went out, they undressed, put on their night robes, bonnets 'status quo' on their heads; when, lo ! They blew the candle out and all was dark. I said to myself, 'Never mind, old gals; I'll catch you in the morning.' I waked early; it was hardly light, and behold! There they sat in their night gowns with their everlasting bonnets on."
"His (John Rutherford Jr's) sisters, Misses Nancy, Jane, and Celia, were pious, amiable, modest ladies.
Miss Celia, the youngest, having associated more with other refined ladies of her set, was not so peculiar or eccentric as her sisters, who wore old-fashioned, long hood-shaped bonnets, of dark green silk, without bows, possibly indicating that they did not want to catch beaux. However, this may be they were much attached to their bowless bonnets, which were certainly attached to them. In proof of this, I will give an incident. At home or abroad they were never seen without them. About the year 1829 or 1830, these good ladies made mother a visit, and concluded , at her solicitation, to spend the night. At the time there were several young girls of "sweet sixteen" boarding at my father's going to school. One of those was full of curiosity (not unusual with her sex) and mischief. Eliza G. Tate of "Hickory Grove" got permission to sleep in the same room with the Misses Rutherford, in which there were two beds, determined, as she said, to see whether they slept in their bonnets. The next day, she gave the following account of what she witnessed: "I went to bed before they came upstairs. The fire was burning low when they entered the room. They sat down near the fire with bonnets on, whispering in low tones. I thought they never would go to bed. Finally, the fire went out, they undressed, put on their night robes, bonnets 'status quo' on their heads; when, lo ! They blew the candle out and all was dark. I said to myself, 'Never mind, old gals; I'll catch you in the morning.' I waked early; it was hardly light, and behold! There they sat in their night gowns with their everlasting bonnets on."
Miss Celia, the youngest, having associated more with other refined ladies of her set, was not so peculiar or eccentric as her sisters, who wore old-fashioned, long hood-shaped bonnets, of dark green silk, without bows, possibly indicating that they did not want to catch beaux. However, this may be they were much attached to their bowless bonnets, which were certainly attached to them. In proof of this, I will give an incident. At home or abroad they were never seen without them. About the year 1829 or 1830, these good ladies made mother a visit, and concluded , at her solicitation, to spend the night. At the time there were several young girls of "sweet sixteen" boarding at my father's going to school. One of those was full of curiosity (not unusual with her sex) and mischief. Eliza G. Tate of "Hickory Grove" got permission to sleep in the same room with the Misses Rutherford, in which there were two beds, determined, as she said, to see whether they slept in their bonnets. The next day, she gave the following account of what she witnessed: "I went to bed before they came upstairs. The fire was burning low when they entered the room. They sat down near the fire with bonnets on, whispering in low tones. I thought they never would go to bed. Finally, the fire went out, they undressed, put on their night robes, bonnets 'status quo' on their heads; when, lo ! They blew the candle out and all was dark. I said to myself, 'Never mind, old gals; I'll catch you in the morning.' I waked early; it was hardly light, and behold! There they sat in their night gowns with their everlasting bonnets on."
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