Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-10-18
Little cornforts.

The Government furnishes the sou it" oil
each soldier: but besides the clothing and camp
etuiTnge thus provided, there are some smaller
matters which contribute greatly to the COM
fort of men, and which The Government can
not be expected to prepare. These articles, a
lady correspondent suggests, might easily, and
with little expense, be made by patriotic wo-
nfcn, and she proposes that associations be
formed for these purposes, every society tlevo-
ting itself to the service of a particular regi-
ment, aud taking care that, so long as this war
d5ts; this regiment, which is its especial charge,
be supplied with all these little comforts
which the men may need.
! Foremost among these, and contributing
very greatly e the daily convenience Of the
soldier, is an article known TO bachelors and
! benevolent ladies as housewife" and 10 sail
Ors as "ditty.bag"-a roll. or small sack
containing needles, buttons, thread, and scraps
of cloth, for raeuding torn or worn, clotlIipg.-
| Old canIpaigners take cafe 10 have very coul,
Plete and compact arrangement Of this kind }
but probably few of our volunteers, fresh
| from homes where mothers, wives and sisters
| cared for missing buttons, are thus provided.
"'Fhe simplest and consequently the bestacou-
trivance for this that have seem" says or
correspondent, sis a little bag OF eightpcnny
calico, six inches wide, by four inches deep.
with d hem three-quarters of an inch wide III
the top and one draw-string Of cJIored cotton
tape. On the outside OF this bag, and about
one and half inches below the top, is sewcd
flap Of cloth for needles, and on the under
side of this flap are stuck six No needles,
bluuts' or 'betwcets.' never 'sf4arps.' Inside
are put twelve black bone bultons-let tliehf
be OF the best and strongest-and twelve met
al butt ons such as are used on pantalaOns, a
few skeins Of far thtead-b black, 4fhite and
gray-cut and plated and secured ut each end
By piece of the thread wound firmly AROUND
it. and little roll of fine strong linen twiDc,
say two or three yards long. II the materials
are bought at wholesale, this bag aud ito con.
teEts will not cost over ten or twelve cents.=
A small paper containing few verses from
the Bible, or well-selett ID hymn or prayer
could be addcd-it might attract some careless I
eye, or touch some heart that had fofgoltehoits
early training. When these things are ia 1lIc
bag, draw the string and theE roll up the bag
and wind the string around il tightly, and you
hive compact and safe roll that can, be toss |
ed into haEersactz as careessly as any man
could wish" --ra- l.a rt-a.fn4 tH 11'
Our correspondent continues: II confess
that seldom think of anything these tlays k1t
the war and of what can be done to help |
those who are SO nobly helping us; and know |
there are hundreds aud thousands OF women |
who feel as do. Let such form themselves
into elnbss and each club devote itself to one
particular regiment. Let one lady in each club /
be appointed to write to the Colonel of the /
selected, and inquire what com6rts
Of this kind are most needed byhiS men. Let the
men be told By him that it is to tbs sympathy
aud industry of these ladies that these cam- /
forts are due, and it will cheer and encourage
them to bear their hardships more brayely wheh |
they realize that they arc remembered at home
With aftctionate interest, which i1anifests it.
self in little deeds of Kindness as well as fit
lie words of love- These ladies will feel
double interest in watching the conduct aid
success of what they will soon learn to regard
as aheir own regiment. By exercising this
living bond of interest something OF the old
feeling Of chivalry will be reriYed-aa chivalIy
modified aud cnlighted by christianity y. -ssr7