The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-14
RICHMOND III 1895.
How women Lived and Dressed.
Per.onnI ReeoiIectIOns.

where hiss nature done more TO beaut-
fy, and art less, than there. The river
though a small stream at some POI nt5'
in winter sWells 70 blood-red rapid
ly-TOliing flood, 20 which all me me noun 9I1.,
tain torrents contribute. ihe due
Ridge over-hsdows the rolling land
I sietermined to leave the farm in
charge OF the oyer=eer, and thus TO rid
myself OF the perpetual care, terror and
suspense incidental to that section. so
CAV. him The keys, and with oue OF
me very best Of good servants "refu-
gezd 10 Rio hnoud-thst grand central
point TO which all terrified or home
bsreft women and children turned; b
beehive swsTming and teeming and
OverTuu with workers and drones till
the honey was all exhausted, aud
nothing lefL bnt bitter comb, and that,
after Il little, put TO the highest bidder.
II WAS "fa-hipDable,' for the sake OF
economy, to "TOOm- keep"-that Is, for
an indy idual or party TO rent "A room
or more, and to find marketing for
Themselves, to live rs best they couid
and that meant on half Tatious. l
knew a lady with three children in one
room, who had always previously
moved at the head Of society who as
sured me that sue had not tasted meat
for eight weeks. Her fine house aud
grounds in Fredericksburg were de
stroyed, and she he'd in. the night,
amid the she'll snd cannon-balls for
her life.
/ was fortunate enough to get two
comfortable rooms, and with little
iron fixture before the CRATE, JUDY
cooked me many "A morsel OF sweet
food. 1 WAS more fortunate than most
Of my neighbors, inssmuch AS L could
get from home occasionally a box OF
hams, fowls, hominy, meal and pota-
tatOes; and do not let ne leave out the
sorghum molasses made on the farm,
and which still prefer 10 sugar house
syrup. Surely God put 1t into the
hearts OF the people 10 cultivate and
make this very useful article just be-
fore the war, as 1t became the staple,
and believe in hundreds OF cases but
for IL starvation would have ensued.
Our house in Richmond was a large
one, and the thirty occupants lived
pretty much by room keeping, though
there was board In the central part for
transient or permanent dodgers.
There had been such d change in
Richmond, made by influx OF strangers
from every section OF the conGederucy
and the exigencies Of the times, that IL
was scarcely recognizable. Social
equity was in measure inverted, and
law and order went to the wall. WO
men, del cate, sensitive ana refined
had to assume mems duties, and IL
every public department held places o
high official Importance, with salaries
ranging from six to twelve hundred
dollars and upwards a month, sll strug
glin. not Tor wealth to hoard. but FOL
breHd 20 keep the body alive.
When four years of wear and teal
have exhausted II lady's wardrobe, with
no goods in the country except few
running at long intervals the blockade
and at prices too exOTbitant, what car
woman do who has the wish, the
laudaDle wish, to look we'll through
everything, without the material for III
fuItillment7 Well, take two dresses o
different material aud cOIor-ons mtnui
II skirt, the other n bOdy-insert quar-
ter Of ward of one into the skirt OF the
other, make putiings Of the lighter colo
at the top of the sleeve, and of th'
darker form the light fitting part anc
notice the effect. This we did, ant
though mingled and notified, it wa'
still picturesque.
WOmen's bOnnets Will wear out; ant
rs hats were more easily got, hats be
came the style. Every woman learned
TO plat straw, and to make her owl
hat, which she decked with II riCt
plume from some old stock, or with 8
guinea fowls bright wing.
Shoes we learned TO manufacture
and every rag bag was brought into re-
QUESTION to furnish thick pOpiiu pieces
or lasting. Stockings we knit, gloves
we made-in which art ! myself be-
came so expert that ! could easily gel
thirty dollars for each pair l could
furnish the merchants.
Crinoline was harder to substitute
but We got all right there, for the old
steel bands we could cover with strips
Of cotton cloth, and re-shHpe and hang
together with cord. Nothing was lost
The greatest tax upon us WAS the
clothing for the servants, which war
sometimes supplied by cutting up coun
Ierpanes and blankets. Shoes witt
wooden soles were found to answer.
Invention WAS the order of the day
and Confederate puddings and pastries
with sorghum molasses Personating
white sugar, were pronounced dell
cious.
Coffee made from everything under
the sun. from Hcorns to rye, gave zes
10 trade and emulation to sPeculatoT5-
who dealt in pure coffee mixed viii
rye"
Rye coffee is a good substitute whsL
war and blockade shut out every avail
able resource. l have made and drank
IL on cold winter evening, clear RnC
strong, when | enjoyed il with Il relish
and thanked God for it.
| IL was curious sight in those days
| OF the usual paraphernalia of bottles, Il
see a secondhand bridal dress of white
satin, stretched at foil length in tbs
showcase, with a label bearing-"FoI
sale, 81 co.," In the windows OF sx
Iensive auction houses, whose business
had been brisk in other days, dresses
now hung, mingled with all articles o.
ladies' secondhand wardrobe. ] de,
posted a dress, white counterpane, and
| one hundred and tIty old novels, il
one of these houses for sale.
Books were in great demand, and al
interesting novel would sell for from
sl2 to IS.
Servants perambulated the streets
with Immense baskets holding ladies
aud chiIdren's clothing, sold to buy
bread for houseless efugees-refugce:
from New Orleans, Memphis, &C., who
had handsome wardrObes, but no bread
far from home, with their husbands
fathers and brothers lighting, disposed
oil every supertluous article of elegan
| wear, aud learned to weave and weal
'.Virginia CLOTH" This was almost pu
stop to at last by the want or cotton
but Hfter certain crisis 1t was more
readily obtained, and accordingly the
looms which bad been silent since thu
times of our grandparents, once more
gave their cheerful banR-bangs abou
the household Of many thrifty house
wife, and speedily clothed the fail
bellies, used to nothing coarser than sill
and fine wool.
knew young woman, married foi
six months only, who received from
her husband sin the trenches" tellinG
her that he would be home on a certain
| day TO stay twenty-four hours. She
got up IA little gala for him, and eacl
! neighbor furnished from some hoardeC
| store II few grains OF real coffee; one
sent her a sugar dish of real sugar
She fixed the little parlor; had every
thing arranged; the sugar ostentatious