Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-09-27

!, IN "pure coffee mixed with rye"
Rye coffee is good substitute when
war and blockade shut out every available
resource. L have made and drank it on a
cold winter evening, clear and strong,
when | enjoyed it with a relish, and thanked
God for it.
1t was a curious sight in those days to
look into drug store, and in place of the
usual paraphernalia of bottles, to see a
secondhand bridal dress of white satin,
stretched at full length in the showcase,
with label bearing" For sale, $4,000"
In the windows of extensive auction-houses,
whose business had been brisk in other
days, dresses now hung, mingled with all
articles of ladies' secondhand wardrobe
| deposited dress, white counterpane, and
one hundred and fifty old novels, in one of
these houses for sale.
Books were in great demand, and an in
teresting novel would sell from S12 to S25.
Servants perambulated the streets with
immense baskets holding ladies and chill
dren's clothing, sold to buy bread for
houseless refugees. Refugees from New
Orleans, Memphis, &C., who had hand
some wardrobes, but no bread, far from
home, with their husbands, fathers and
brothers fighting, disposed of every super
fous article of elegant wear, and learned
to weave and wear Virginia cloth y
This was almost put a stop to at last by
the want of cotton, but after certain cri-
sis, it was more readily obtained, and ac-
cordingly the looms which had been silent
since the times of our grandparents, once
more gave their cheerful bang-bangs about
the household of many thrifty housewife,
and speedily clothed the fair bellies used
to nothing coarser than silk and fine wool
L knew lovely young woman, married
for six months only, who received letter
from her husband " in the trenches" tell
ing her that he would be at home on a
certain day to stay twenty-four hours.
she got up little gala for him, and each
neighbor Furnished from some boarded
store few grains of real coffee one sent
her sugar dish of real sugar She fixed
the little parlor had everything arranged !;
the sugar ostentatiously displayed in the
silver sugar bowl, when 10 in her hand
was placed letter, saying, How grieved
| am, cannot tell you, but Mr.. Moore's
head was struck off yesterday as he raised
himself from behind the trench to recon-
noitre."
Winter found me many time without
coal the canal had been cut and the locks
destroyed; therefore it could not be
brought, as the Danville railroad was also
destroyed, the trains not having run for
two weeks. Once | had lain III bed all
day to keep warm. Judy had exhausted
her ingenuity in devising some mode of
obtaining fuel she had burned the last
| box and barrel, and was fairly nonplussed
| got up and dressed myself as eNpeditious-
| ly a my cold fingers could despatch tape
and buttons, determining to 90 to the coal
yard myself. 1t was long way, and |
met many disconsolate women who begged
me TO return, as my errand would prove
| fruitless; but | persevered, and at last, on
reaching the Office of Mr.. Burke, looked
appealingly at him and asked for coal
:" Hav'n't any; have refused five hun
dred people"
| sat down, forlorn. Upon raising my
eyes | found that he was looking at me-
upon which | took heart 10 say: " Do yon
not think that a little fine coal might
possibly be scraped up, just to keep me
from freezing-only that?"
His reply was: Il had saved half
load; you can have it
him ninety dollars and in an hours time
was crying in my faithful Judy's arms, in
gratitude To = cheerful blaze: but tears.
soon turned TO smiles at her queer mode of
comforting. Good Lord, missis. while
YOU was freezing you didn't cry: now
you Is warm, You let your tears run. For
de Lords sake hold, up your head; three
somebodies is at de door begging to get
dere hands warm" So | admitted the
tenants-only too glad to extend the hospi-
tality-besides lending them half-bushel
of coal apiece.
[ Frequently went to the Legislative halls
and was sometimes pleased, sometimes dis
gusted.
| heard Ex-Governor Wise lecture one
uight-iust a month, | think before the
capitulation The crowd was dense TO
suffocation. His eloquence chained my
mind, riveted my ears, and cheered my
heart, for he, with all his native power, in
ornate and copious language, pronounced
emphatically. that our day of delivery
was at hand
Starvation seemed likely to ensue as the
winter waned into spring. Meat was 50
scarce as to be rarity to epicureans.
Flour brought from two to three thousand
dollars.
One morning in March l went to market,
and as | was slowly sauntering towards the
oyster stalls espied chicken, which al
most deafened me with its lusty growing.
/ asked of the black man who was stand
ing by:
Uncle, what do You ask for your
chicken?'
:. Ah missus, that rooster | AK one hum
dred and fifty dollars for
How old is he, uncle?"
q carnt say, 'zactly, but it pears to
me that coming this summer he will be in
his six year
And you still ask large for
him? Why, he will be as tough as leather. "
Yah. yah. Desc Confedrit times
people don't stand on tough" said he.
AFTER THE CAPTURE
By the third day things
began to assume something like law and
order, but starvation was staring the whole
population in the face: it is true that suit
lers had opened stores Of tempting COM
estibles; but who had money to buy ?
Not one, except save of the Jews. ] my
self had not one mouthful, except quart
of meal the marketing furnished on Satur-
day was exhausted, and my neighbors
could not give me, as they had nothing
to bestow.
One bv one the men who had left the