The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-14
SUBSTITUTES.
The Finery Of the Women Of the south
During the War.
detroit Free Press.l

Substitutes OF every kind came extensively
into vogue in the South during the late war,
ranging from the representative sent TO the
field by him who preferred substituting dis
erection to valOr, to rye, which people were
forced to substitute for coffee Other substi-
tutes for coffee also came into use such as
chestnut, wheat and sweet potato coffee,
which, by those who, like the Marchioness,
been supposed to represent Laguayra, Java
and Mocha. For molasses we had sorghum,
made from the African sugar cane, and to-
ward the close Of the war, when we were CIT
off from the far South, and consequently
from sugar in great measure, housekeepers
were in many cases forced to use sorghum
in It's place. and not only did they use it to
sweeten coffee, but the more enterprising
among them used it in making preserves,
cakes, cheese cakes and various kinds of des-
serts, all OF which succeeded passably well,
except Jelly, which, in the language OF Miss
AlIcott 'refised to jell'
Housekeepers certainly had all their in
ventive faculties called into play in those
geDious to make macaroni out Of strips of
dried dough, while the soap for the family
wash was made Of shucks boiled In ley, with
the addition Of a little grease Dried cherries
took the place OF raisins IN fruit cake, while
apple brandy, horne distilled, became "the
national Lectar," varied by cider and home
made wine. Fortunately, however, we did
not have to resort to any substitute Tor poul-
try, meat or grain or any Of "the kindly fruits
of the earth" indigenous to our soil.
But, after all, clothes were the "tug Of
war; Never were more curious garments
seen than those which before the end OF the
war were worn land thankfully worm by the
first people In the land. Before the struggle
been seen arrayed in homespun while gen
teman clothed in coat made of 81 solid gray
or brown shawl would have been considered
an absolute dandy: picture rises to my
piano cover Ia bright purple) and made Of it
a suit for her little boy which made him the
envy Of the neighbOrhood-a suit "button-
ing In front and baggy in the reverse aspect
as the suits Of rustic youths are wont to be.
The rare wlndfall OF a new ribbon or a new
pair Of kid gloves made young lady the
envy of her whole circle Of female friends.
Occasionally articles Of this kind ran the
blockade and gladdened the hearts ofSOuthern
maidens. Sometimes Northeners would send
parcels of such things to their Southern
friends and relatives when an opportunity for
doing 50 occurred. ! knew q young lady In
Richmond whose Philadelphia relatives sent
her, among other articles, q plaid ribbon,
which then and there was almost as rare q
badge as that Of the Star and Garter. Before
q week was over almost every one Of this for
tunate young lady's female friends had been
allowed the privilege Of wearing this ribbon.
The writer herself wore it one night to one OF
the handSomest entertainments Of that season
winter OF 1870 ana II served 10 brighten up
flitnsy brown silk, checked with black, for
which the wearer paid 500 q yard.
Everything in the way Of ornament had
either to be entirely dispensed with or replaced
by some substitute or fnakeshift, except when
we got the occasional treasure troves from the
North or through the blockade. In place Of
the rare French flowers that had once graced
the feminine hats and bOnnets, feather flowers
were substituted by those ladies who were
not fortunate enough to get a few flowers
through the blockade and The feather flowers
of those days were very different from the
exquisite ones made in Brazil. Such hats
with trimming of the same became very
fashionable in the country Indeed, 1.-THE
universal shuck" was the basis of many a
sIIhstitutp