The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-07-07
The DoQaldsoQyille Chief,
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WLLETTEs VIvACiTiEs.
Fabrics Of Fact ana Fancy Fashioned b
the Facfle Tvaber Of a Fair TelicIahIan.

Fabrics Of Fact ana Fancy Fashioned b.
the Facfle Jvaber ofa Fair Telfc1ahIan.
BAgeU SARA, La, june ~. 1883.
EDITOR CHIEF:
A card bearing the obscurely mystic let
ters, M. B. B. lies on the table beside, me
TO the uninitiated these symbols might meaI
any thing from Matrimonial Bursted Boon
s-alasi too deeply significant to some o.
the victims Of misplaced confidence fol
even friendship TO jest a1Jout-to Massa
chusetts Ben Butler. AS matter of fact
they stand for Military Broom Brigade, and
a few courteous, explanatory words follow.
ing, request the invited to assemble at the
sEiremen's Hall to organize n Broom Drill
Now what is a broom drill? Is it the tactics
recommended by Susan b. Anthony and
other female reform agitators, system OF
warfare defensive and offensive against
chickens, dogs, house breakers and other
predatory animals, or do the members OF
the brigade fall into line at the word of
command, flourish their weapons-I mean
brooms-and rput the enemy, dust, from
its anYbuscads In corners and under sofas
md chairs, cob-Web the walls and ceiling,
Or in the words of the Negro minstrel ditty,
! SFetch de broom along i;
An sweep de kitchen clear ~ s.
II 80, let us cry, Long live the broom
drill, - and for me / cordially hope that the
wash-tub drill and tho cnoking-stove drill
will next be inaugurated. How times
change and how we change with them, is n
sufficiently accurate translation of Latin
provefb. Some years ago spelling and
quotation parties were all the style: when
a turn of the kaleidoscope, presto
change! of the wizard Time, and broom
drills and-let us hope-dusting frolics
wheel into line. So the intellectual is al
ways superseded by the practical and useful.
Now / always adIsire woman sweeping
when it is not myse1f-there is something
eminently suggestive of homespun virtues
and the days of '76--of our grandmothers,
happy, rosy-cheeked maidens then, no
doubt, who, dressed in Dolly Warden style,
mob-caps, high-heeled slippers and all,
did not disdafn to sweep the kitchen
Clean" thinking mayhap, good, little Pu-
ritans, that she 'twho swept room as for
His laws, made that and the action fine.''
Their brooms by some subtle law of asso-
citation reminds one Of all their old-fash
toned, homely virtues and accomplish
nrtn &c
with gathering and drying the sweet, spicy
herbs of the garden, thyme, marjoram and
rosemary, the many ancient simpies and
nedicaments of our ancestresses; the
brewing OF mead and nectar, the prepara
ton of those wonderful lemon@cakes and
cream-tarts and last, but not least the dis
taft and loom. Alb me house-wifery meant
something in those days; it meant, in the
exquisite language of Ruskin: "The knowl-
edge of Medea and Circe, and of Calypso,
ind of Helen, and of RebeKah. of the
Queen Of Sheba. 1t meant the knowledge
OF all herbs and fruits, and baIms and
spices; and of all that is healing and sweet
IN fields and groves, and savory in meat it !
meant carefulness and inyentiveness and |
and willingness and readi-
ness OF appliance; it meant English thor
oughness and French Art and Arabian hos
pitality." What it means in the present
lay, tire day of electricity and steam when
arts as well us slower motors
nave been relegated to the past, is that
Which Bridget and Dinah choose to makeit.
fashion, like history, repeats itself, and it
'nght have come in again with the Queen
Anne style of furniture and dress, but as it
lid not, suppose we must regard our
house-wifery az one of the
lost arts"
We are to have a fete champetre-per-
APPS should have commenced this letter
Eith that announcement fete champetre
y night, under the umbrageous oaks on
'r. Stockings grounds, where the soft
Moonlight and the coal oil lamp will dis
lace the garish light of day, where all
lnds OF attractions from the Gypsey for
cave to the side-show of kane-
roos and billy-goats, may be enjoyed for
aitry sum, and which, if not the usual nd
lncts of the fete eha1npetre; are allowable in
lew OF the object in hand, the sidewalk
lnd. Let us trust that the fates which pre-
dc over fetes in general, and the weather
'gulator may be propitious, SO that the
de-walk fund directors may be encour-
sed to again go and do likewise.
As long as the smallpox scare keeps nm.
ID the humps stalk unreproved through
70 length and breadth of the two towns.
long IS there no danger of our citizens.
'rtacuiarly the feminine and infantile nor :,
'n' sinking into the apathy of stagnation. a
ignorant observer, viewing for the first a
ne the bandaged faces of SO manv iuve. Il
le perambulators would be ant to fancy o
at an epidemic OF tooth-ache was affiicf. m
that interesting majority of our com
unity. There is only one cru1nb of com ",
rt to alleviate the misery OF the swollen -
Us ara that is. that like Lightning. NUNS p'
yer strike twice in the same place. to
=, $3.50, VILLETTE. III
trength to vigorously push business st reny,,, Il
stHuy Iof professions strength tn raoui.to :, | r