The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-08-28
Some Rebellion Experience in the
South.

AS my homo at the time was in
Marietta, Ca, quite near, Atlanta, and
directly in Sherman's line of march,
writes Southern girl in the Watch
man, I saw great many strange and
exciting things, and suppose that is
the reason remember my life there so
we'll; for, although very small girl at
the time, it is far more wildly real to
me than the events of last year.
I can picture to myself distinctly the
quaint figures of my little playmates,
for invention, like charity, begins at
home, and we little ones showed the
first fruits of our mothers talents in
that direction. We always wore "home-
spun" and as the cloth stood good
deal of wear our dresses were made
large enough to last two seasons. Some
of us wore shoes, but they were such
odd-looking things, made of course
leather and only reaching our
ankles. As the leather shoestrings
wore out they had to be replaced by the
covering from the wires Of hoop-skirts,
dyed black. Our stockings were knit
of plain white yarn, also homespun.
F or "every day" we wore calico sun
bonnets, but OF" state occasions" hats
braided at home from the palmetto
straw. As one thing after another gave
out the women were always equal to
the emergency and quick in finding sub
stitutes, just as our great-grandmothers
did during the Revolution. American
women are, I think, quite remarkable
for that sort of thing. My mother must
have been unusually clever, for I re-
member so many bright things that she
did. Trifes never seemed to daunt her.
Our table was always: ! delightfully."-
served, although her inventive faculties
were constantly called upon: to supply
some need in the kitchen. II: IS
There1s one very clever tlnng4hat I
recollett about her. She had sent out
invitations for yerysSlarge party; for
Marietta was quite: gay at one time, as a
number Of refugees, besides a great;
many officers ION leave" were in town;
and my mother, who was delighted to
be able to collect together so many
charming people, determined to give
something very grand. Her prepar-
ations were all completed, as she sup
posed, on the morning of the ap-
pointed day, and she was actual
~ arranging the flowers in her
rooms when she received the very de-
pressing tidings that not candle could
be found in Atlanta for love or money.
Most women would have . de-
SPARED at such il-luck as = this, and
would have sent Immediately to inform
expected guests that they need not come;
but my mother did nothing OF the sort.
She put on her thinking cap" at once:
She sent far and near to borrow all the
wine glasses possible. These she filled
with pure white lard, and every one who
could be spared on the place was set
to work cutting out little round pieces of
paper about the size of a half-dollar.
Each of these she twisted in the centre
to form taper, and placed on the lard
in the glasses, ready for use, for she
meant to light her rooms with them.
We always had used them in the bed
rooms and for sickness, as they would
last all night, and candles were far too
precious to be wasted in that way. But
the idea of making them ornamental
was my mothers, and you cannot real
ize how lovely the House looked that
night. She had placed them every
where, and had built pyramids of lights,
banked in with flowers, in every avail
able nook and corner. The rooms and
halls were brilliantly lighted by the
tiny flames, which seemed to me to be
flashing from floor to ceiling in every
and looked like some lovely
fairy scene, far prettier than any bali
room I have seen.