The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-23

word or two about the composer that may not
be generally known: Mr.. Foster was born in
Pittsburg, Pa, July 4, 1926, and died in
New York, January 10, 1864. From child
hood he was passionately fond of music and
learned to play by ear on several instru-
ments. His first song "Open Thy Lattice,
Love" was published in 1912 in Baltimore,
and fayorably received. cold Uncle Ned"
and 80, Susanna" written Immediately
afterward, achieved such popularity he
made up his mind 70 give up commercial life
and devote himself to music alone" lie
wrote great number Of negro melodies be-
sides many songs Of sentiment, such as
''Come Where Ny Love Lies Dreaming"
and "Old Dog Tray" which gave him a
world wide reputation beyond that of any
other composer of his class. Between 800, =
600 and 100000 copies of "Old Folks at
Home" were sold when IL first appeared,
and 1t would be difficult to guess at this dis
tant day how many more since. Mr.. Fos-
ter's ballads have been translated into many
foreign languages, showing the immortal
truth OF Shakspcare's wisdom when he s.; Us:
zone touch Of nature makes the whole
lad has been made the subject Of a series of
India ink illustrations by G. w. Brcnne.
man, representing familiar Southern scenes
and characters with rare taste and fidelity,
and appears gem among the holidays love.
lest books. 1t is published by White &
Allen, New York. For sale by r. M.'Mans-
ford
"a Blockaded Family" Is tho painfully
suggestive title of q most interesting volume
by Parthenia Antoinettc Hague, depicting
| with wonderful accuracy the suilcrings, pri-
vations and trials of a Southern family
during the late civil war with whom the
gentle author lived in Southern Alabama.
She was u school teacher in the neighbor-
hood of Eufaua and may justly claim
the ability of writer OF remarkable truth
and dcscriptvencss. Her story fascinatcs
one like a romance, and appeals kecnly to
the women of the South, many of whom
went through precisely the same hardships
and bitterexpericnccs that Miss Hague relates
so we'll. To the Northern reader II must ap.
pear exaggerated and rs lit were impossible
for women born and brought up rs the
wealthy classes at the South were, in
ease and luxury, TO DO possessed Of
such grit aud hcroism, or in the
rcmotest degree capable Of the immense
resources of which they gave abundant evil
dencc when the test came. But the women
Of the south never failed TO answer to the
roll-cnll Of duty aud no better metal could
be found anywhere on this broad green earth.
Ready for every emergency, they also had
the courage to face the worst. This book Is
written in a thoroughly just and uuprcju-
diced tone and spirit, aud though southern
In sympathy IL contains no word that might
wound or offend In any Of its pages. IL
sounds like a bit of primitive history to
read Of their desperate cxpcdicncies for pro.
curing food, being "iar removed" as the
author explains. IRON the scaboard and
border States in Southern Alabama where
our people, encompasscd and blockadcd by
the Federal forces. were most sadly strait
cncd and distressed" Imagine for instance,
a scene like tile followingin our own bcauti-
ful South "a woman, whose husband aud
two sons were In the army, lived near our
settlement In cottage which stood some
little distance from the roadside In a cluster
Of oaks, whose foliage almost hid the house
from passcrs-by. While yet some rods from
the dwelling oSc day there came 10 our ears
a succession ofsrvgulaF thwacks, the mean
ing OF which Ne could not define by the
sound. As the woman was n nciEhbor, we
turned aside 20 investigate and opened
wide our eyes when we bchcld her
seated In chair with common.
sized barrel just In front Of her. with.
In good striking distance. There she sat,
shcaf Of wheat held with both hands,
and with this she was vigorously bclaboring
the barrel, ut every stroke shower Of wheat
grains raining down upon quilts and cover
lets which had been arranged 90 catch II.
by this simple process she failed a. much as
q bushcl or two nj one time. She then spread
the sheets out on thc ground in the open air
and poured the wheat ON them In n contin.
uous stream. The wind acted rs n great
fan the grain by It's own weight falling
In one place while the chat was carried OF
by the wind. When that thrcshing was
ground at the Touring mill aud used up the
same rude nailins was repeated" For the
making Of sugar. obtaining salt for the man.
ufacturc Of shoes, which were made Of hog skin
aud those II other aniInils-in fact. foreycry.
thing In the way Of food or clothing the
same ingenuity OF device was rcsortcd TO.
These things are tup familiar 10 the southern
reader To render further details necessary.
one morc quotation, however viii
not be- out VI place. Northern
Journals" Mis- Hague proceeds to
say often ask why II was that the
South gave Northern prisoners nothing to
eat and must Say here. that there Is a sor.
TOW deep felt nt The knowledge that our sol.
dicr, aud the Northern prisoners both sui.
icrcd Tor the want Ut sufficient food 90 nour.
ish; they suffered both as 10 quantity aud
quality. Hut | n,k with all candor how
could II be otherwise, hcmm' u IN as the
South wasl Not onc.tcnth OF the govern.
mcnt iiihcs Of grain aud meat wcstof the
Mississippi River could reach ~. the block.
ale was all around the Federal army's
tents were pitched on Southern sill. De.
uchmcnts of the Union army were invading
the narrowing space of territory left 10 raise
provisions on. aud were dccoying on the Ia.
borur, aud destroying aud laying waste the
country through which they marched
Every means We bad 20 feed either our army
or the Northern prisoners was disabled"
Miss Hague "rcmA.nrd. she tells us "s0me
ycan after the war In that settlement. and
never bitter or harsh word. no. not one.
did ever hcarmy employers utter against
the opposing araiN or section of the states