New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-02
THE CIVIL WAR.
uHr SOUTHERN woMAN's SIDE oE TT

ia
A 1as 'e asna s Do. ias housSson, Mnh Co.
Thsse two volumes deserve hearty welcome
mo- only because Of their present interest," oa'
because Of their value to the historian Oh 1ie
future They give whss was ssdly neeaeo "
leomplese the history of the tame-Srsphc pictures
1T TIA home-hfs of the South during the CNh
,Nhr. They cannot be read without sympathy
and .espect for the sturdy endurance OF people
haed bestesd and che more unfortunate IN tha1 'ey
sssre fighting on the wrong side
Mrs Rpley's narrative deserves to i've, oo'i
rs . contribution to history and as spirited ana
charming bit Of writing. Although-it Is 10 DC
ieupposed-an unprsctiser author, she mas
natural grace Of style, sense OF humor ana
vein Of sentiment which throughout tighten and
lbnghten her pathetic "reminiscences. The lori
Anes OF war were sad ones for her, entaiiins
Dr,yations, losses and fatigues of many kinds. in
her own Louisiana home, and in her flight with
her family to Texas, to Mexico and afterward to
Cuba Her CHEEKY courage apparently never failed
and her adventures are related in a rhilosophic
fashion, and without complaint. Her description
pf the makeshifts to which Southern women were
reduced is valuable as well as entertaining:
AL household and family goods were scarce during
Rho even in Texas that had Rio Grande faciiine;
hoS enjoyed by the other Southern satos as the great
bulk Of the importations wec specially adapted to
eEmy purposes The difficulty of procuring stoekinsS;
great: those for whom helped to provide wore for
yarn; and recall cutting up, my only six dess "a
exn India sllk with white dotsmto supply the c6 ds
81 af linen zen shsei and helping friend to rip up calico
bed-comfort that she might make a dress OF the ma
Even n s large en a an Ur
OF life other than those they could raise on
S u.s. few
poor: The Houston and Beaumont afforded ialr
sustsd twenty miles and more from any railroad
aygaole stream and often half that distance ta iTT
hst could not procure sail to put up their and
were reduced to the necessity OF utilizing the dirt
s,s se rom the en M Series
Of the waste salt and clippings First leaching the
ashos then by evaporatlnG the brine. sufficient salt
was procured to cure q small amount Of Of, bacon
die moulds and the material to make them were ex-
treme}y scare so that families were compelled TO
The necessity The dainty young ladies' who played
brilliant sonaas on tangns pianos hll"d the house
the original spent hours the boiling fat striving
with patient perseverance to make symmetrical taow
would s probably shine flo% the nssEs Q, sissE eas;
BEETLES The energetic mother NTH broad, ,Ss st.ensa
manufacture and succeeded In Obtaining fair sspt
lnscso,ls compound. which had often to be used IN
ainens and S4led the colored garments On wcsh-
stands in nAnbcrleSs houses little saucers OF
even few grains TO be spared to HARDEN this domestic
Home made looms were built in many hack rooms
and housewives who had indtinct rrcOec'ions OF the
industry as PractiSed BY their Srandm9thers or the
black "mammy' recall the forgotten art of weaving
Many So%ng gil stepped back and forth to the
whirring music Of a big old spinning. wheel. while
Others Win smy fs ss eSs so So the
needle dropped or msa,d was searched s,, I'd. after
In nj nSi
nihcant articles. common In every household that
no reckoning is made Of the number used and wasted
cntirel! leaving an aching void, Tooth brushes
for a whole family the aid Of a harbrIsh being
o %n aSS OF Gf h Sr
scattebrain darkcys who handled such valuatles. one
of a1s ns It easy to csn
not be replaced: Garments were often patched and
1n s to The M sy %9' S
household; the winter we spent in Houston was val
through suo series Of metz
that, when his wife arrived in the spring. she could
whestaour was brought in limited quantities from
Northern Texas. mostly for Amy use; very little was
that hundreds OF families for months entirely
pnved Of its use. and without having made the cx-
1t aTea eu 70 meal al
was one Of table luxuies; It is doubtful II even
quenly copied and used 1t required peck Of coarse
country ground meal (thc only kind to be bad passed
several thicknesses Of muslin, to obtain pound Of
corn -four fine enough tr the cake.
xweefenng for cOfee-and such coffee: or rather such
substitutes Peanuts, sweet potatoes rye beans peas
at the t.verns all IF thor, wcho limitations though
SIpsd down when chilly AND sd for LAX o, any
of the stimulating. comforting effects Of the genuine
Tesdrnhers Jared no better; weak decocilons of
sage or orange-leaves served for those dependent
& % ana s9n 16y &c aS ne IN
bark extracts and red pepper tea were used as subs
es for qnnD By the poor shaking ns
psper 6eSams 50 scarce that many newspspsrs sus
q '1 70 ss Mas Ehf ss S oh.
fan war and other topics Of vital Interest. When the
Of brown wrapping paper met the necessity, and
hnai resort in some instances. wall paper figured
dong lists Of Killed ~ounded and missing indisneiiy
printed the uneven surface OF this coarse colOred
so Rapidly ho p
chasing pcwss was reduced S to e minimum In the
rent there scarcely any goods San Antonio. the
chief trading point of Texas. had a working popula
dens ana rs!sed poultry. This shrowd class and the
esseoving Mexicans. refused to accept any currency
Buyers whose purses did not contain the genuine arti
ole had to lead lives of great selfdenial. Women
paid in the deprecated paper currency Jared very
s porn is f. Hss
u E whSs
mond, and hearng her say that her guide mans
monthly salary sufficient to supply her table
with vegetables for week! Nothing remarkable was
ssAd thought of one family In Houston who paid
los overy day for measure Of Irish potatoes for
their dinner II understood that they brought
whole bed tick stuffed with Confederate money from
/ remember well paying $50 for n pair
ut TO be seen after Ten days wear. My browning
currency, when 800 paid fer one yard and
half Of common blue cotton denims. 10 make little
ausint smile. that he owned a 800 Pair of
trousers and wishes he had them now, but alas
they were greatly needed to keep-he had TO put
them on In Q hurry, such was his emergency.
Mrs. Ripleys account Of her life on a sugar
plantation in Cuba is full of terest, and is in
every sense bright and unhackneyed. 1t COM