Wichita eagle., 1889-08-17
PLUNKETT ON WIMIN.
LOVE OF DRESS OFFSET BY sAcR,-
FlcE IN TRoUBLoUs TIMES.

how Fashions Changed and Were Fol-
Iowed-The Women of Richmond Dur
ing the Battle of Seven Pines-How
Their "Goodress.' Was shown.
"a girl VIII suffer agonies and smile all the
time just to be in the fashion" said Plunkett,
as he took his seat and stuffed the tobacco in
his pipe.
I'm their counting days" ventured Brown
'They viii draw their corset strings so
tight that they pant Ike lizard and or fsl-
low can span erround EN-, and they viii
force number four shoe on q number seven
foot ard skip GROUND as frisky a, er lamb,
while they are suffering agonies that would
put any man in the hospital"
''In their counting days" said Brown
''ToTNG" LOADS OF DRY GOODS
az can remember" said Plunkett ''when
it was the fashion to Be pale and sckiy look
ing, and the girls would poultice their faces
and hands with meal dough 20 bleach 'ern.
and they'd be 50 tlncky that they'd cut pea
In two for a mouthful and swear they had a
bate when they had only eat a half biscuit
And then pretty soon the craze got on the
red ordsr, and the poke berries were gathered
and rubbed on their faces, and when they'd
get hot and perspire the pokeberry juice
would streak 'eln up the same as an Indian,
but it was the fashion, and whatever is fash
ion is right
"If it's some other fellows sister," suggest
ed Brown.
Zone time resumed Plunkett, ''they had
q fashion to look slim and bean pole ike, with
out any bumps on themselves, and six yards
Of calico would make any OF EN- dress, and
then ergin they took craze TO be fat and
chuffy, with big bumps on themselves, and
then it took good sized dry goods store to
furnish cloth enough to dress one Of 'era, and
the cotton they used to make the bumps would
fill good sized hamper basket; I've seed little
puny wimin tote enough dry goods on their
selves to weigh down a strapping fellow.
II know that wars x bad, bad thing re-
sumed Plunkett, after a short pause, but
when call to mind the simple ways Of our
Georgia wimin in them hard days feel like
the country was blessed by its coming, for
we would never have learned their goodness
in times of peace
1.-THE pretty bonnets that were made from
the scraps Of the worn out dress of peaceful
days sheltered faces free from foibles, and the
homespun garments covered forms unwarped
tears and moved as In the presence of death,
as pure as angels aud as self-sacrifcing as
the men who fought their battles"
You're right" said Brown
Speaking erbout the wimin in the war;"
said Plunkett, as he scratched his head and
knocked the ashes from his pipe, makes me
think of the day that the Seven Pines battle
was fought IN front of Richmond l was
there that dag, and it was the hottest weather
I'd ever seed Two of the finest armies that
ever stood facing Of each other were there
Mcclellan and Joseph z. Johnston The
Yankees could see the flags waving on the
capitol Of the Confederacy, and 1t was under
stood that II was going to be the day that
would decide the fate Of Richmond and of
the Confederates.
HOW BANDAGES WERE MADE.
''As soon as the first streaks of day broke
in the east it was saluted by the boom, boom,
boom Of the big guns captured at Manassas
called Sherman's battery. There were two
guns In that battery called Long Tom and
Laughing Charlie. They had a queer ring
to their boom, and it was these guns that ga
luted the day as it peeped up over the hills !
and announced ready for the Confederates.
Richmond began 10 stir. The wimin and /
children lit outen bed, the bells began To ring /
and the whistles to blow and the people 4
focked to Main street till there was not stand
ing room on the walks The fight had COM
nenced, the big guns were roaring and the
little guns were like a fire in cane brake. |
Trains rolled in from Petersburg and Lynch /
burg with re-enforcements They lit from 1
the cars and started at double quick down |
Main street and out to tie fight. knapsacks /
begin to be thrown to the right and the left, /
and the cutters were filed. Winin and /
children went to piling them up and stood I
guard over them, but it was no use, they 1
were never called for, and it was mighty few 4
that unsiung their knapsacks on Main street |
that day that lived to zee the end.
''As the day advanced the hotter 1t grew.
Every vehicle in tho city was pressed into
service to 60 for the wounded, and as they
rolled In the cry for water, water, water
was heard everywhere
1.-The winin Of Richmond were the first to
discover what was needed. Every bucket
md dipper was pressed, and tao old men and
children went in run 20 and from the water
,lugs, while the wimin went for provisions.
Tubs and buckets were placed al along the
,urbstones On each side of the street filed
With water, and baskets were held by tho
Vinlin, and each soldier was given q sand
vich as they double quiclsed down the line.
'Tbe wounded were coming In by thou
ands The news spread that joseph E. John
ton was shot and Lee had took command
The doctors were out Of bandages, and tho
vimin tore their Undertaking and sheets
nto strips to bind up the wounds
This young generation are the SONS and
daughters Of such wiulin as these. As IL was
hen so it will be ergin, / reckon, 30 let EN-
ip. But IL does make mo mad 10 see ea
ools erbout the fashion. Atlanta Coustitu
ion.