The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-25

frocks. The ladies spun the wool and
knitted the stockings and socks their emil
dren and husbands wore. also many or the
soldiers.
When the longing for the silk stockings,
habitually used, pressed upon refined women
the old pieces of black silk were picked To ID
"frazzle' and spun to make STOCKINGS ana
gloves for themselves and their daughters.
Said one, putting out her nattlly clad sleh-
der little feet, Il could not bear to wear
coarse stockinSs-my husband taxes such
pride i'll my small feet.
Towels and sheets were spun from cotton
to replace the house linen which had been
cut into bandases or scrapcd INTO INT Tor
the surgeons in the field. One handsome
young woman. the daughter of an eXrnlniS-
ter to Spain, rises before me out of the haze
of by-sone years stepping lightly to and iro,
winding bandagcS on the spindle OF her
wheel and talking pleasantly to her visitors,
while her patriotic mother sat by, cutting
up the table linen which she had treasured
for forty years. The daughter showed great
callous knots on her shapely hands made by
scrapnG lint and mentioned them with an
expression of gratitude to the God that she
could procure material for so much work.
A general officers wife called to see the
wife of the president and brought her, as
the most acceptable present, paper pattern
of a glove, Ii Ike those she herself wore;
beautifully embroidered and exactly fitted
to her delicate hands. This paper pattern
is still extant, and very precious to the re-
ciplent: it was very useful i'll providing the
the presidents whole family with present
able gloves made from the sleeves and
breast of an old confederate uniform, and
the cast-of black cloth garments of the gen
tlemen of the family.
Ladies plated exquisite straw hats and
b0nnets, and learned every brand except
that of Leghorn; the birds of the country
furnished feathers for their adornment.
Ingenious Luxuries.
Where new companies or battalions or
gained for which flags We're needed, the
sisters and sweethearts of the men sacri-
feed their best silk frockS to make the flags:
with cunning embroidery they emblazoned
them in such royal style that
they arc wondrously beautiful in
this day of renaissance. Is
flags about their bodies and like the stern
Scotch father, who gave another and
another son ''for IIachim,' died one after
the other to preserve them from capture.
The snippings left by the army tailors,
pieces of gray and black cloth five or six
inches across were pieced together and then
cut into jackets for the soldiers children.
Very acceptable these "JoSeph's coats"
proved to those who could boast no better
covering.
Such rags as could be utilized in no other
way were wound in balls and woven into
carpets which did duty in place of those
long since cut up for horse and saddle
blankets, and these homemade carpets
We're contributed later as the need of them
arose.
Bits of clippings of the best gowns were
sewed neatly over the worn out house slip
pers OF the women and they straghtway
became dandy little congepOrS Of the gown
and were dainty TO look upon, as well as OBJ
Jccts of pride TO their owners.
FLANNEL was very scarce and cost SIS or
unIprWpar kpit
of hOmcspun wool and was quite as com
Portable as the woven. Dyes were made of
the juices of plants. The raw silk wound
from cocoons was dyed and twisted into
very smooth thread. The finest and most
even flax thread, nearly as strong as wire
and quite as smooth and fine as sewing silk,
was made in Virginia, and even now there
is none so good in the market.
How We lighted Our Houses
Lamp wicks are plated by hand and the
oil was illrd out OF refuse pork: sometimes
wild myrtle berries We're stewed until they
beautiful and aromatic candles. The Oil
%! peanuts served also for ilIumi utiuy
purposes. When none of these were to be
had, the rcsinous pine-''fat pine"-was
rnt int" ,spIinlerS and buried one at a
time, while the overwOrked women sat
around the Pickering light and sewed un-
til late in the night
| once saw five soldiers wives making
clothes by this light. and while they
worked they talked over the chances of
their men coming home alive Il don't
expect mine," said one "but God knows
do not want to complain. Since my baby
died he hasn't any occasion to come" By
occasion" she meant inducement.
!aU'jnT all theS" l"horjout occupations.
the children had to be clothed. generally
without the assistance of a sewing ma
chine-they must be watched, fed, taught
and disciplined. Night schools were cs-
tabIished in the easements of the churches,
whore the ragged children were taught by
the young ladies'.
Great barrels of soap We're made of the
refuse Of the hogs killed for family and
plantation use Was toilet soap required,
the need was supplied each time that Il
homc-cured ham was boiled for family
use, and the old fashioned sweet flowers
and herbs of the garden furnished the per-
fume.
The principal food in every house was
pork or cOrned beef. This meat was cured
under the supervision of the ladies of the
family and hams, sausages and spare
ribs were prepared in the most dainty
manner.
Pork, sugar, sorghum molasses. coTn
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