The morning call., 1893-09-03

lambs wool or fine cotton, knit at home,
the heels and toes knit double" and for
Sundays what were called India cotton"
Every lady was proficient in plain and
fancy knitting.
Some of our stockings were far prettier
TO our taste than the opeDwork silk hose
imported for grown people, being wrought
in lace-like patterns upon insteps and
ankles by the deft fingers OF our mothers,
aunts or elder sisters.
AT the top of every stocking, coarse or
fire. the initials of the wearer were knitted
ing and narrowing" There was not
letter in the alphabet which the gentle
woman OF that time could not fashion
without the aid of a sample. or aprons
we had great store-olack silk, embroi-
dered with cOlored silks, muslin and fine
linen trimmed with ruffips or scallOped all
round with nuns cotton" birdseye buck
aback and checked muslin and gingham
for play and school hours.
Behold. then. our little Southern girl,
thus clothed and ready for the days work
and play. She was dressed by maid or
nurse. The head nurse of the household
bore the honorable title OF "mammv." She
with her charges, but her rule was gener-
ally judiciouS. She might and did lecture
u; she never scolded, nor shook, nor
struck one of US.
Her qualifications for the Office were
steadiness, neatDeSs and fondncss for
children. The colored girl or woman who
did not take TO" babies was never allowed
10 tend Them.
Nanny managed US by talking. and did
a good deal of managing. From the time
we could frame the two words with our
own lips we we're little ladies' and were
continually reminded of what was expected
of us in that character.
blesse oblige," nanny Intervene the spirit
of it into all her moDitions.
Little ladies mustn't run bar'foot like
boys" which We were sorely tempted to
d o in hottest weather. Little ladies must
have their hair plated and tied up with
ribbons, not flynn bout their ears like colts
names"
Little ladies mustn't hang down their
heads. or put their fingers In their mouths,
or lay their arms over their eyes when
nybodv says 'Howdye do?' TO them. No
body but overseers' chillun an po' white
folks chillun behave go"
Little ladies mustn't say i declar.' The
Bible says there is but one old Declarer,'
an that is Satin. Little ladies mus say
their prayers every night an mornin,
same as they'd say 'Thankye.' when any,
body is good to them. cause tits supnly
mighty good in their Heavenly Father to
take such good keer of Them"
NANNY Sdlu keer anu 'c1e6r ana
"sut'nly," but she despised negro talk
she never said Niger" nor let us say it
rs heartily as she .despised "po' white
folks and free negroes. She taught us,
through these dislikes, salutary avoidance
of low company and improper associations.
A real gentleman" might be poor; an i'll
bred millionaire was always ''po' white
folksy."
At breakfast, as at dinner. we, l regret
to say. were fed upon Just what our elders
ate. There were always three or four
kinds of hot bread on the table, with eggs.
TWO or three dishes of meat, honey, mo-
lasSes or syrup. milk, tea, coffee and. win
ter or summer, batter-that is, griddle-
cakes.
We were cautioned against greediDess
as to quantity. but made our own selec-
tons as 10 quality.
A notifying "reminiscences of my child
hood is the unexpected turn given by my
mother to an economical deyice upon
which had prided my seven-year-old self
She had lectured me so often upon the sin
of wastefulness that expected praise fol
the practical illustration of the contrary
, principle.
Mother" whispered behind the coffee
urn one morning, II made one sausage
hold out for eight buckwheat cakesP
File! What greedy little girl to cal