The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-05-07
NEWS FROM CHATTERTOWN
Interesting Letter From HELENE
Maury to Her Sister in Arcadia.
ChildhOOd's Happy Hours, and the JOY
Gus Scenes Of By-GOne Days.

SISTER MINE:-So you do remem-
Der 1.-The things of long ago, and are
glad to live them over in your imagi-
nation;" and you say 1--WE thought
that clumsy old vehicle with the red
Morocco lining the grandest thing
in all the world So we did, sister
mine, and 1 am very pleased at your
remembrance of it.
In those days carriages were near
ly as large as some rooms one sees
at the present time-and so sub
stantial! The horses looked so
heavy, trOtting in so stately style,
that they would be sneered at as too
slow in this fast age. The dignifled
old negro driver seemed Just to fit
in, for young darkies rarely ever
handled the reins "before the war"
But now the vehicles are mere
shams-not made for durability
only for glare and glitter-and 50
cheap that most anybody can own
one.
Surely to us older ones who have
seen so many changes "since the
war;" these seem degenerate days
in some respects. The "bottom rail
is on top now, and blood, family
and merit sink into insignificance
before money and that new COM
modify called "cheek." But / di-
gress!
Dear sister, can you picture our
visits to grandpapa? Just think of
that clear, pebbly spring, that rip
pied from the bottom of the great
sink-hole, and what fearful climb
it was to us when our feet were
small! And don't you know that in
after years, when we revisited the
place, that dUfW sink seemed
mere depression compared to our
childish ideas? And oh! can't you
Just taste that sweet honey and the
snowy biscuits that grandmama
seemed always to have on hand?
And as for that chicken gravy
none ever tasted like it! 1t was
flood fer to COTS" as an old German
used to say.
am reminded of the jolliest time
of all the year, except Christmas. 1t
was "ice filling" time-and blythe
way this was something few child
rem enjoyed, for it was not everyone
who owned an ice-house.
Owing to tickle winters, ice did
not form every year; so that when
the ice was pronounced thick enough
(that is from three to four inches on
the average) it was a great time
with us. The two doors of the ice
house had been left open all sum-
mer, and now it had been cleaned
out; fresh straw had been crammed
in between the lining and the out
side, and great loads of sawdust
hauled ready for the ice. When the
day arrived everything was astir so
much earlier than usual. We, sis
ter dear, had scarcely slept the
night before, so full were we of the
coming morrow. No Queen Of the
May had ever anticipated more
pleasure than did we two little
"tots" as "Call me early, mother
dear" fell from our lips after being
tucked in bed and admonished to
Ego to sleep"
SO, when the morning came, every
one on the place was running to and
fro. Servants bustling about and
fragrant odOrs from the kitchen in
dictated more cooking than usual
for 1.-the hands" had to be fed, al
though we lived in town-this same
Chattertown. How we ran from
house to kitchen, making cook cross
as a bear! And how anXiOusly we
strained our eyes for a sight of the
first wagon-load of ice from some
pond near town!
AS we sat upon the fence, well
| Il al
little hands for joy, never once
thinking of Jack Frost's nimble f1ng
ers as he touched and tinted oul
cheeks and noses, until they fairly
glistened; or may be mother woulC
call us in "to warm"-all of which
we thought quite waste of time
and as the rumbling wagons drew
near, and the flour horse team
champed their bits, while thei
+, sides smoked like a furnace, W.
would eagerly watch the great blocks
{ of frozen water dash and slide int
, the yawning mouth ready to receive
them! And now, can you not fame!
you hear the clear ringing voices o
, the brawny negro men as they sun!
, at their work, now and then stop
ping lOuS 6uOuSI w SOO oMlS
out of the fat brown jug that was al
ways in it's place at such times
Yes, and we thought nothing of i
9 then; not much use for Temperance
=, laws. Negroes were created" a
,, Christmas time with egg-nog, ant
, every one, great and small, wa
! called up early in the morning ant
given "dram," all of which wa
considered the right thing; for Gus
tom had made il proper; but then il
, those days drunkenness was not
: disease, as liquors were pure.
Negroes were eating their whit
bread then, for never were peopl
happier than they. No response
t bility, we'll cared for, plenty to ca
and to wear, nothing to lOse-all t
r gain-though freedom was wha
Q they all looked toward to. And
o thought it so strange too, that oil
? black nanny would always say
when asked what she would rathe
I have, Give me my freedom" Blu
! l have spun this too long. Goo
bye, until the next.