Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-24


| women, and I hope their men came
| back 20 them safe and sound.
| Charlotte was far from the seat OF war;
| so that only the echoes OF the strife
| reached us. We were safe enough, IL
| only we had not. ell OF us, so many dear
| ones In the conflict which ragged on oil
] sides of u.s. When the news of gene
! raj engagement came hush seemed 10
| fall on the town. every one lonBed 10
| hear. yet scarcely dared ask for the
news. Those who had fathers, husbands,
brothers. sons, or others in the strife
were haunted by the dreadful thought
while 1 am doing this or that he may
I be--whereT" We scarcely breathed until
! the slowly passing days brought tidings
! OF the safety OF those for whom we wept
and prayed.
In the summer OF 1853 we went 10 Vir-
y ginia on visit. on the train we became
( acquainted with a beautiful young Wo-
| man travelling, as we ourselves were
! accompanied by colored nurse and
( baby boy. The "mammies' first became
! acquainted comparing their nurselings
10 beguile the weary hours Of the tedious
| journey, then requisite on southern rail-
ways, and the mothers followed their
! lead. The young mother not more than
twenty years Old was going from her
Va, on a visit TO her husband, colonel
in the Confederate army, and TO show
him his year-old baby, whom he had
never SEEN Our ways diverged and we
were parted but we often thought oil
them and pictured the joyful reunion.
Three weeks passed and we were on our
way back to Charlotte. At a railroad
junction q party Of several persons came
into the car, almost carrying an Invalid
lady, clad in the deepest mourning. AS
her eyes fell on our baby boy laughing
in his nurses arms she uttered cry and
sank. almost fainting, into the arms OF
her attendants. 1t was the young Wife
we had seen In all her hope and JOY three
short weeks before. but so wan, 30
chaneedi From her heartbroken mother
we learned her sad story. On her arrival
at Petersburg she found her husband had
been sent on some expedition into the
country His regiment returned without
him; sharpshooter's bullet had laid him
low. Meantime the baby sickened. and
In one brief week she was childiess
widow! The blow laid her on bed or
sickness, her mother was summoned ana
was now conducting her to her home.
Early in the war weddings were plenty
I'm the South. Every engaged man made
HIS possible danger his strongest argu-
ment for marriage before he went to the
front, but, as the dark clouds rolled
more closely round. few were bold
enough to enter into any new relations
Of life.
SHE RELENTED.
One young lady of our acquaintance,
engaged to a soldier, relented when he
came home with an empty sleeve and
lame foot and in the autumn of 1854 the
wedding day was set. But, wedding
without a trousseau? No indeed. True
there was no shopping possible. Block
ade-running was nearly q thing OF the
past, and the few vessels which sue
ceeded in evading the coast-guard Of
Federal steamers brought only medi-
cines and munitions of war. But the
trousseau was accomplished. Two stuff
dresses were turned. made over, and
trimmed-both of them-one brown, one
gray-in a most stylish manner, with
the aid of an old brown silk umbrella!
Two well-worn black silk dresses were
made into one new one, Richmond
store furnished a black and white calico
at SIS a yard, which, trimmed with red
braid and buttons, proved vastly becom-
ing. A homespun cotton, from the
North Carolina factories, made neat
morning dress. and a black silk Zou-
ave Jacket, made from the scraps OF the
aforementioned dresses. with thirteen
pieces in the sleeves, so neatly joined
that it defied the closest inspection, was
ornamented with gold braid, and con-
sidered chef d'oeuvre. Lastly, lady
about to ego through the lines offered
very nice silk dress for the considera-
ton Of a haif-worn travelling satchel.
But, the bennett Bonnets were worn
large, and where was wedding bonnet
to come from. when every hoard had
been ransacked, and every shred OF MIL
linery utilized long ago TWO old bon
net-frames were cut out and welded into
the fashionable shape. The inner shuck
of the corn ear, snowy white and almost
as soft as silk, was braided into a sort
even braid, about an inch In Wldth'
This braid was sewed smoothly down,
Then a slightly gathered frill Of exqui-
site point d'applique lace, then another
braid, and another row of lace, until the
whole was covered. A piece of pale pink
silk, a relic of an ante-bellum party
dress lined the brim. On one side nes-
tied a cluster of white flowers, beauti-
fully made from goose-feathers by one
OF the bridesmaids. A friend in dis
tant city, hearing of this triumph OF
millinery, sent white ribbon for strings,
and the wedding bonnet was complete.
About the same time ] saw an ingenious
Young lady wearing a very pretty bon
net plated by her own hands from
wheat-straw. and trimmed with pine
shavings. They looked like fine, shaded
satin ribbons.
But, to return TO the wedding. The i'm
portant question of the brides attire be-
ing settled. the collation. remained 10
puzzle the housewives. AS nearly as pos
! sible IL must be like "old times!' Poul-
try, meats, bread, were all right, but the
sweets, The coarsest brown sugar was
all that could be obtained, and even that
was very scarce. The idea OF a brides
cake was reluctantly given up, but
splendid fruit cake was made with sor-
ehum molasses, dried cherries, and
huckleberries, and fg and peach conserve<,
In lieu OF the usual fruits. Macaroons,
composed of the kernels of black walnuts
instead of almonds, were pronounced, II
not exactly OF the same flavor, at least
as delicious. Ice-cream sweetened with
brown sugar and favored with peach ker-
nels was the best that could be done IN
the way of ices. But the tables were as
dainty set with snowy demask. fine
glass, and silver as Of yore, and the flow>
ers and grapes and pears were the same
as in the piping days OF peace" Love
presided at the feast, the difficulties over
come gave sense of triumph TO all con-
cerned. and the wedding, in ali ways, was
a real success.
The winter OF isss-'6S came on cold and
gloomy. Dark rumor fled the air. Gen.
eral Lee was at Petersburg with dep.e-
ted end half-fed army. Retreat. defeat;