The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-06-05

ting coarse socks for the soldiers.
Full directions for the length and
breadth thereof being printed for the
benefit Of the inexperienced. Our
best lights w.re tallow candles, but
these were too scarce to be used ex-
cer. On special occasions. The otdi-
pery tights were knots of pine, sup
ported on iron racks at the back Of the
chimney to let the smoke fly upwards.
Another odd light. known as sax
taper, was made by winding thirty
yards Of wick. previously dipped in
melted wax, rouad an old candle
stick. Imagine, if you can, its un-
slightly proportions.
\ favsrite nights employment was
found in making envelopes, for we
wrote letters then ss we'll as yor DO
now, girls. NJ bits of white paper,
suitable for writing with pen and ink,
could be wasted in envelopes; these
had to take the place inside and bear
cas messages of love and cheer to the
boys, who appreciate them quite as
much as your lovers Of to-day. Thus
it happened that wall papering and
sheets with pictures on one
side, taken from old books of
UNITED States explorations" served
to make envelopes neat enough, as far
as outside appearances went, to please
the most fastidious. These we stuck
together with gum from peach trees.
Ink was manufactured from oak balls
and green persimmons with rusty nails
instead of ,opperas to deepen the
color. The noisy goose supplied our
pens. With these materials we're
sent as loving missives and, we fancy,
as warmly welcome as those now
penned with gold on dainty, gilt-edged
sheets of dazzling whiteness.
ALONE WITH THE SLAVES.
In addition to these light pri rigations,
wives and mothers were burdened, as
they had never been before, by the di-
rection and oversight of the numerous
slaves, on whom alone they depended
for the hoRely supplies necessary to
the maintenance Of the whites as we'll
as blacks. And he it said to their
eternal credit, no lace was ever more
submissive and helpful than they DUR
ing those four years of bloody strife.
And had not their ignorance been
abused and tampered with by design
ing scalawags and carpet baeeers they
might have been 80 still, snd though
freed, lived on till now in peace and
harmony with their former masters.
They even took pride in feeling
themselves the only protectors of the
mistress at home, deprived of her
natural support and guidance from
the stronger sex, all of whom had
VOLUNTEERED in our country's cause.
And yet sgsin, there were thousands
OF men in the army upon whose daily
labor their families depended for
bread. Deprived Of this and widowed
and orphaned, as they rapidly were by
che deadly battles which followed in
quick succession, they were left suf-
fering and starving, thrown almost
entirely upon the mercy Of these
wives and mothers, who braveIy met
this additional demand upon their
charity.
But why need write further? The
list Of things we were, and ate, and
did, and the list Of things we thought,
and felt, and dreamed, might be writ
ten of forever and then leave much Of
the truth untold. Yeti for all that,
barring suspe nse, we we're content
with just such comforts as we had.
A sprig of the "herb called content"
can make the poorest soup taste as
rich as the lord-mayor's turtle, and
our sacri6'e seemed as trivial moth
ipgs in comparison with the hardships,
privations and dying agunies of our
suffering and impoverished boys
"along the Potomac" where the
light of the camp.6res cleaned" and
from whence no word of murmur ever
came. Yes, our "own boys;" fol
where was ever such an army known
CONTINUED ON PAGE SIM