Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-02

Don 10 come no tttTder. Mas SOter."
held the coin up between my thumb
and finger. and as the old woman's
countenance changed pleasingly said:
II don't want to steal anything,
aunty. I'm almost starved, and I'd
like to buy mouthful to eat, don't
care what
"Yo' dom mean 1t, honey7 70 amt
foolin'T'
mo; here's the money. Take it-give
me something-quick!"
"Bress yo' soulr' said she, dragging
me into the house. Jess yo' set down
In dat cheer an I'll make yo' COIN
pone in minute"
She raised board from the floor,
scooped some cornmeal from q hiding
place. mixed it in a pan with water and
poured the mass, which was exactly
like the food we made on our farm for
young chickens, into a heavy iron pan
that was in the fireplace. On top Of
the pan she put an iron lid, on which
she piled hot Goals. It seemed to me
the cooking consumed ut least two
hours. but twas only ten minutes by
my watch when the woman took off
the lid and lifted out an immense loaf
Of what in Summerton would have
been called baked chicken feed, but
which in the south is called corn pone
sometimes hoecake.
And how good 1t was! How, as
ate one fragment after another, fe-
dictated the ghosts Of past generations
of my fathers chickens on the enjoy
ment they must have had in eating
just such breakfasts! 1t was solid, a
little of 1t occupied great lot of room
inside my belt, but that was Just
what wanted. There was neither
salt, eggs nor baking powder in 1t, us
there always was In corn bread at our
house in Summerton, but the taste Of
the raw meal was delightful for its
own sake. And the loaf was SO easily
made too! then and there resolved
never to so on another scout without
little bag Of meal in my haversack.
Az ! ate, the old woman told me Of
the trouble she had In keeping in the
house anything to eat. The southern
soldiers, she said, stole everything she
had whenever they came that way, as
did the northern soldiers, so she had
learned to keep her chickens, pigs and
corn in the woods far back from the
road, where nobody would be likely to
find them, and her husband always
watched them when any soldiers were
in the neighborhood.
I wondered what the people in the
north would think about such treat
ment Of the colored people, for whose
benefit some of them seemed to think
the war was conducted, but my
thoughts were interrupted by the
sound of bugle.
Take de res along. honey" said the
old woman, here she looked I'M
der the floor again-"hyah's some yams
[sweet potatoesl. Tuck 'em in yo'
pockets an roas' 'em in de hot ashes
when yo' gifts hungry"
l hurried away with profuse thanks,
full stomach and an entire willing
ness to face. single handed, the whole
southern army in battle array. Many
months later, when had some soldiers
under my own command, l gave more
attention to the cookhouse than to my
other duties combined. And how crate
full were the smiles which Brainard,
Hamilton and Cloyne gave me when
divided my surplus fnecake among
them! Brainard said that bit of hoe
cake saved his life. SO l had done the
government as great service us IL /
had brought new soldier into the
field.
Again we started. and us we rode the
captain and lieutenants looked fire.
quently at the horses heads to see that