The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-09

81. Edited by Isabella d. Martin
and Myrtle LOckett Avery. Illus
trated; 424 pages. Price $3.50.
Publishers: D. Appleton Company,
New York.
The stories of the War Between the
States; of biographies of the great
generals; Of "reminiscences by men in
the public eye; OF treatises upon the
right to secede-of these and like
books there have been a multitude
during the past twenty years. But
comparatively few books have been
written giving a clear insight into
things as they were during the strug-
gle. This diary was written from day
to day, beginning at Charleston when
the convention was passing the Ord
nance of Secession, continued at Mont |
gomery where the writer went with
her husband to witness the Inaugural
ton of President Jefferson Davis, on
whose staff her husband, a Brigadier
General of the Confederate army,
served during the war, and added to at |
Richmond and Columbia and other |
points in the Confederacy. The writer |
was on intimate and social terms with |
the leaders in the Cabinet, the con-
gress and the army of the Confed- |
eracy, and she writes of the social |
and private side of their lives-a side |
that the historians neglect. She writes |
of Lamar, she says: "He was invited |
that when he was brought from the |
battlefield suffering from paralysis |
or some sort of shock" every woman |
was ready to rush into the Florence |
Nightingale business" Lamar sent |
for her. and even Mr.. Davis had hast
ened to his bedside, she went She |
found the courtly knight as courtly |
as ever. 'Will men flatter and make |
eyes until their eyes close in death, at |
the ministering angels? He was the |
same old Lamar of the drawing room.
AS illustrating the absentmindness
of Lamar, she says: "He was invited |
to dinner yesterday; so he came today. |
The portrait given of General Rob- |
ert e. Lee is one of the best things
i'm the Diary" Mrs. Chestnut first |
saw Lee on July 81. 1861.
"a man riding a beautiful horse
joined us. He wore hat with some
thing of military look to it, sat on
his horse gracefully, and was so dis
tinguished at all points that l very
much regretted not catching his name
as Mrs. Stanard gave it to us. He,
however, heard ours, and bowed as
gracefully as he rode, and the few
remarks he made to each of us show |
ed he knew all about US
"To all this light chat did we seri-
ously incline,' because the man and
horse, and everything about him were
so fine looking, perfection, in fact; no
fault to be found if you hunted for it.
AS he left us, ] said eagerly: Who |
is hep You did not know! Why |
If was Robert f. Lee, son of Light |
Horse Harry Lee-the first man in |
Virginia.
The book is not pretentious-it is
rather just like a vivacious woman |
would write to friend. 1t will give |
a clearer insight into the inner circle |
of the Confederacy than any preten- |
tious history has done and will no |
doubt have wide sale, both in the |
North and the South.
Bre'r Catfish, Bre'r BuIIfrog and DR..
Coon.
(By John Jordan Douglass, of Dunn |
n. c., in The Criterion.)
Long, long time ergo Csc tolO,
F'o' de man wuz in de MOON
Bre'r Catfish he tuck col,
An he sont fer ole Bre'r Coon.
Now, ole Bre'r Coon, dey say,
Lived in er boiler tree
An he'd walk ten mile mos eny day
Fer ter ycarn, he doctor fee.
An Wen de Catfish call. hit cum,
SEE ole Bre'r Coon sezee,
Use gwineter git him un'er FUN;
He's rich ez rich kin be-"
Den ole Bre'r Coon slide down er log |
Crar ter de reedy mash,
Whar err biggity bullish speckled frog
Oberseed de creeturs' cash.
"Brer Bullfrog,@ sed Bre'r Coon,
sezee,
use gwineter physic Bre'r Cat;
An l jes' rode down fer ter know de ]
Eff I'll fling de rascul flat"
Bre'r Bullfrog swell up big an say;
"Bre'r Coon, yo' heaht am white;
I'll make yo' rich de berry day
Yo' sqush dat scoun'uTs light"
SO ole Bre'r Coon he slide on down
Fer de catfish cove in de creek,
Whar ole Bre'r Cat wuz sneezin' er.
Toun'
An mos too hoa's ter speak
"Bre'r Catfish" seq Bre'r Coon, "yc
Deres des one way ter git we'll:
Yo' mus take Bre'r Bullfrog down ter
An 'ceive his cunjur spell"
Den ole Bre'r Coon swum back ter de
bank,
Whar ole Bre'r Bullfrog sot;
An he sed, "Bre'r Bull, wen de moons
in dc shank,
Swim out an see what youse got"
Bimeby de ole Banker went swimmfn'
erlong,
Err lookin' ter de right AMI Ief';
But fus' ting he know his laigs whit
wrong,
An he uz purity night drownded ter
deaf.
He slapped an he sloshed, lik' er crate
big whale,
An he slushed wild his strong ole
am;
Twell he robbed Brer Cat ub eb'ry
scale,
An did him monst'ous ham.
Ole Bre.r Coon. whites dey fout dey
fiite
Wuz er-bustin' in ter de bank;